The ceremonies which are described in þe; boke folowynge, were chiefly ordeyned of God (as I sayed in the ende of the Prologe vpon Exodi) to occupi þe; m&ibar;des of þe; people þe; Israelytes, ∧ to kepe them from seruynge of God after the imagination of theyr blynde seale and good intente: that theyr conscyences might be stablyshed and they sure that they pleased God therein, whiche were impossible if a manne dyd of hys owne heade that whiche was not commaunded of God nor depended of anye appoyntemente made betwene hym and God.

Such ceremonies were vnto th&ebar; as an. A.B C. to learne to spell and reade, and as a nurce to feede theym wyth mylke and pappe, and to speake vnto th&ebar; after theyr own capacitie and to lyspe the words vnto them according as the babes and chyldren of that age myght sounde them agayne. For all that were before Christe were in the inf&abar;cy and childhode of the worlde and sawe that Sonne whyche we see openlye, but thorowe a cloude and hadde but feble and weake imaginations of Christe, as chyldrene haue of mens deades, a fewe Prophetes except whyche yet described hym vnto other in Sacrifices and ceremonies, likenesses, rydles, prouerbes, and darcke and straunge speakyng vntyll the full age were come that God woulde shewe him openly vnto the whole worlde and deliuer them from theyr shadowes and clowdlighte and the heathen oute of theyr dead slepe of starke blynde ignorauncye. And as the shadowe vanysheth away at the commynge of the lyghte, euen so do the ceremonies and Sacrifices at the commynge of Christe, and are henceforthe no more necessarye then a token lefte in remembraunce of a bargaine is necessary wh&ebar; the bargayne is fulfylled. And thoughe they seme playn chyldysh, yet they be not altogither frutelesse: as the popetes and .xx. maner of tryfles which mothers permitte vnto theyr yonge chyldren be not all in vayne. For albeit that suche phantasies be permitted to satisfye the chylders lustes, yet in that they are the mothers gift, and be done in place and tyme at hyr commaundemente, they keepe the chyldrene in awe and make theym knowe the mother and also make theim more apte agaynste a more strounger age, to obeye in thynges of a greater earneste.

And more ouer thoughe sacrifices and ceremonies can be no gro&ubar;d or fundation to build vppon: that is, though we can proue noughte with them: yet when we haue once found oute Christ and hys misteries, then we may borowe figures that is to sai allegories, similitudes or ensamples to open Christe and the secretes of God hyd in Christe euen vnto the quycke, and to declare them more lyuely and sensibly wyth them then wyth al the wordes of the world.

For similitudes haue more vertue and power wyth them then bare wordes, and lead a mans wyttes further into the pythe and marye and spirituall vnderstandynge of the thynge, then all the wordes that canne be imagyned. And though also that al the ceremonies ∧ sacrifices haue as it were a starrelight of Christ, yet some there be that haue as it were the lyghte of the brode daye a lyttle before the sonne risyng, and expresse hym, and the circumstaunces and vertue of hys death so playnly as if we shold play his passion on a scaffold or in a stage play op&ebar;ly before the eyes of the people. As the scape gote, the brasen serpent, the oxe burnt wythout the hoste, the passeouer lambe .∧c. In so muche that I am fully perswaded, and c&abar;not but beleue that God hath shewed Moses the secretes of Christe and the very maner of hys death before hande, and commaunded hym to ordayne them for the confyrmation of our faithes whyche are nowe in the cleare day lyght. And I beleue also, that the Prophetes whyche folowed Moyses to confyrme hys Prophecies and to mayntayne hys doctrine vnto Christes coming were moued by such thynges to search further of Christes secretes. And though God woulde not haue the secretes of Christ generallye knowne, saue vnto a fewe familiar frendes which in that infancy he made of mans wyt to helpe the other babes: yet as they had a generall promise that one of the seede of Abraham shoulde come and blesse them, euen so they had a generall fayeth, that God woulde by the same man saue th&ebar;, though they wist not by what means as the very apostles wh&ebar; it was oft told them yet they could neuer comprehend it, tyll it was fulfylled in dede.

And beyond al this their sacrifices and ceremonies as far forth as the promises annexed vnto the extende, so far forth they saued theym and iustified theim, and stode them in the same steade as our Sacramentes doo vs: not by the power of the Sacrifice or deade it selfe, but by the vertue in the fayth in the promyse whyche the sacrifyce or ceremonies preached and wherof it was a token or sygne. For the ceremonies and sacrifices were lefte wyth theym and commaunded theym to kepe the promise in remembraunce and to wake vp theyr fayeth. As it is not inoughe to sende manye on errandes and

to tell them what they shall doo: but they must haue a remembraunce with them, and it be but a ringe of a rush aboute one of theyr fingers. And as it is not ynough to make a bargayne wyth wordes only, but we must put thereto an oth and geue ernest to confyrme the faythe of the person with whom it is made. And in lyke maner yf a man promysse, whatsoeuer triful it be, it is not beleued excepte he holde vppe hys fynger also, soch is the wekenesse of the world. And therfore Chryst him self vsed of tymes dyuerse ceremonyes in curyng the sycke to sturre vp their fayth wyth all. As for an ensample it was not the bloud of the lambe that saued th&ebar; in Egypte, when the angell smote the Egyptians: but the mercye of God and his truth wherof that bloud was a token and remembraunce to sturre vppe theyr faythes wyth all. For though God make a promysse, yet it saueth none fynallye but them that longe for it and pray God wyth a stronge fayth to fulfyll it for hys mercye and truthe onlye and knowledge theyr vnworthynesse. And euen so oure sacramentes (yf they be truelye ministred) preache Chryste vnto vs and leade oure fayhs vnto Christ, by whych fayth oure synnes are done awaye and not by the deade or worke of the Sacrament. For as it was impossible that the bloud of calues shuld put away synne: euen so is it impossyble that the water of þe; ryuer shuld wash our hartes. Neuerthelesse the sacram&ebar;tes clense vs and absolue vs of oure synnes as the preastes do, in preachyng of repentaunce and fayth, for which cause ether other of them were ordened, but yf they preach not, whether it be the preast or the sacrament, so profyte they not.

And yf a man allege Christ Iohan in the .iii. chapter saying: Excepte a man be borne agayn of water and the holye gooste he can not se the kyngdome of God, and wyll therfore that the holy goost is present in the water and therfore the verye deade or worke doth put awaye synne: then I wyll send hym vnto Paule whyche axeth hys Galathyans whether they receyued the holy goost by the deade of the lawe or by preachynge of fayth and there concludeth that the holy goost accompanyeth the preachyng of fayth, and with the worde of faith, entreth the hart and purgeth it, which thou mayst also vnderstand by saynct Paul sayinge: ye are borne a new out of the water thorow the worde. So now yf baptim preach me the wasshyng in christes bloude, so doth the holy goost accompanye it and that deade of preachyng thorow faythe doth put away my synnes. For the holye goost is no dome God nor no god that goeth a mummyng. Yf a man say of the sacrament of Chrystes body ∧ bloud, that it is a sacryfice, as well for the dead as for the quycke, and therfore the very dead it self iustifyeth and putteth awaye synne. I answere that a sacryfice is the sleynge of the body of a beast or a man: wherfore yf it be a sacrifyce, then is chrystes body there slayn and his bloude there shed: but that is not so.
And therfore it is properly no sacryfice but a sacrament and a memorial of that euerlastyng sacrifyce once for al whyche he offered vpon the crosse now vpon a .xv. hundred yeres a go and preacheth only vnto them that are alyue. And as for them that be dead, it is as profytable vnto them as is a candell in a lantrene wythout lyghte vnto them that walke by the waye in a darke nyght, and as the gospel song in laten is vnto them that vnderstand none at all, and as a sermon preached to hym that is dead and hereth it not. It preacheth vnto them that are alyue only, for they that be dead, yf they dyed in the fayth which that sacrament preacheth, they be saffe and are past all ieopardye. For when they were alyue their hartes loued the lawe of God and therfore synned not, and were sorye that their membres synned and euer moued to synne, and therfore thorow fayth it was forgeuen them. And nowe theyr synnefull membres be dead, so that they can nowe synne no more, wherfore it is vnto them that be dead nether sacrament nor sacryfyce: But vnder the pret&ebar;ce of their soul health, it is a seruaunt vnto our spyrytualtyes holye coueteousnesse and an extorcyonar and a bylder of Abbayes, Colleges, Chauntryes and cathedral chirches with false goten good, a pickpurse, a pollar, and a bott&obar;lesse bagge.

Some man wold happely say, that the prayers of the masse helpe moche: not the lyuynge only, but also the dead. Of the hote fyre of their faruent prayer whyche consumeth faster then al the world is able to brynge sacrifyce. I haue sayde sufficientlye in other places. Howe be if it is not possyble to brynge me in beleue that the prayer whych helpeth her owne master vnto no vertue, shuld purchesse me the forgeu&ebar;sse of my synnes. If I saw that their prayers had obtayned th&ebar; grace to lyue soche a lyfe as goddes worde dyd not rebuke, th&ebar; could I sone be borne in hande that what soeuer they axed of God theyr prayers shuld not be in vayne. But now, what good can he wysh me in his praiers that enuieth me Chryst the fode and the lyfe of my soule? What good can he wysh me whose herte cleaueth a sundre for payne when I am taught to repent of my euel.?

Furthermore because that fewe knowe the vse of the olde testament, and the mooste parte thynke it nothynge necessarye, but to make allegoryes, whiche they fayne euery man after hys owne brayne at al wyl aduenture without any certayne rule: therfore (though I haue spok&ebar; of them in another place) yet lest the boke come not to all mennes handes that shall reade thys I wyll speake of them here also a worde or twayne.

We had nede to take hede euery where that we be not begyled wyth false allegories, whether they be drawne out of the newe testament, or the olde, ether oute of anye other storye or of the creatures of the worlde, but namely in thys boke. Here a man had nede to put on all hys spectacles and to arme hym self agaynst inuisyble spretes.

Fyrst allegories proue nothyng (and by allegoryes vnderstande examples or symilitudes borowed of straunge matters and of another thynge than that thou entreatest of) As though cyrcumcysyon be a fygure of baptime, yet thou canst not proue baptyme by cyrcumcysyon.
For thys argument were very feble, the Israelytes were circumcysed therfore we must be baptysed. And in like maner though þe; offering of Isaac were a fygure or ensample of the resurreccion, yet is thys argument nought, Abraham wold haue offered Isaac, but god delyuered him fr&obar; deth, therfore we shal ryse agayne, and so forth in al other.

But the very vse of allegories is to declare and open a texte that it maye be the better perceyued and vnderstande. As when I haue a cleare texte of Chryst and of the Apostles, that I must be baptysed, then I may borowe an ensample of circumcysyon to expresse the nature power and frute or effecte of baptime. For as cyrcumcysyon was vnto them a comen bagge sygnyfyenge that they were al sodiars of God to warre hys warre, and separating them from al other nacyons, dysobedyent vnto God: euen so baptime is oure comen bagge and sure ernest and perpetuall memoriall that we pertayne vnto Chryst and are separated from al that are not Chrystes. And as circumcisyon was a token certifyenge them that they were receyued vnto the fauoure of God and theyr synnes forgeuen them: euen so baptyme certefyeth

vs that we are washed in the bloude of Christe and receyued to fauoure for hys sake, ∧ as circumsicion signifieth vnto them the cuttynge away of theyr owne lustes and sleayng of theyr fre wyl as they call it, to folow the wyll of god euen so baptisme signifieth vnto vs rep&ebar;ta&ubar;ce and the mortifiynge of our vnrulye membres and body of synne, to walke in a new life and so forthe.

And likewyse though that the sauing of Noe and of them that were wyth hym in the shippe, thorow water, is a fygure, that is to say an exemple and likenesse of baptisme, as Peter maketh it i.Pet.iii. Yet I can not proue baptisme there &wt;, saue describe it only, for as the ship saued th&ebar; in the water thorow fayth, in that they beleued God and as the other that wold not beleue Noe perished: euen so baptisme saueth vs thorow the word of fayth whiche it preacheth when al the world of the vnbeleuing perisheth.

And Paule i.Corh.x. maketh the sea and the cloude a fygure of baptisme, by whyche and a thous&abar;d mo I might declare it but not proue it. Paule also in the sayed place maketh the rocke out of whyche Moses brought water vnto the childr&ebar; of Israel, a figure or ex&ebar;ple of Christe, not to proue Christe (for that were impossible) but to describe Christ onlye: eu&ebar; as Christ him selfe. Ioh. iii. boroweth a similitude or fygure of the bras&ebar; serpent to lead Nichodemus from hys earthy imagination into the spirituall vnderstanding of Christ, sayinge. As Moses lifted vp a serpent in the wyldernes, so muste the sonne of manne be lyfted vp, that none that beleue in him perish but haue euerlasting lyfe, by which similitude the vertue of Christes death is better described th&ebar; thou couldeste declare it wyth a thonsand wordes, for as those murmurers against god, as sone as they rep&ebar;ted were healed of theyr deadly wo&ubar;des thorow loking on the brasen serpent only, wythout medicyne or anye other helpe, yea, and without any other reason, but that God hath sayd it should be so, and not to murmure agayne, but to leaue their murmuryng: euen so all that repent and beleue in Christe are saued from euerlastynge death of pure grace without and before their good worckes, and not to synne agayne, but to fyghte agaynste synne, and henceforthe to synne no more.

Euen so wyth the ceremonies of thys boke thou canste proue nothynge saue describe and declare onely the puttynge away of our synnes thorow the death of Christ. For Christ is Aar&obar; and Aarons sonnes and al that offre the sacrifyce to purge synne. And Christe is all maner offeryng that is offered: he is the oxe, the shepe, the goote, the kid, ∧ the lambe: he is the oxe that is burnt withoute the hoste, and the scapegote, that caried all the synne of the people away into the wyldernesse, for as they purged the people fr&obar; their worldly vncleannes thorow bloude of the sacrifices, euen so doeth Christ purge vs from the vncleannes of euerlastynge death wyth hys owne bloude, ∧ as theyr worldly sinnes coulde none otherwyse be purged then by bloude of sacrifice, euen so canne our sinnes be no otherwyse forgeuen then thorow the bloud of Christe, All the deades in the worlde, saue the bloud of Christe, can purchase no forgeuenesse of synnes: for oure deades do but helpe oure neyghboure and mortifye the fleshe and helpe that we sinne no more, but and if we haue synned, it muste be frely forgeuen thorowe the bloud of Christ or remaine euer.

And in lyke maner of the lepers thou canste proue nothyng: thou canste neuer coniure oute c&obar;fession thence, howe be it thou haste an hansome example there to open the byndynge and lowsynge of our priestes with the kaye of goddes worde, for as they made no manne a lepre, euen so oures haue no power to commaunde anye man to be in synn: or to go to purgatorye or hell. And therfore (in as muche as byndyng and lowsyng is one power) As those priestes healed no man, euen so oures can not of theyr inuisible and domme power dryue anye mannes synnes awaye, or deliuer hym frome hell or fayned purgatorye, howe be it, if they preached gods word purely whych is the authoritie that Christ gaue them, then they shoulde bynde and louse, kyll ∧ make alyue agayne, make vncleane and cleane agayne, and sende to Hell and fette thence agayne, so myghty is Gods word, for if they preached the lawe of God, they shold bind the consciences of synners wyth the bondes of the paynes of hell and bring them vnto repentaunce. And then if they preached theym the mercy that is in Christ, they should louse theim and quiet theyr ragynge consciences and certify theym of the fououre of God and that theyr synnes be forgeuen.

Finallye beware of allegories, for there is not a more hansome or apt a thynge to begyle wythall then an allegory, nor a more suttle and pestilente thynge in the worlde to perswade a false matter then an allegorye. And contraryewyse, there is not a better, vehementer, or myghtyer thynge to make a man vnderstande wythall then an allegory. For allegories make a manne quycke wytted and prynte wysedome in hym and make it to abyde, where bare wordes goo but in at the one eare, and oute at the other. As thys wyth suche lyke sayinges: put salt to al your sacrificies, in steade of thys sentence, do all your dedes wyth descrecion, greateth, and byteth (if it be vnderstande) more then playne wordes. And when I saye in stede of these wordes boste not your selfe of your good deades, eate not the bloud nor the fatte of your Sacrifice, there is as great difference betwene them as there is distaunce betwene heauen and earth. For the lyfe and beauty of all good deades is of God, and we are but the caren leane, we are onely the instrumente wherby god worketh only, but the power is hys. As god created Paule anew, poured hys wysedome into hym. gaue hym mighte, and promised hym that hys grace shoulde neuer fayle hym. ∧ c. and al wythoute deseruynges, excepte that murtherynge the sayntes and makyng theym curse and rayle on Christe be meritorious. Nowe as it is deathe to eate the bloud or fatte of any sacrifyce, is it not (thynke ye) damnable to robbe God of hys honour and to glorify my selfe wyth hys honoure. The ende of the Prologe.

Ceremonies. ¶ The thyrde boke of Moses called Leuiticus.

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