Page:The letters of Martin Luther.djvu/303

 Christ! I have had your form of church service printed, as you see. The reason for the Licentiate Basilius not coming you will gather from his letter. I do not come well out of this business in having raised the poor man’s hopes, and then having to leave him sitting. My simplicity, or rather folly, is to blame for not first inquiring into all the circumstances. But it is not my first mistake, and will not be my last.

God grant that henceforth you may first be sure of your cause, and above all unanimous, before embarking on a similar proceeding. I herewith commit you to God. MARTIN LUTHER. (De Wette.)

CCLXV
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