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the twelue tribes, and al vulgar men deſirous and beginning to ſerue God. In both bookes, for more auctoritie ſake, making mention of his godlie renowmed father the Royal Prophet Dauid, with his owne title alſo of king. Idida, Beloued. But in this third booke he only expreſſeth his proper name Salomon, whom God ſingularly loued, wherof he was called Idida. Becauſe this alone, without mention of father or king, was moſt conuenient for the Perfect, who not as ſeruants, or yong ſcholars are moued by feare of auctoritie, but as children are ſwetly drawne by loue.This Canticle doth excel other Canticles And this he writte in verſe, intitling it not ſimply a Canticle, but The Canticle of Canticles, as preeminent aboue other Canticles. The bridal ſongue for the Mariage, to be ſolemnized betwen God himſelf and his glorious ſpouſe. For though al holie Scriptures are theAl are note mete to read it. ſpiritual bread, and food of the faithful, yet al are not meate for al, at al ſeaſons. Some parts are not for ſinners, nor for beginners, nor for ſuch as are yet in the way towards perfection, but only for the perfect. According to Heb. 5 the Apoſtles doctrine: Milke is for children, that are yet vnskilful of the word of iuſtice. But ſtrong meate is for the perfect, them that by cuſtom, haue their ſenſes exerciſed to the diſcerning of good and euil. With what moderation therfore, and humilitie, this Canticle of Gods perfect ſpouſe may be read, the diſcrete wil conſider, and net preſume aboue their reach, but be wiſe with ſobrietie. For here be very high and hidden Myſteries, as Origen teacheth in his lerned Commentaries (which S. Ierom tranſlated into Latin, and ſingularly commendeth) and vo much harder to be rightly underſtood, for that the feruent ſpiritual loue, of the inward man, reformed in ſoule, and perfected in ſpirite, is here vttered in the ſame vſual wordes and termes, wherwith, natural, worldlie, yea and carnal loue of the outward man, old Adam, corrupted by ſinne, is commonly expreſſed: and are ſo much more dangerous to be miſtaken, as we are more addicted to proper wil, & priuate iudgement, or ſubiect to carnal, or paſſionate motions. Beſt methode in learning is to beginne with doctrine of good life, the ſtudie to know natural thinges: and finally contemplate diuine myſteries Wherfore it ſemeth moſt mete to kepe the ſame order in reading theſe three bookes, which the auctor wiſe Salomon obſerued in writing them. And which Philoſophers alſo folow in their forme of diſcipline. For they firſt lerne and teach Moral Philoſophie, then Nataral; & laſtly Metaphiſikes which is their Diuinitie. As Salomon had geuen them example: ſirſt teaching precepts of good life, and maners, in his Prouerbes: after, diſcourſing of natural thinges in Eccleſiaſtes, deduced thence a concluſion, which prophane Philoſophers wel underſtood not, to contemne this world: and finally cometh to high myſtical Diuinitie, in thts ſupereminent Canticle: written in an other ſtile, in verſe,and in forme of a ſacred A ſacred, disalogue or Enterlude. Dialogue betwen Chriſt and his ſpouſe: or as Origen calleth it, in forme of an * Enterlude, in reſpect of diuers ſpeakers & actors, & of diuers perſons, * Forma dramatis to whom the ſpeaches are directed, and of whom they are uttered. For by