Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

In that most pleasant glass was figured the whole passion and effect of the passion of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour: which by that sacrifice was every year laid before the eyes and renewed to the minds of all the faithful church of God. For this manner of representing our redemption & salvation did please God by sacraments rather then by pictures, colours, or by stage plays: which are at this day greatly set by, although scarce godly, by no small number of trifling and fantastical heads. Now mark that the high priest only did all that was to be don in this solemn sacrifice, save only that two ministers were joined unto him, the one to lead away the scape goat, and the other to carry out of the host the bullock and he goat that was to be offered. Yea, charge is very precisely given, that no man should join him self to the high priest, when he entereth into the tabernacle, and maketh an atonement for the sins of the people.

In that moste pleasant glasse was figured the whole passion and effect of the passion of Iesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour: which by that sacrifice was euery yere layde before the eyes and renued to the mindes of all the faithfull church of God. For this maner of representing our redemption & saluation did please God by sacramentes rather then by pictures, colours, or by stage playes: which are at this daye greatly set by, althoughe scarce godly, by no small number of trifeling and fantasticall heads. Now marke that the high priest onely did all that was to be don in this solemne sacrifice, saue onely that two ministers were ioyned vnto him, the one to leade away the scape goate, and the other to carrie out of the hoste the bullocke and hée goate that was to be offered. Yea, charge is verie precisely giuen, that no man should ioyne him selfe to the high priest, when hee entreth into the tabernacle, and maketh an attonement for the sinnes of the people.

Let no man, saith the Lord, be in the tabernacle of appointment when he goeth in to make sacrifice in the Sanctuary, until he do come out again. For no man must be joined to Christ in finishing the work of our salvation and redemption. For he alone is the Saviour, he alone hath trod the press, and he alone was crucified for us. The Patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, and all other creatures are utterly excluded, from having any thanks for our redemption and salvation. Christ alone remaineth the saviour and redeemer of the world. To attribute our salvation to creatures, to our own works, and our own merits, is to admit creatures with the high priest into the tabernacle, and to incur the indignation, that is, the terrible curse of the almighty, true, and everliving God. For by the Jewish high priest is prefigured to us Christ our Saviour, who, as the Apostle Paul saith, hath a priesthood, which by succession cannot go from him to any other. Now Aaron did take a bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering of his own, and of the people he took two he goats. Therefore Christ our Lord the true and only priest of his church, did offer for us the thing that he took of us, to wite, the substance of our flesh. There is added also that Aaron (by which name we understand every one that was the high priest among the people of God) when he went about to sacrifice, did clothe him self with the usual and common garments of the other priests (I mean such as the other priests were wont to wear) saving only that they were holy and without spot.