PROEMIAL ANNOTATIONS.
yeares. The second from the floud to the going of Abraham out of his countrie, 368. or counting Cainan (Gen. 11. iuxta 72. & Luc. 3.) 398. yeares. The third from Abraham his going forth of his countrie, to the parting of the children of Israel out of Aegypt. Which-some count to haue continued 720. yeares, others (whom we folow) but 430. And thus farre in the law of nature before the written law. The fourth age dured, 480. yeares, from the deliuerie of the children of Israel forth of Aegypt, to the fundation of the Temple in Ierusalem. The fifth age was from the fundation of the Temple, to the captiuitie & transmigration of the Iewes into Babylon, about 430. yeares. And the sixth age dured about 640. yeares, from the Captiuitie of Babylon to Christ. In al which times God was acknowledged and rightly serued, by a continual visible Church, with true Religion; the same & no other, which now that Church holdeth, that is called and knowen by she name of Catholique. As we intend, by Gods assistance, to shew by briefe Annotations, concerning diuers particular points now in Controuersie, as the holie Text geueth occasion. And especially by way of Recapitulation after euerie one of the six ages, when we come to those passages in the Historie, where the same are ended.
OF MOYSES THE AVTHOR OF THE
fiue first bookes.
MOyses (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 deliuerie from drowning, his education, excellent forme, singular wisdome, heroical vertues, rare dexteritie in al affayres, & whole life most admirable, are gathered out of holie Scriptures, by S. Gregorie Bishop of Nissen, into a briefe Summe, most worthie to be read, but to large for this place. He was borne about the yeare of the world two thousand foure hundred, long before al prophane writers, yea before manie of the Painimes false goddes, as S. Augustin declareth in diuers places of his most excellent booke intituled of the Citie of God. He liued in this world 120. yeares▪ Of which 40. were in Pharaos court, as the adopted sonne of Pharaos daughter: fourtie in banishment from Aegypt in Madian: and fourtie more he gouerned the people of Israel. His singular prayses are also briefly touched in the last chapter of Deuteromie, added by Iosue. and in the booke of Ecclesiasticus. He died in the desert, and was buried in the vaile of Moab, so secretly that no mortal man knew his sepulchre, lest the Iewes, who were very prone to Idolatrie, should haue adored his bodie with diuine honour, for the greatnes and multitude of his miracles, and for the singular estimation, they had of him for the same.
