[The Pentateuch]

And moreover though sacrifices and ceremonies can be no ground or foundation to build upon: that is, though we can prove nought with them: yet when we have once sound out Christ and his mysteries, then we may borrow figures, that is to say allegories, similitudes or examples to open Christ and the secrets off God hid in Christ even unto the quick, and to declare them more lively and sensibly with them than with all the words of the world. For similitudes have more virtue and power with them than bare words, and lead a mans wits further in to the pith and marye and spiritual understanding of the thing, than all the words that can be imagined. And though also that all the ceremonies and sacrifices have as it were a slerrelyght of Christ, yet some there be that have as it were the light of the broad day a little before the sun rising, and express him, and the circumstances and virtue of his death so plainly as if we should play his passion on a scaffold or in a stage play open lye before the eyes of the people. As the scape goat, the brazen serpent, the ox burnt without the host▪ the passover lamb &c. In so much that I am fully persuaded and can not but believe that God had showed Moses the secrets of Christ and the very manner of his death before ⟨image 177⟩hand, and commanded him to ordain them for the confirmation of our faiths which are now in the clear day light. And I believe also that the prophets which followed Moses to confirm his prophesies and to maintain his doctrine unto Christs coming, were moved by such things to search further of Christs secrets. And though God would not have the secrets of Christ generally known, save unto a few familiar friends which in that infancy he made of mans wit to help the other babes: yet as they had a general promise that one of the seed of Abraham should come and bless them, even so they had a general faith that God would by the same man save them, though they wist not by what means as the very apostles when it was oft told them yet they could never comprehend it, till it was fulfilled in dead.

And moraouer though sacrifices and ceremonies can be no ground or fundacion to bild apon: that is, though we can proue noughte with them: yet when we haue once sound oute Christ and his misteries, then we maye borow figures, that is to saye allegoryes, similitudes or examples to open Christ and the secrettes off God hyd in Christ euen vnto the quycke, and to declare them more lyuely and sensebly with them than with all the wordes of the worlde. For similitudes haue more vertue and power with them than bare wordes, and lead a mans wittes further in to the pithe and marye and spirituall vnderstondinge of the thinge, than all the wordes that can be imagined. And though also that all the ceremonies and sacrifices haue as it were a slerrelyght of Christ, yet some there be that haue as it were the lighte of the brode daye a litle before the sonne risinge, and expresse him, and the circumstaunces and vertue of his deth so playnly as if we shulde playe his passyon on a scaffold or in a stage play opē lye before the eyes of the people. As the scape gote, the brasen serpent, the oxe burnt without the hoste the passeouerlambe &c. In so moch that I am fully persuaded and can not but beleue that God had shewed Moses the secrettes of Christ and the verey maner of his deth before