1044 Thefiateof the Church CAP.-6. of all externall worfhip. Which hapned in the times of Martin Lather, in the teere 15.17. Ac what time the Spoafe began fome- what to recover her health and fcrength. The tvalden;'es, Wickklif, the Bohemians and other daughtersof Ierufalem had taken great paines in peeking the Bridegroome, but the garden was never pre- pared with beds and borders for him, till now,when Fred°rik Duke of Saxonie by his own authority protefted and defended the Church newly fprung up in Wittenberg a City of his dominion. Here was theonly garden at the fiift,and therfore the faith, My beloved is zone down intohis harden. The truth was plentifully fowne there, but lit- tle reformation for the first foureyeeres, therefore is there but one gardenmentioned. But fhortly after more gardens were added to this one, as 7igurum, eXrgentoratum, Baffle, Berne, Geneva, and alto the Provinces of Haifa and Trufa,fo that the fccond part of the verle faith rightly; He Went donne to feede in the Gardens, for now there were many gardens made by difcinaion of fence, yet were all planted with the like fruite. He came not into thisgarden any longer to behold the bare and naked beds,but as it were feeding the elect by the nourifhment ofhis word, he at the length gathered Lillies in baskets and feparated them from the wicked world, which Lillies were LìrPc gathered at wittemberg, when the Maffe began tobe difcontinued and the Supper more purely to be adminiftred in the yeere 1521. The yeere following the Images were call out, After three yeeres Ty;eorum and Argentoratam were reformed. This comming into the garden and gathering of Lillies is the har- vefc fpoken ot; Rev. T 4. 14,i 5. Jerfe 2. I ammy beloveds, andmy belovedis mine : he feedeth a- mong the Lillies. She triumpheth in the fame words as the did upon her rename from Babylon, Chap. 2. 16. by which free profeflion, the declareth the boldneffe and conlcancie of thofe time', wherein the truth need no more whipper in corners, in'feare and doubting, but might pub- lifh her (elfe openly and be publiquely celebrated by the common fpeech ofmany men, Neither was the fupportation of the Bride- groomeleff apparent in defenc'ing her mightily againft her ene- mies. For if the hatred of the multitude, the rebukes of the Do- a` àrs, the curies ofthe Popes, the condemning oftheEmperour, the confpiracies of Princes, the conf (cation of goods, the danger.of life, and all other things threatning p relent death, could have terri- fied the Spoufe from profeilingher beloved : faith had bin utterly loft.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=