Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

I Know nothing more certain concerning S. Thomas, then that which this Gospel mentioneth of him. Other things which are written of him in the book of Legends, are most impudent lies. And albeit they were partly true, yet have they no authority, neither make us any thing the better. Wherefore we will leave them untouched, & speak something of this Gospel, which shall be more profitable & necessary for us then all those Legends. The former part of this Gospel fell out about the eventide of the Passover, when two had returned from Emmaus, & showed unto the other Disciples, that the Lord was risen again. The latter part fell out the eight day after the Passover. It is marvellous how comfortable this Gospel is, showing unto you, the fruits of faith, namely peace, and joy, as Paul saith Rom. 5: being justified therefore by faith, we have peace toward God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. But now we will entreat in few words, what this is that the Lord showeth to his Disciples his hands and his feet, whereby is declared unto us, what commodity ⟨p. 448⟩we have by Christ, whereunto he profiteth us, and what we must look for of him. It is engrafted in the harts of all men as it were by nature, to have a certain will to be honest & godly, & every one thinketh how he may come to salvation, whereby it hath come to pass, that one hath invented this thing, an other that, being verily persuaded, that thereby he should make God favourable unto him, and obtain heaven, but none such at any time hath stood in the right way, forasmuch as all have had this drift, that they might procure Gods favour by deeds and good works. Notable Doctors also and holy fathers have written & taught many things, how we might attain unto godliness. About this they have miserably troubled them selves, but as we see, and to our notable loss have felt, they have done little. Wherefore it is exceeding necessary, that some sound knowledge be had hereof, whereby we must endeavour to true godliness, forasmuch as it is a thing of no small importance. For he that is deceived here, loseth the sum and chief point of all Christianity: hereof therefore we must now speak somewhat.