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A10496
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Fishermen fishers of men A sermon preached at Mercers Chapell on Mid-Lent Sunday the 26. of March 1609. By Iohn Ravvlinson Doctour of Diuinitie.
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Rawlinson, John, 1576-1630.
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1609
(1609)
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STC 20772; ESTC S115678
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16,838
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46
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Bernard hath it Nassa ecclesia est The wee le is the Church of God Quae licèt homines certis legibus ceremonijs retineat which though it keepe men vnder certaine lawes and ceremonies yet it so keeps them vnder that it also secures them from being swallowed vp of other mighty sea-mōsters such as are heretikes and schismatikes 6 Nauclerus Clerus The guide or Pilot of this fish-boate is the Clergie or rather Christ himselfe the high-Priest of our high-calling who sits at the sterne and guides both the boat and boat-men Hee is the head-fisher wee but vnder-fishers All our sufficiency is of him a 2. Cor. 2.6 2. Cor. 2. And without him wee may labour all night and yet catch not so much as an eie of fish b Luc. 5.5 Luc. 5. Wee must not then sacrifice to our owne net or burne incense to our owne yarne as they did c Abac. 1.16 Abac. 1. as if we could haue any great catch of our selues but wee must say with Peter d Luc. 5.5 Luc. 5. In verbo tuo laxabo rete At thy word ô Christ I will let downe the net and then shall wee catch fish more than our net can hold 7 Lastly Collectores Angeli The net receiues fish of both sorts bad aswel as good e Matth. 13.47 Matth. 13. All is fish that comes to net but yet more comes to the net than goes to the market For the Angels at the consummation and end of the World shall gather the good In vasa coelestium mansionum into the vessels of heauenly mansions Malos autem torrendos exiccandos gehennae flamma suscipiet But the bad saith f Raban in Matth. 13. Rabanus shall for euer be fried and dried in that neuer-ending flame of hell fire And so I come from the Metaphor to the Matter it selfe including as I told you three remarkable points 1 The first is the height and dignity of the Apostles calling They are fishers and that of men the noblest kinde of fish 2 Their paines and diligence They are fishers and that of men the wildest kinde of fish 3 Their wisedome and discretion They are fishers and that of men the wiliest kinde of fish too-cunning to bee caught vnlesse the bait be well tempered I shall now speak only of the first which is their Dignity True it is that as g Bernard S. Bernard notes Nemo repentè fit summus Its more than a step from the lowest to the highest And Ascendendo non volando apprehenditur summitas scalae It s climing not flying that brings a man to the top of the ladder And yet behold heere a strange and sudden alteration ω stept into the place of α The last became first and the lowest highest Base beggarly and despicable was their former trade of fishing But heere our Sauiour comes as h Luc. 14.10 Luc. 14. with Amice ascende superiù Friend sit vp higher and now must they haue worship in the presence of all that are with them For high and honorable is the vocation whereunto they are now called They are Piscatores hominum Fishers of men Which title heere giuen them by our Sauiour Christ declares the manifold dignity of his Ministers Quoad Authorem In regard of the author That their profession is not Inuentum humanum an humane inuention but Institutum diuinum a diuine institution heere licenced vnder the broad seale of heauen and authorised with a Fieri faciam such yee shall be because such I will make you to be Needs must that be a thrice-noble office which is ennobled by the three states-royal of heauen the blessed Trinity and enacted in that highest Court of Parliament For the first Preacher that euer was was God the Father when he preached that sweet and comfortable Gospell in Paradise Semen mulieris The seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent i Gen. 3.15 Gen. 3. And our Sauiour Christ did not only giue to his Church some to be Apostle some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors k Eph. 4.11 Eph. 4. but was himselfe also anointed with the spirit of the Lord and appointed to preach the Gospell to the poore l Esa 61.1 Esa 61. And because as hee sent his Apostles so was himselfe also sent of the father therefore doth hee participate with his Apostles in name and is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle and high-Priest of our profession m Heb. 3.1 Heb. 3. And n 2. Pet. 1. vlt. S. Peter tels vs ep 2. c. 1. that the holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost And not only so but that they also deriued their authority from the same spirit Looke well to the flock wherof the holy Ghost hath made you ouer-seers p Act. 20.28 Act. 20. 2 Quoad Authoritatem In regard of their authority which is not Imperium in belluas but in homines the rule and guidance not of beasts but men For therfore are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called of God that they may bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comforters of men being Alae columbae deargentatae as the Prophet Dauid cals them p Psal 67.14 Psal 67. the siluer wings of that innocent Doue the holy Ghost the true Comforter And they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostles by interpretation men sent from God that men may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Epistles or letters of commendation sent backe againe to God q 2. Cor. 3.2 2. Cor. 3. None might come to Penelope but by her maides none to Pharao but by Ioseph No more can any come to God but by his Ministers For saluation comes by faith faith by hearing hearing by the word of God heare the word we cannot without a Preacher r Rom. 10.14 Rom. 10. No title of soueraignty that the earth affoords but the Scripture affoords it them For whereas the name of men is alike communicated vnto all euen vnto the wicked aswel as the godly Cauete ab hominibus Beware of men saith our Sauiour ſ Matt. 10.17 Matth. 10. that is of cruell and wicked men the Ministers of Christ are by speciall prerogatiue called Homines Dei The men of God t 1. Tim. 6.11 1. Tim. 6. In the watch-tower of Gods Church they are not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seers but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouer-seers u Act. 20.28 Acts 20. In the family of Gods Church they are not only Patres Fathers * 1. Pet. 1.23 begetting vs with the immortall seed of the word but they are also Nutritij nursing fathers x 1. Pet. 2.2 feeding vs with the sincere milke of the word 1. Pet. 2. In the kingdom of Gods Church they are not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sirs or Lords y Act. 16.30 Act. 16. but they are also Principes Gods Vicars or Vice-roys heere on earth For of them doth S. Austin expound those