the church. Never forget this. Whether
the assembly spoken of will accomplish what we desire and hope, no one
can tell. Our resolution must be an act of faith. Like Peter, we shall
have to walk on the sea; but we know also that the Lord does not suffer
any one to perish who trusts in him. If we look merely upon ourselves
and upon the scattered, distracted, and weak members of the church, we
would have indeed to despair. But if we raise our eyes in faith to him
who is the Lord, we will venture it."

The conference yielded to this earnest appeal, and a general assembly
was called, to convene at Wittenberg, in the following autumn. On the
21st of September, the appointed day, five hundred of the leading
evangelical theologians and laymen of Germany were present, to adopt
whatever measures might be thought best to avert existing and impending
evils. They met in the same old gothic temple on whose door, three
centuries previously, Luther had nailed his ninety-five theses. The
exercises opened with prayer, and the singing of Luther's hymn, "Eine
feste Burg ist unser Gott," which has been thus translated by Carlyle:

"A safe stronghold our God is still,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He'll help us clear from all the ill
That hath us now o'ertaken.
The ancient Prince of Hell
Hath risen with purpose fell;
Strong mail of craft and power
He weareth in this hour,--
On earth is not his fellow.

With force of arms we nothing can,
Full soon were we down-ridden;
But for us fights the proper man,
Whom God himself hath bidden.
Ask ye, Who is this same?
_Christ Jesus_ is his name,
The Lord Zebaoth's Son;
He, and no other one,
Shall conquer in the battle.

And were the world all devils o'er
And watching to devour us,
We lay it not to heart so sore,
Not they can overpow'r us.
And let the prince of ill
Look grim as e'er he will,
He harms us not a whit,
For why? His doom is writ--
A word shall quickly slay him.

God's word for all their craft and force,
One moment will not linger,
But spite of hell shall have its course,
'Tis written by His finger.
And though they take our life,
Goods, honor, children, wife,
Yet is their profit small;
These things shall vanish all,
The Church of God remaineth."

The Church Diet, now in its first session, was in di