Agnus Dei (liturgy) whose canons had forbidden the iconographic depiction of Christ as a lamb instead of a man. Based upon John the Baptist's reference in to Jesus ("Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world"), the text in Latin is: which means: The text used in the Roman Catholic and Episcopal Church (Rite Two) is: The following three versions are all found in the Church of England's "Common Worship" liturgical resources, and also in the Episcopal Church's liturgical resources: The version found in the Lutheran Service Book of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is: The General Instruction of
Agnus Dei (Barber) to a tension. A similar pattern follows in measures 5 to 8 on the words "qui tollis peccata mundi" (who takes away the sins of the world), moving down on "peccata mundi". The repetition of the call "Agnus Dei" is set as variation of the beginning, intensified by upward leaps of fifths and octaves, and by the solo soprano reaching the highest note of the piece, C-flat. Then the alto takes over the melody, marked "più f[orte] sempre espressivo" (somewhat stronger and always expressive), while the soprano sings "miserere nobis" (have mercy on us) for the first time on a