A declaration of Christ and of his office compiledA declaration of Christe and of his offyce compylyd

concerning the means of salvation dependeth only of the mouth of Christ and disputeth no more the matter, then Christ showeth him the way and maketh â ladder for Nicodemus where with he may ascend into heaven and saith this ways thou mayst understand the thing I speak of. Sicut Moses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet filium hominis: as Moses lift up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of man be lift up. This history of the serpent was not unknown unto this learned man: albe it he considered not the mystery and sacrament that it figured. Now Christ teacheth him in this place to understand ⟨image 47⟩the law and because this oration of Christ written by sanct Johan is obscure and lacketh â declaration somewhat of the purpose that Christ would prove: omittit Ebreorum more alteram similitudinis partem. I will annex the type and figure with the effect and mystery of the figure and make the text playne, Sicut Moses exaltavit serpentem in deserto, sic exaltari oportet filiū hominis. Moses was commanded to lift up this serpent in the wilderness for this cause, that who so ever was stung or venomed with the poison of the serpents if he looked upon the serpent of brass might be healed. Here is the cause and the effect declared. Why the serpent was lift up. Now to the words of Christ. Ita exaltari oportet filium hominis, ut omnis qui credit in illum nō pereat, sed habeat uitam aeternam, So must Christ be lift up that as many ⟨image 47⟩as believe in him shall have ever lasting lief. Here is Nicodemus taught the way unto ever lasting lief and because he was a doctor of Moses law Christ by the law made open the matter unto him and brought him from the shadow unto the true body and from the letter, unto the understanding of the letter saying as those that by faith beheld the serpent were healed of the stings of the serpent, so such as behold me in faith hanging upon the cross shall be healed from there sickness and sin that the devil by the serpent infected man kind with all. Now let us repeat the text of Moses again, that we may truly understand our saviours words. Fac tibi Serpentem urentem, & pone eum in palum in subli me sublatum, fietque si serpens aliquem momorderit, intueatur eum, & incolumis erit. In these words is declared three things.

cōserning the meanes of saluacion dependith only of the mouth of Christe and disputithe nomore the mater, then Christe shewithe hym the way and makithe â ladder for Nicodemus wher withe he may ascend into heauen and saythe this wayes thow mayst understond the thing I spek of. Sicut Moses exaltauit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet filium hominis: as Moses lifft upp the serpent in the desert, so must the sonne of man belyfft uppe. This history of the serpent was not unknowyn unto this lernid man: albe it he consyderid not the mystery and sacrament that it figurid. Now Christ teachithe hym in this place to understōd