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

Second: the effect: the health of the people.

Second: theffectt: the healthe of the people.

Third: the use: that they should look upon him. so Johan declareth why Christ was made man, the use, and the effect of his humanity in these words: Sic Deus dilexst mundum, ut filium suum unigenitum daret, ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat, sed habeat uitam aeternam. The cause of his cumming was the sin and sickness of man bitten by the serpent in paradise: the effect of his cumming was the health of this sickness: the use of his cumming was to believe that his death upon the cross was and is sufficient for the remission of sin and to obtain eternal lief. Here is the justification of man lively expressed. and how many things concur as necessary unto the remission ⟨image 48⟩of sin and yet man only justified by faith. The word of God, the preacher of the word, Christ himself, the contrition of Nicodemus, the holy ghost that mouyd Nicodemusto cum by night unto Christ, the consenting will of Nicodemus unto the words of Christ. Yet only was he delivered from sin by the faith that he had in the death of Christ, as Christ saith: sic oportet exaltari filium hominis, ut omnis qui credit in illum non pereat, sed habeat uitam aeternam. This must be diligently marked. For as the fathers of the old church used the serpent, so must those of our church use the precious body of Christ, they looked upon him only with the yes of faith they kissed him not, they cast no water upon him and so washed there eyes therewith all, they touched him not with there hands, they eat him not nor corporally, nor really, nor substantially, ⟨image 49⟩yet by there believe they obtained health, so Christ him self teacheth us the use of his precious body, to believe and look upon the merits of his passion suffered upon the cross and so to use his precious body against the sting of original and actual sin. Not to eat his body, transformed into the form of bred, or in the bred with the bread: under the bread. behind the bred or be fore the bread, corporally, or bodily substantially, or really, invisible, or any such ways as many men to the great injuries of Christs body doth teach, but as the children of Israel only by faith eat the body spiritually not yet born, so by faith doth the Christians eat him now being ascended into heaven and none other wise as Christ saith unto Nicodemus: