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Rh their kind, and al cattle in their kinde, and al that moueth vpon the earth according to their kind, and al foule according to their kind, al birds, and al that fly went to Noe into the arke, two and two of al flesh, wherin there was breath of life. And such as entred in, male and female of al flesh did enter in, as God had commanded him: and our Lord ″ shut him in on the out side. And the floud grew fourtie daies vpon the earth: and the waters increased, and lifted vp the arke on high from the earth. For they ouerflowed excedingly: and filled al on the face of the earth: moreouer the arke fleeted vpon the waters. And the waters preuailed out of measure vpon the earth: and al the hiegh mountaines vnder the whole heauen were couered. Fiftene cubites higher was the water aboue the mountaines, which it couered. And al flesh was consumed that moued vpon the earth, of foule, of cattle, of beasts, and of al creepers, that creepe vpon the earth: al men, and al things, wherin there is breath of life on the earth, died. And he cleane destroied al substance, that was vpon the earth, from man euen to beast, as wel it that creepeth, as the foules of the ayre: and they were destroied from of the earth: ″ but onlie Noe remained, and they that were with him in the arke. And the waters held on aboue the earth an hundred fiftie dayes.

ANNOTATIONS. VII.

16. Shut him in] God who by his only wil could in a moment haue drowned al the rest of the world, sauing whom he pleased, not needing in any thing the helpe of his creatures, yet would vse both natural, & supernatural meanes, as the labour of Noe to build the arke, new fountaines springing, and the heauens powring downe water fourtie dayes togeather, afterwards the winde to dry vp the earh, and because the dore being great (for Elephants to enter in) and was to be firmed without (as S. Ambrose noteth) for better induring the forcible waters, could not commodiously be closed by Noe, our Lord (by the ministrie of Angels) shut him in on the out side, to teach vs by al this, and the like disposition of things, that albeit his Diuine omnipotencie can do what he wil al alone, yet he wil haue his creatures to concurre and cooperate as secundarie causes, sometimes naturally, sometimes supernaturally, or miraculously, as it pleaseth his goodnes to impert to them powre and vertue.

23. But only Noe] As there is not anie thing in al the old Testament, from the creation of the world til the coming of Christ, more notable, more admirable, or of greater importance, then this historie of the general floud; so was there