Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

The blood was saved to be sprinkled round about the altar: the skin was flayed from the slaughtered beast and that alone was all the fees, that fell to the portion or share of the priest. The legs were chopped off and washed together with the purtenance. Immediately after a fire was made upon the altar, whereupon was laid the whole sacrifice, to wite, the head, the body, y• legs and the purtenance, and were altogether burnt upon the altar before the Lord. But if so be it happened that a Turtle or a Dove were offered for a sacrifice, then did the priest with his finger wreathe about and break the neck thereof, and the blood was let drop about the sides of the altar. The feathers also were cast at the one side of the altar into a place where ashes lay, the wings were jointed, and last of all the whole body was burnt upon the altar. This was the manner of the sacrifice or oblation, which they did commonly call a burnt offering: the signification whereof was most cheerful & pleasant to them, which were persuaded that by the burnt offering was prefigured the very son of God to be incarnate of the unspotted virgin, and to be sacrificed once for the cleansing of all the sins of the whole world. For they in the glass of that sacrifice did behold the cross and passion of the Lord, which took our sins upon him self, and being slain did shed his blood for the remission of sins, offering him self wholly to God the father in the fire of charity & heavenly zeal. The very same Christ is the Turtle or Pigeon.

The bloud was saued to be sprincled round about the altar: the skinne was flayed from the slaughtered beast and that alone was all the fées, that fel to the portion or share of the priest. The legges were chopped off and washed together with the purtenance. Immediately after a fire was made vppon the altar, whereuppon was layde the whole sacrifice, to wite, the head, the bodie, y• legges and the purtenance, and were altogether burnte vppon the altar before the Lorde. But if so be it happened that a Turtle or a Doue were offered for a sacrifice, then did the prieste with his finger wreathe about and breake the necke thereof, and the bloud was let droppe about the sides of the altar. The fethers also were cast at the one side of the altar into a place where ashes laye, the winges were ioynted, and last of all the whole bodie was burnt vppon the altar. This was the manner of the sacrifice or oblation, which they did commonly call a burnte offeringe: the signification whereof was moste chéerefull & pleasant to them, which were persuaded that by the burnt offering was prefigured the verie sonne of God to be incarnate of the vnspotted virgine, and to be sacrificed once for the cleansinge of all the sinnes of the whole worlde. For they in the glasse of that sacrifice did beholde the crosse and passion of the Lorde, which tooke our sinnes vppon him selfe, and beeing slaine did shead his bloud for the remisson of sinnes, offeringe him selfe wholye to God the father in the fire of charitie & heauenly zeale. The verye same Christe is the Turtle or Pigeon.