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THE

UNBELIEF

OF

ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE,

LAID OPEN

FOR THE COMPORT OF ALL THAT DESIRE

TO BELIEVE;

which armeth us against despair
in the hour of death.

BY NICHOLAS BOWNDE,

DOCTOR IN DIVINITY.

FIRST PRINTED IN 1608.

LONDON:

REPRINTED BY AND FOR NICHOLS, SON, & BENTLEY,
RED LION PASSAGE, FLEET STREET. SOLD ALSO
BY T. COMBE, LEICESTER; AND J. BOTTRILL, LUT-
TERWORTH.

1817.

100. s. 429.

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THE

UNBELIEF

OF

ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE.

John c. 20, v. 24, &c.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25. The other Disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord: but he said unto them, Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put mine hand into his side, I will not believe it. 26. And eight days after again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, when the doors were shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27. After, he said to Thomas, Put thy finger here, and see mine hands, and put forth thine hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but faithful. 28. Then Thomas answered, and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. 29. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou believest: blessed are they, that have not seen, and have believed.

THIS text of Scripture is appointed to be read for the Gospel upon St. Thomas's Day, because it containeth a memorable story of him, whose blessed memory we keep upon that day: to that end, that we

might be thankful unto God for him, and for the excellent gifts bestowed upon him, and the great good done to the Church by his ministry and preaching: and that we might labour to imitate his virtues, and to profit by his great infirmities: wherein consisteth the true and right observation of this, and all other such like days.

And

And not in the worshipping of him, and praying to him, and setting up candles before his image, and offering to him, as they did in the time of Popery; when they prayed unto God to be heard at his intercession, and for his merits, and blood shedding; as they did upon other such days for the rest of the Apostles and Saints. they thought that the celebrating of those days was a great honour and service acceptable unto them, and they kept them to that end, that they might become their patrons, and fare the better for their sakes before God and they know no other use of them unto this day.

:

Wherein they offer great indignity unto Christ, first, in robbing and spoiling him of the honour and office of his mediation and intercession, to whom only it belongeth of whom the Apostle thus writeth:it is Christ which is dead, yea or rather

which is risen again (Rom. c. 8, v. 24): who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request also for us, and therefore who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's chosen? And Christ himself thus speaketh of his own office (John c. 14, v. 13): Whatsoever ye ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Secondly, they do great wrong unto him, in hallowing any days to the honour of any, but of God alone. For all things that are sanctified, are sanctified to his honour and worship only, who only is to be worshipped and served with divine worship: therefore the bread and wine in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and the water in baptism, are sanctified to the honour of Christ, and of none other: as those that represent unto us the breaking of his body, and the shedding of his most precious blood for the forgiveness of our sins. And so are and ought the Churches to be con-secrated to the name and honour of God. alone (who only is there to be served), and not of any Saint, as in time past they have been.

And so ought the days also: as under the law all the Sabbaths were consecrated

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