Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsGenesis 7
English College of Douai–Rheims
Read Genesis 7 in the BibleGenesis 7:23
But only Noe.
As there is not any thing in all the old Testament, from the creation of the world till the coming of Christ more notable, more admirable, or of greater importance, than this history of the general flood; so was there nothing (though all or most chanced to them in figure) [1] [2] that ever more aptly, more lively, or more exactly prefigured Christ and his Church, with the rest of all mankind, than did Noe & the ark, & the drowning of the rest of the world in that deluge. Which S. Augustin declareth in many places, [3] but most especially & of purpose in his twelfth book against Faustus the Manichee, from the 14. chapter to the 22. and in his fifteenth book of the city of God, in the two last chapters: where he sheweth at large both the certainty of the history, & that as certainly it was a figure of things in the new Testament, & withal the great congruity between the figure & the things figured. [4] The same did Origen explicate (hom. 2. in Gen.) S. Gregory (hom. 12. in Ezech.) Rupertus (li. 4. comment. in Gen. c. 71. & sequent.) & diverse other ancient Doctors, confirming their expositions by S. Peter's testimony, saying: In the ark a few, that is eight souls (or persons) were saved (from drowning) by water, whereunto Baptism being of the like form now saveth you also. And by our Saviour's words saying: [5] As in the days of Noe, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. In sum the Doctors teach, that Noe, signifying rest, was a figure of Christ, [6] the very rest of man's soul. Whom whosoever followeth shall find rest for their souls. The ark signifieth the Church, [7] the form thereof being six times so long as broad, and ten times so long as high, resembleth the proportion of man's body, lying prone or prostrate. The door in the side representeth the wound in Christ's side, from whence flowed the holy Sacraments, by which the faithful enter into the Church, [8] & are sanctified. The timber whereof the ark is made, & the water bearing it up, signified the Cross of Christ & Baptism. For as Noe (saith S. Augustin) [9] with his, was delivered by the water and the wood, so the family of Christ, by Baptism signed with Christ's Passion on the Cross. [10] Likewise the squareness of the timber which both sustained the burden of all contained in the ark, and resisted the boisterous waves of the flood beating without, did signify such men in the Church, as be constant and stand firmly in all sorts of tentations: especially godly and learned Doctors and Pastors, [11] who by word and example uphold and confirm the faithful people in all afflictions within, and withstand & convince all Heretics and other Infidels that oppugn the Church without. Again, the higher and lower rooms with the middle chambers and third lofts, and other distinctions of cabinets, and partitions, and all sorts of living creatures clean and unclean, received therein, did signify the varieties of all states of functions, [12] and diversity of manners and merits in the Church, in which are persons of all degrees, Clergy and Laity, Potentates, Princes, subjects, good and evil. [13] The most strong kind of glue called bitumen, signified the permanent or everlasting stability, [14] and unseparable connexion of the Church, by the grace and continual assistance of the Holy Ghost conserving the same. The consummation of the ark in one cubit signified the unity of the same Church, which is one in all times and places [15]. Neither would God Almighty have many arks for Noe and his sons or other creatures, not many chief Rulers (though he would that of them should come many Nation:) but one only ark, and one chief Governor thereof, [16] and that all without the same should corporally die, to signify that all which die without the Church do perish, and are eternally damned. [17] Whereupon S. Hierom, [18] amongst other Fathers, sheweth that all within the Church, that communicate with the See Apostolic (wherein S. Damasus sat then Governor) are as those in the ark of Noe, and all Schismatics, Heretics, and other Infidels are in like case with the rest of the world, that were drowned with the flood.
- 1 1 Cor. 10.
- 2 All or most things in the old Testament be in figure of the new, & no figure more exact than the flood of Noe.
- 3 Ep. 99. l. 5. de Bap. c. 28. de unitate Eccles. ca. 5. In Psal. 103. & 131. Ser. 69. de tempore.
- 4 How the Doctors apply the figure to the things figured.
- 5 1. Pet. 3. Mat. 24. Luc. 17.
- 6 Noe signified Christ.
- 7 The ark the Church.
- 8 Entrance into the Church by Baptism.
- 9 li. 12. de Baptis. c. 14.
- 10 Virtue of Sacraments cometh from Christ's Passion.
- 11 Doctors and Pastors in the Church.
- 12 Variety of states and orders in the Church
- 13 Good and evil in the Church.
- 14 Perpetuity of the Church.
- 15 Unity of the Church.
- 16 One chief Governor in the Church.
- 17 No salvation out of the Church.
- 18 Ep. 57. ad Damasum.
Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0
Genesis 7:16
Shut him in.
God who by his only will could in a moment have drowned all the rest of the world, saving whom he pleased, not needing in any thing the help of his creatures, [1] yet would use both natural and supernatural means, as the labour of Noe to build the ark, new fountains springing, and the heavens, pouring down water forty days together, afterwards the wind to dry up the earth, and because the door being great (for Elephants to enter in) and was to be firmed without (as S. Ambrose noteth) [2] for better enduring the forcible waters, could not commodiously be closed by Noe, Our Lord by the ministry of Angels) shut him in on the out side, to teach us by all this and the like disposition of things, that albeit his Divine omnipotency can do what he will all alone, yet he will have his creatures to concur and cooperate as secondary causes, sometimes naturally, sometimes supernaturally, or miraculously, as it pleaseth his goodness to impart to them power and virtue.