Luther declares himself against the Torgau's request to exchange their preachers for others.
From Aurifaber's unprinted collection, p. 206, in Schütze, vol. II, p. 329 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 581.
Grace and peace! We see from your letter to Jonas, my best Spalatin, that you and your fellow bishops are being asked for the transfer of the pastor and the church servants at Torgau, namely for the reason that their voices were not quite audible in the sermons. Certainly they have also sung the same little song to us, especially after they have heard M. Wolfgang Fuß 2) (Fues) in the recitation (voce) of his sermons. But see to it, my dear Spalatin, that you do not let yourself be misled by this few recommendations of the voice.
1) Perhaps in September, when the Saxon princes regularly stayed in Trockenborn for hunting.
2) Wolfgang Fues, pastor in Colditz.
You will be persuaded to make this dangerous change, which will not only be full of the most serious annoyances, but will also be extremely offensive to us. For if this right is granted to the common people, that they can change their pastors when they are tired of them, how lukewarm will we finally still have pastors? Set yourself as an example: could you bear it if they wanted to either transfer you or make a change with you, either for the sake of the vote or for the sake of health, by adding the Colditzer as an assistant? There are so many virtues in Gabriel 3) and the church servants at Torgau that they should not only obscure the voice of M. Wolfgang, but also denounce his virtues. Therefore, I ask you to spare even ours in this matter, which we cannot see without the greatest offense. Also, such people as these Torgauers are cannot be found so often, and it would be shameful for us to exchange the best for the worst only for the sake of inequality of voice, since even those can be understood sufficiently, teach and read faithfully, and these are useful only by shouting for the itching ears of the mob, but according to the matter itself either to a few or to themselves. The Lord be with you, my dear Spalatin. Anno 1534. Your Martin Luther.
No. 2106.