Page:Douay Rheims Bible 1635 edition.pdf/16

PROEMIAL ANNOTATIONS law. The fourth age dured, 480. yeares, from the deliuery of the children of Israel forth of Aegypt, to the fundation of the Temple in Hierusalem. The fifth Age was from the foundation of the Temple, to the captiuity and transmigration of the Iewes into Babylon, about 430. yeares. And the sixth Age dured about 640. yeares, from the Captivity of Babylon to Christ. In al which times God was acknowledged and rightly serued, by a continual visible Church, with true religion; the same and no other, which now that Church holdeth, that is called and knowen by the name of Catholike. As we intend, by Gods asistance, to shew by briefe Annotations, concerning diuers particular points now in Controuersie, as the holy Text giueth occasion. And especially by way of recapitulation after every one of the six Ages, when we come to those passages in the History, where the same are ended.

fiue first Books.

Oyses (so called because he was taken from the water, as the name signifieth) was borne in Aegypt, the sonne of Amram, the sonne of Caath, the sonne of Leui the Patriarch, and so of Iacob, Isaac, and Abraham. His maruelous deliuery from drowning, his education, excellent forme, singular wisdome, heroical vertues, rare dexterity in al affaires, and whole life most admirable, are gathered out of holy Scriptures, by S. Gregory Bishop of Nysse, into a brief Summe, most worthy to be read, but too large for this place. He was borne about the yeare of the world two thousand foure hundred, long before al prophane writers, yea before many of the Paynimes false Gods, as S. Augustin declareth in diuers places of his most excellent book intituled of the Citty of God. He liued in this world 120. yeares: Of which 40. were in Pharaos Court as the adopted sonne of Pharaos daughter: fourty in banishment from Aegypt in Madian: and fourty more he gouerned the people of Israel. His singular prayses are also briefly touched in the last chapter of Deuteronomy, added by Iosue, and in the book of Ecclesiasticus. He died in the desert, and was buried in the vale of Moab, so secretly that no mortal man knew his sepulchre, lest the Iewes, who were very prone to Idolatry, should haue adored his body with diuine honour, for the greatnesse and multitude of his miracles, and for the singular estimation they had of him for the same.