The texte.

CHrist openeth vnto Iohn his deare beloued disciple, the secrete misteries of the kingdom of heauē, & expoundeth the visions of the other prophetes, as farre furth as is requisite & necessary for the christen doctrine. And thus Iohn seeth here a pure ryuer of water, very clere, whiche is the holy scripture, y^e worde of god, the doctrine of Christ, & the holy gospel of our saluaciō. That same is clere vnto al them that haue a pure heart & mynde, not defyled nor blemished with transitorye loue & care of y^• worlde, nor with any temptacions of y^e flesshe. This holy doctrine procedeth & commeth out frō the holy spirite of god, and of Christ. For he is one God with y^• father & the sonne. He is the seate of glorye, of omnipotencie & of y^e godheade. He procedeth out from the welspring of all wyse∣dom grace & mercye, and floweth throughe the myddes of al streates of Christes churche, which is the citie of god & of the lambe. And of both sides of y^• riuer doe stāde glorious & bewtiful trees of lyfe which receyue their increase, their leaues and frute, of the moysture of the riuer. And these trees are y^e holy fathers, of the faithful christen churche, of the olde & new testament, whiche by their faith, and by their vnderstandynge and readyng of the holy scripture, of y^e lawe, of y^e pro∣phetes, and of the gospell, haue lyued, taught and wrought very frutefully in the holy citie of the churche, and haue brought forthe twelue maner of frutes, that is to saye many frutes, and haue serued god without ceasynge with muche frute and profyte in right and true good wo•kes and vertuous exercises. The leaues, frute and sappe of these holy trees, were very holsome and soueraine, as were also the frutes of the dysciples, of the prophetes and apostles. For the holy bysshops and preachers of Gods worde, dyd make repentance, Page  xxxviii faithfull, holy, and christen people (by their preachinge, •eachinge, wrytinge, prayers, and christen example of lyfe) of them whiche were before very hethen. And in this churche, there is no cursed frute, and no meate is vncleane vnto the faithfull: For they shall receyue and inioy all maner of frutes and meates with thanckes geuynge, and with all temperatenes and measure. Neyther shall the holy goost be extingwysshed in the holy churche of God, but he shall prouyde ministers of God, and shall incorage and comforte them with his ayde and assystence, that they shall profyte, goe forwarde, and procede frutefully in all goodnes, and thorowe true faithe, they shall knowe the face of God, & his gra∣cious and mercifull wyll and pleasure in this militant & warrfarynge churche: but in the heauenly Ierusalem they shall knowe him face to face, euen as he is, and shall laude and prayse him euerlastingly. And these ministers and seruan∣tes of God, shall not be ashamed to knowledge and to confesse y^e name of god, the christen faith & the holy gospel. They shal beare about, preache and glorifie the name of Christ openly, with ioy, delyght and pleasure. And neyther Sunne, nor Moone shal helpe or adde any thing to this cleare and bright daye of gods knowledge, for the spirite of God shall doe all together. And the blissed soules in heauen haue their Sunne, and Moone, the glasse of the godheade, the excel∣lent bewty of the glorified and exalted manhode of Christe, wherby they shall reygne in blisse for euermore.