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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17054	A commentary upon the Canticle of Canticles, written first in Italian by Antonio Brucioli, and now translated into English by Th. Iames fellow of New colledge in Oxford; Annotationi sopra i proverbii di Salamo. English	Brucioli, Antonio, 1487-1566.; James, Thomas, 1573?-1629.	1598 (1598)	STC 3928; ESTC S118389	80,311	190

eternall perfection and neuer misse of it I my selfe was as carefull as any woman in the world could be to find it and I was cōtent to endure any thing so I might attaine vnto it I asked for her many times and oft I did fast and pray watch and torment my body for the want of her but shee was not to be found any where but vnder the shadowe of thy wings which I so much desire And hence it is that she saith that he is so among all the sons as a fruitfull appletree is among all the trees of the wood Drawe neare therfore and approch vnto this happie blessed and most sweet shadow and vnder it you shall be sure to obtaine perfect peace rest although it be in the middest of tribulations aduersities because our husband Christ is our only appletree or tree of life which bringeth forth fruite of eternall life that is true vertues and holy workes in all those which lie vnder the shadow of it expecting the fulnesse of time when they shall receiue of the fulnesse of his liberalitie the apples which he shall command them to take of Gods benefits and graces that they may bee food vnto them of euerlasting and happy life The Text. 4 He brought me into the wine celler and loue was his banner ouer me 5 Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue 6 His left hand is vnder mine head his right hand doth imbrace me 7 I charge you ô daughters of Ierusalē by the roes and by the hindes of the field that ye stirre not vp nor waken my loue vntill she please 8 It is the voice of my welbeloued behold he commeth leaping by the mountains and skipping by the hilles 9 My welbeloued is like a roe or a yong hart Lo he stādeth behind our wall looking forth of the windowes shewing himselfe through the grates The Commentarie He did not onely bring me vnto this tree of life true felicity which yeeldeth vs a defence frō the heat of the Sun also pleasant fruit but furthermore he brought vs into the wine celler by this wine is meant the word of God the houses or cellers which contain this wine are the holy books of both the old new testaments where Christ bringeth the Church as into a celler when he informs her in the right vnderstanding of the Scriptures Wherefore after that the spouse had once tasted of the pleasant drinke of euerlasting truth and therewith comforted and cheered vp her selfe in the spirit presently she declareth the benefits of her husband vnto her maydens and young virgins because she would inuite thē by litle litle vnto the loue of him and so cause them to run after him and she saith The king brought me in as if she should haue said His wine is so pleasant and good that I would willingly haue you brought into his cellers to tast of the goodnes therof and she continueth her old vaine of setting forth her husbands glory saying thus And loue was his banner ouer me What banner was that which was lifted vp ouer him the banner of loue Well then loue is the banner which draweth all thinges after her with her wonderfull and strange giftes of insinuation and allurement Christ continually commendeth vnto his Church the gift of loue and charity in such sort that he cannot with greater tokens of kindnesse testifie his loue and kindnesse to vs wards The spouse speaketh vnto her damsels Stay me with flagōs cōfort me with apples for I am sick of loue You see how effectuall how precious admirable is the banner of Christ that as soone as euer the spouse sawe it her heart was inflamed within her she cōstrained to breake forth into these words saying for I am sicke of loue And why shouldst thou be sick ô thou welbeloued spouse Is it for the want of the glorious presence of thy husbād that thou doest so torment and vexe thy self why doest thou crie out vnto the yong maidens that is to say vnto the faithfull what wouldest thou haue them to do for thee why callest thou vnto them biddest them stay thee vp with flagons and comfort thee with apples Surely by the flagōs of wine we must vnderstand the faithful and by the apples the holy Ghost or the wordes and operations of Christ And it commeth all to one passe as if she should haue sayd I am growne so impatient in striuing to shew forth my exceeding great loue vnto my best beloued Christ that I had need to be stayed vp and strengthened with the sweet smelles wine that is to say with the comfortable words of the faithfull and with the holie spirit of the Bridegrome abounding in them vnto all maner of perfection increase of faith therfore I do long to be cōforted with the delicate apples of the spirituall pleasures delights of his heauenly promises His left hand is vnder mine head his right hand doth imbrace me that is to say my request is vnto my husbād that he wold comfort me in this present world with the word of God least happily I may take occasion through the consideration conscience of my sins to fall into desperation I desire to haue him imbrace me with the clear sight and fruition of his bounty that he would preserue and deliuer me being now in this vale of miseries from all maner of sinne and daunger of dispaire or diffidencie at all and that it may please my husband to bestow vpon me the graces and gifts of the mind or otherwise confirme them in me with his glory perpetuall loue By the right hand of God is signified prosperitie by the left aduersitie and these are called the two hands of the Bridegrome because he worketh effecteth al things by thē The spouse hath the left hād of Christ but vnder her head that is to say vnder Christ by whose will and commādement they most willingly suffer endure all maner of crosses troubles or persecutions whatsoeuer For she knoweth this most certainlie that not an haire of her head shall fall to the ground or that she shall suffer any bitterne● of griefe in the world vnlesse the Bridegrom● will And furthermore that this left hand cannot alwaies be vnder her head although the fruites and effects thereof to wit true riches and godly glorie shall endure and continue for euer Besides all this she is most certainly perswaded that her happy daies which God holdeth in his right hand shall neue● cease for as the Psalmist saith In thy presence is the fulnes of ioy at thy right han● are pleasures for euermore And truly if i● were so that Gold should holde his left han● only vnder our heads as we haue shewed yo● before we shold soon be brought to nough● and neuer be able to come vnto the euerlasting pleasures in his right hand Gods left hand is said to be

A COMMENTARY VPON THE CANTICLE OF CANTICLES WRITten first in Italian by Antonio Brucioli and now translated into English by Th. Iames fellow of New colledge in Oxford Greater is he that prophecieth then he that speaketh diuers tongues except he expound it that the Church may receiue edification 1. Cor. 14. v. 4. Come and eate of my meate and drinke of the wine that I haue drawen Prov. 9. v. 5. LONDON Printed by R. F. for Tho. Man 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOmas Egerton Knight Lord Keeper of the great seale of England Thomas Iames wisheth increase of health wealth and prosperitie in this life and endlesse ioy happinesse immortality in the life to come SAint Hierome complained of the multitude and abuse of writers in his time Salomon to shew the vanity of mē in writing of bookes beginneth one of his bookes with Vanitie Vanitie of vanities saith Salomon the Preacher vanitie of vanities and all is but vanitie and as he beginneth his booke so he endeth it as if from the beginning vnto the ending ●here were nothing but vanity in all other bookes the holy Scripture onely excepted no part or parcell whereof may be guilty of the least thought of vanitie in the world the holy Ghost being in the holy scripture as the soule is in the bodie all in all and all in euery part And therefore in the later ende of his booke to leade vs vnto the beginning of true wisedome he pricketh men forward and exhorteth them to the diligent reading of Gods words the words of truth by comparing them vnto prickes and nailes fastned by the masters of the assemblies To auoyd Saint Hieromes complaint follow Salomons godly exhortation the Author of this present treatise vpon the Canticles did exercise him self from his infancie in the studie of Gods word the which he read so earnestly and eagerly as if as Saint Austin saith he could neuer haue read it sufficiently though h● should haue begun neuer so soone and liued neuer so long But finding the scriptures by his owne experience so written in diuerse places though all Scripture be written for our instruction as if i● were not written as it was sayd of certaine bookes of Aristotle in so much that when the Eunuch readeth Philip had need to stand by interpret He thought it good for the good of the Church and glorie of God to bestow the greatest part of his time partly in translating the Bible into his mother tongue which he did most exactly partly in writing such a commentarie vpon the Bible as might in doubtfull and hard places fully satisfie and content the minde of the religious reader Now there are many which haue written vpon the Bible learned and godly commentaries in all tongues languages many more now thanks be to God in these later dayes thē in former times but of all late writers there is none for any that I haue seene or heard which may be compared with this Brucioli for absolute and exquisite knowledge in the tongues great reading in the Fathers shortnesse and plainnesse in deliuering of the meaning of the holy Ghost and last of all such soundnesse in Religion integritie of doctrine as may seeme admirable in any man but in Brucioli and Italian wonderfull beyond the degree of● admiratiō For surely as it seemed strāge● vnto the Iewes that out of Galile should come any good so it is no lesse stranges vnto some that Italie should affoord vs any good Italy being the cage of vncleannesse and seate of Antichrist But God the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes the God of Italians as of Englishmen no accepter of persons or respecter of place hath euen in Italie many peraduenture thousands which haue not bowed their knees vnto Baal electing some out of each nation countrey to make vp the summe of his elect Now as God in his mercie hath stirred vp some to defende his glorie in other countreys so hath he raised vp this Brucioli to be a principall setter forth of his glorie in Italie which that man of sinne the Romane Antichrist perceiuing hath therefore laboured to suppresse and abolish his painfull labours but man purposeth and God disposeth For as they haue bene forbidden twise so twise haue they bene printed and that in no other place then Venice dedicated to men of the contrary religion which it should seem he professed and submitted to the censure of our holy mother the Church prouided that out of the Scriptures and Fathers they should be able to refute his doctrine which out of thē both he had most learnedly cōpiled The time wherin he liued I find not certainly set downe of any but this is most certaine that he liued about the time of Conradus Pellicanus some 70 or 80 yeares ago and that Pellican did verie much profite himselfe by Brucioli or Brucioli by Pellicans writings which is the more probable by how much the more Brucioli hath in his Cōmentary besides that which is out of Pellican translated into his books word for word in diuerse places The order method which he obserued in his Commentarie is such as deserueth to be imitated of all men that labour in this businesse in easie and facill places of the Bible either to be altogether silent or very short and briefe in harder places to be more plentifull and copious in no place spending paper and inke in idle and vnprofitable questions such as tend not to edification As to dispute the case in this Commentarie vpon the Canticles whether of the three bookes which Salomon wrote he wrote the Canticles in the first or second place as the Iewes imagine or last of all as all the Latine writers do consent Whether there be more persons then foure or whether this book be meant literally of Pharaohs daughter or mystically of the Church these questions being farre aboue the reach of the commō sort of people he omitteth purposely And because all writers with one voyce consent that the Church is meant by the Spouse he so taketh it without any further adoe instructing vs in these points of religion necessary to be taught of him and vnderstood of vs. That the Church here militant consisteth of two parts a visible and an inuisible that in the Church Christ must beare rule and not Peter that Gods word must be heard and not mens traditions finally he teacheth vs the necessitie of faith and fruite of good workes these are the principall points which he handleth in this booke euery where ioyning with them matter of comfort and exhortation and thus much for Brucioli and his Commentary Now for my selfe and my translation I could haue wished that others which haue the gift of interpretation wold haue taken the worke in hand but seeing they haue bene slacke in this businesse I haue for that exceeding great loue which I beare vnto t●● workes of this learned man a stranger but not from the faith translated this booke of

godly and therfore no maruell if they haue compassion on her and call vnto her not to disease or disquiet her selfe by putting her selfe to much trouble and sorrow but that she would rest a while from her labors and returne vnto the comfortable places of the holy scriptures to the end that out of the scripture they may learne see what things are to be done with ease and quietnesse and what with care and trouble And briefely this is that which the young virgines desire and couet for to know what the Church of God is and where it is in time of prosperitie and aduersitie and this is a thing most studiously to be obserued and noted that without the knowledge of the Church we cannot well attaine vnto the knowledge of Christ and they are so fast linked bound together that if you know one you may easily know to other The seuenth Chapter 1 How beautifull are thy goings with shoes ô Princes daughter the ioyntes of thy thighes are like iewels the worke of the hand of a cunning workeman 2 Thy nauell is as a round cup that wanteth not licour thy belly is as an heape of wheat compassed about with lillies 3 Thy two breasts are as tvvo young Roes that are tvvins The Commentarie The words of the Bridegrome vnto the Bride HE beginneth here in this place as it is manifest by the sequell therof to praise and command the Church whom he cannot chuse but loue as being his only deare spouse and his meaning and purpose is to say and shew no more then Isaiah saith in his 52. cha Nahum 1. and Rom. 10. How beautifull are the feet of thē that declare publish peace that bring good tydings publish saluatiō And the Church of God the true spouse of God is she which doth truely preach these good tydings because she alone declareth vnto vs the worde of God whereunto we must leane and these goings are said to be beautifull with shoes which words are spoken by way of similitude to shew instruct vs that as those which will go any farre iorney must be well shod so the professors and ministers of the Gospell which are to go a farre iorney to preach the Gospell throughout the whole world must be most readie to declare the truth vnto all men and verily they may be then said to be readie and neuer before when they do teach his word faithfully and sincerely So then beautifull are the goings of the. Church with shoes because when she is sent of God she is most willing and ready to declare vnto all men the words of saluation and thus you may see how Christ commendeth his owne good gifts in the Church and that before the young virgins to wit the soules of the faithfull because he would haue vs all to knowe what manner of thing the Church is and I doubt not but that it so commeth to passe by the singular prouidence and wisedome of God that there are so many places in this book of the Canticles where the Church commendeth Christ and is againe commended of him because we should know what a necessarie point of doctrine this is to be repeated and ingeminated in the eares of the faithfull seeing that the ignorance and want thereof hath almost seduced and beguiled the whole world In the second place he prayseth the Church for her vnspotted fruitfulnesse because her thighes signifie the power and vertue of bringing foorth others by the word being like vnto precious iewels and hereby is meant the diuine gifts of the holy Ghost which do adorne beautifie and make fertile the soules of the faithfull And be saith that they are the worke of a cunning workman because they are the workes of almightie God the most ingenious and cunning workemaister that euer was who hath all power and vertue to doe whatsoeuer him listeth who powreth his graces downe vppon vs which make vs to bee farre more excellent and pure then wee were before and without whose helpe we cannot doe any thing at all thy nauell is as a round cup that wanteth not licour thy bellie is as an heape of wheat compassed about with lillies Thy nauell what is this round bason or cup but the doctrine of the Gospell which neuer wanteth the licour of Gods spirit which is still put into it And here by the way we are to consider of how litle estimation the faithfull are at the first time when they are borne vnlesse they be recreated and refreshed with the liuely licour of Gods worde which when they haue once tasted they shall neuer need any more moysture hauing the continuall dew of Gods spirit whereby they are enabled and made powerfull to multiply and beget other sonnes vnto their husbande and the seede whereby they do conceiue and bring forth is the worde of God and then this is the exposition of these words To the end that thou sholdest beget children vnto me there needeth no carnall imbracings or copulation as in the generation of mens bodies because that when thou wert first affianced and betrothed vnto me by faith thou diddest receiue the spirit and giftes of the holy Ghost whereby thou mayest be able to conceaue and bring foorth children vnto God Faith and vnfained charitie is the copulation which is requisite in the procreation of these spirituall children and therefore there needeth no outward seede of the flesh because wee haue the seede of Gods word which is most effectuall to the conceiuing and bringing foorth of the fruites of good workes and this wonderfull strāge and pure kind of fertilitie is yet made more plaine by these words following thy bellie is as an heape of wheat compassed about with lillies Thy belly As if he should haue saide euen as in a heape of wheat there are many graines of corne so within thy fertile wombe there are contayned many multitudes of those which thou hast conceiued for mee and because thou art full or heauenly blessings no doubt of it but thou wilt bring them foorth in their due time and season and she conceaueth these blessings when she beleeueth but bringeth them foorth when they are done in faith and this belly is compassed about with lillies by the lillies we may vnderstand the faithfull because the wombe of the Church is wholly compassed about with the lillie-white innocencie of the faithfull thy two breasts are as two young Roes that are twins thy two the two breasts in this place signifie the old Testament and the New the doctrine of the Prophets and the doctrine of the Apostles which may bee very well compared vnto young Roes either for their puritie and whitenesse or else because they do runne about the whole world as the young Goates doe leape and skippe about the hilles and for the farther exposition of this place wee must entreate the gentle Reader to returne backe againe vnto the fourth Chapter where he shall finde this verse wholly interpreted only we will note this by the way that