To John Gutel,Preacher in Gottingen letter 2 - Martin Luther

TO JOHN GUTEL, PREACHER IN GOTTINGEN Luther complains of the people’s meanness. March 1, 1531.

Grace and peace! I have had your Church Service printed, dear Gutel, and wrote a preface for it, and dedicated it to the heads of your congregation. See that it bears fruit. It will fare badly with your people if they reject any more servants of the Church. I have great difficulty in finding serviceable people, for in Wittenberg the scarcity is very great. Formerly thousands were squandered on useless creatures who were deceivers in addition; now they will scarcely expend one hundred gulden on a

pastor (Seelsorger ). Therefore I will take nothing more to do with them. They fancy we must be proud of them, and that they cannot be wanted. I cannot answer your inquiries as to whether one may dispense the Holy Sacrament without tonsure and priestly consecration. For if they are not in earnest there, I would prefer you to let it alone. But otherwise you should openly ordain them before the altar with prayer and the laying on of the hands of the other servants of the Word, thus empowering them

to dispense the sacrament. Excuse those hasty lines. I see so much ingratitude that I am unwilling to advise or have anything to do with those Israelites who are satiated with the manna.

Remain steadfast in Christ. MARTIN LUTHER . (Schutze.)