they may daunce and sometimes to mourne to make them lament Mat. 11.17 Cor. 4.21 sometimes with the Apostle Paul to come in loue and sometimes with a rodde of which more shall bee said in the following discourse There is no kind of learning holy or prophane but may pleasure vs sometimes in our fishing affaires I forbeare to censure such as are of contrarie iudgement Of the vse of humane reading and would shredde and strip a diuine of all humane reading but because they would stoppe my free passage of fishing and hinder mee in this course that is delightsome gainfull vnto me I will pleade my cause as well as I can as I may deliuer my opinion from their seuearer repreheÌ„sion Gregorie NazianzeÌ„ yet Gregorie Nazianzen casteth their water and giueth this iudgement of them in the cause we haue in hand Non vlla despicienda disciplinae cognitio cum de genere bonorum scientia siâ—â—mnis quin potius ipsam spernentes et rusticos et plane ignauos existimare debemus qui cupiunt vt omnes sint ignorantes ne ignorantia eorum inter communem perspiceretur si philosophia non respiceretur ideo quia quidam per philosophiam errarunt tunc nec Solet Luna quia nonnulli ea pro dijs suis habuerunt Wee are not to despise any disciplimatie knowledge for that al learning is in the rancke of good things rather the scorners thereof are to be thought to bee as ignorant as themselues that their ignorance might not appeare in its proper likenes If this bee enough to put downe Philosophy because some haue bin misled thereby wee may by like reason vrge that the sunne should bee taken from the firmament the moone should bee done away inasmuch as some haue worshipped them as Gods But we list first to conclude our iudgement by suffrages of scriptures The inhibition and promise of the lawe for the not marrying of a capture womaÌ„ Deu. 21.11.12 was voide with these conditions that her superfluities were done away her head was shauen her nayles pared her garments burned These rites being performed she an Isralite might be coÌ„tracted The reddition and consequence hereof is made by Hierome in this wise Hierome what maruel is it then saith he If I wedde my selfe to the wisedome of the worlde for the beautie comlines of speech that I find it hath and of a captiue woman make her fredenizen in Israel cutting off whatsoeuer is in her superstitious voluptuous erroneous and begette children to the Lord of hostes by her Osea 1.3 For so did Oseas take to himselfe a wife of fornication Gomer the daughter of Diblaim by whome he had a sonne named Isreel which is by interpretation the seed of the Lorde Acts 7.22 Moses was a man learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians Daniel was a great man in the learning of the ChaldeaÌ„s Iob was very well seene in astronomie Dan. 1.4.17 Iob. 38.31.32.33 Ieromie was studious in the statute laws of the realme Dauid could handle the harpe out of crie and sing songes of Sion sweetly Paul tooke great pleasure in reading of poetrie 1. Sam. 16.16.18.23 Psa 57.7.8 1. Cor. 15.32.33 Tit. 1 1.2.13 Act. 17.28 and had all manner of learning both of Iewes and Gentiles and he brought three Poems of Menander Aretas Epimenides into the bodie of holy scripture when the tabernacle was to be builded with the Arke of the testimonie mercie seate and their appurtenances Exod. 31.2.3.4.6 Bezaleel by name was called out from the rest and qualified for that worke filled with the spirite of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding and in knowledge and in all workmanship as assistiaÌ„s vnto him were Aholiab and all that were wise hearted adioyned wherefore how much more is it expedient that such as should build vppe his heauenly Hierusalem should bee furnished and accomplished with all necessarie induments Exod. 12.35.36 The Isralites were dispensed with to borrow of the Egyptians their ornaments of gold their costly Iewels plate Augustine and to vse them as their owne from whence Augustine disputeth it to bee as lawfull for vs to robbe the Gentiles and heathens of the ornaments and rare inuentions of their wittes and serue our turnes with them Eloquence and humane learning serueth diuines as that parte of the Carpenters wimble which is wreathed round about and by degrees draweth in the iron The wodden handle entreth not into the wood but it helpeth in the pearser so arts are helpers to preachers in their studies In which respect Socrates compareth them to midwiues Socrates that are helpers to women in their trauailes they serue notablie for the ease of such as trauaile in the spirituall profession This is the vse Augustine maketh of them saying Solo vomere terra profunditur sed vt hoc fieripossit etiam caetera aratri membra necessaria De ciuit Dei lib. 16. cap. 2. The share onely deuideth the ground but to set it forward are the other partes of the plough requisite By making such vse as worldly learning doth afford we may thrust thorough the Pagan Infidel with his own weapoÌ„s For which cause doth Lactantius so much desire to haue this so great an aduaÌ„tage ouer them Lib. 3. Inst cap. 1. I would saith he haue the gift of eloquence either because they might sooner yeeld to the truth when it is thus garnished or else because infidels might the readier bee slaine by their own swords What need wee care from whence wee haue the hearbe or who did first set it or bring it if it bee medicinable and healeth vs Let vs bee like the diligent Bee which from a netle can drawe hony A tree though neuer so laden with fruit is graced by her leaues though wee be neuer so fruitfull in diuine knowledge worldly learning that are as the leaues of this tree will countenance it well enough Fullers before they will die a purple will lay a ground colour Diuinitie is the royall purple colour artes are but the grounds thereof To learne to handle a weapon skilfullie men haue their beginnings in the fence schoole we are trained vp in commoÌ„ schooles where the artes are taught to make vs more apt and readie for diuinitie In the building of a house though the master Mason his seruice is the chiefest yet are his inferiour seruers needfull Such as would get themselues authoritie by their ignorance of the artes and boast themselues to bee followers of fishermen are deceiued in thinking that the Apostles were more holy the more they were vnlearned Augustine Augustine wrote to his friend to aduise Calphumius not to maligne such as haue teeth because hee had none himselfe I will insist no longer in this point least I should seeme too much to digresse from the point we come to the former matter As wee hold them not worthie to be called fishers that haue not their netts and
2.37.40.41.47 Peter got a worthie dish of fishe at one time in the fishponds at Hierusalem when as no sooner he pricked them with the hooke but they were pricked in their hearts said vnto Peter the other Apostles Men brethren what shall we doe and the same day there were added to the Church three thousand soules There resorted to the lectures of Ieremie very head-strong fellowes such as his nets and angels Ierem. 38. and 41. for a time could not holde but when they had tired themselues in their waÌ„dring wayes they retyred to his nette and striued no more with it the king the great Leuiathan the nobles the dragons in the waters the other kindes of fishes all sorts of people gathered to him and hee drew them to him easier than hee could haue conceiued Ezechicl in the person of God Eze. 33.31 thus deciphereth the manner of men of his time that were formall hearers of the word They come vnto thee as the people vseth to come and my people set before thee heare thy wordes but they will not doc them But were not the worde of God such a capable net as it is it shoulde not thus haue encloased them as it did and had their companies Luke 4.16.17.22 The Nazarites against their willes were in compasse of this spred net at Christ his preaching among them and they were so incircled past their winding out as they admired the deliuerance of such doctrine bare witnes to the grace of the Gospell Mar. 6.20 Matth. 14.2 Acts 13.8.11 Acts 5.1.5.10 Gen. 4.9 mauger their beardes This net so entangled and snarled Herod as he feared the Baptist both aliue and dead The hooke of Pauls angle-line strooke Elim as thorow the eies blinded him with such a one did Peter take Ananias and Saphira and it cost them their liues Cain when the hooke first pricked him by striuing with it like a fishe that striueth with a hooke more wounded himselfe till at last he yeelded leauing his wrangling and trembled before God So often as thou commest vnto a sermon consider how God by his Preachers trowleth for thee Say not for Gods sake I will not heare the preacher I am not friends with him I will not come to Church while I am at oddes with him Or I am booke learned enough I know as much as he can tell mee For thou knowest not what this drag-nette and angle will doe for all thy great learning Bee thou a man of metaphysicall wisedome I trust thou wilt not compare with Dauid a man fulfilled with the spirite of God with whome God talked as familiarly as the Father with the childe Dan. 5.10.11.12 of whom wee may say as Belshazzars Queene said of Daniel In whome is the spirite of the holy Gods light and vnderstanding and wisedome like the wisedome of the Gods was found in him Yet for all his priuiledge of prophecie and other royall induments and prerogatiues of grace he was cast into a bedde of sinne as Iezabel into a bedde of fornication whereon hee had slept Endimions sleepe 2. Sam. 11.4.6.13.14.15 Chap. 12.1.7.13 if Nathan the preacher had not rowsed him and by a parable whereof hee was the subiect and answere shaked him by the shoulders and set him on his feete at whose preaching voyce he awaking deuised that daintie antheme and dittie the ode and song of mercie the necke verse-that saue offenders from death and it being seriously song or saide shall saue vs all sinners from the second death the 15. Psalme Psal 51. Dan. 4.2.29 Nabuchodonoser had before his eyes in a vision a large extended tree which was the interpretation of his imperiall kingkingdome but he was neuer the wiser for the vision though all his wisards had bin with their books for him vntill he heard the preacher Daniels prelection Paul was a man of very worthy parts and hee had bringing vp with the best Act. 22.3.6.12.13 c. Phil. 3.5 2 Co. 11.22 Acts. 23.6 he was a Iewe borne which was a gainful an aduantage then as it was of old to haue beene an Athenian borne rather than a Barbarian Tharsus in Cilicia was his foster place He was trained vp in learning in the mother citie Hierusalem vnder a schoole-maister of renowmed memorie Gamaliel doctour of the lawes his institution and profession was according to the straight rules of Pharasaisme without any deflexion His zeale and deuotion had it not been blinded with superstition had admitted no coÌ„parison he had the mark of the true religion which was circumcision which he receiued not in processe of time as many prosilites in their nature or older age but at the due time with the first and best the eight day His descent was from Israel not Esay who morgaged and made a sale of his inheritance his tribe was Benâ—amin that had neuer relapsed to Idolatrie His antiquitie in that line was famous as being an Hebrew of the Hebrewes Thus yee perceiue what excellent thinges are spoken of him yet all these rather hindred him than helped him till God by a sermon from heauen did helpe him and sent him to Ananias a preacher Actes 22.6.7.12.13 c. Actes 9.10.18 c. to practise vppon him and of a persecutour to make him a professour who had him not in hand long before the scales of his former blindnes fell froÌ„ his eyes distasting wholy his former profession sauouring and fauouring a contrarie conuersation and so loathing the one in the loue of the other as he esteemed it no better thaÌ„ dong compared with the excellent knowledge of Christ Phil. 3.8 Also this similitude that wee haue in hand holdeth sitly by comparison with our purpose Matth. 13.47.48 For as the fishermans draw-net bringeth to shore al sorts of fishe good and bad togeather with them the filth and pelse of the water as emptie shels weedes bushie stalkes and trashe so when the word is preached the good and badde the elect and out-casts heare it together and in outward appearance the worste giue often good countenance vnto it and formally doe professe it although their mindes with the prodigal sonne are in a faire countrie very wide of it Luk. 15.13 This is the cause that there are so many hypocrites and counterfet Christians in our holy assemblies that haue so many fallacies betweene the porch and the altar that they might not bee found out what they are as Ieroboams wife had a disguised mantell that Ahiah the Prophet might not know who she was 1. Kings 14.1.2.4 as the lifting vppe of their eyes and handes the bowing of their knees the smiting of their breasts and thighes their demure lookes their loude sighings the labour of their lippes their hanging downe of heades their shedding of teares toyes that beguile the beleeuing people that can neuer bleare the fierie eyes of the al-knowledge of the onely wise God These hypocrites are but as counterfeit mony outwardly ouerlayd with
A BOOKE OF ANGLING OR FISHING Wherein is shewed by conference with Scriptures the agreement betweene the FISHERMEN FISHES FISHING of both natures Temporall and Spirituall By SAMVEL GARDINER Doctor of Diuinitie Mathew 4.19 I will make you fishers of men LONDON ¶ Printed by Thomas Purfoot 1606. To Sir Henrie Gaudie sir Miles Corbet sir Hammond Le-Strang sir Henrie Spelman Knights my verie kinde friends A Hiah the Prophet 1. King 11.30 taking hold of Ieroboams newe garment tearing it out into 12. peeces tooke occasion thereupon to prohecie 1. king 17 14. Elias sermoned on the little meale vessell and cruise of oyle of his Hostesse the widow of Zarephath and his scholler Elizeus did the like 2. King 4.7 preaching vpon the pitcher of oyle of the Preachers widdow By the line of such examples I am led to giue the Church such spirituall Meditations as in time I haue deducted from mine angling recreation The comparisons that lay between the fishers and fishes of both kindes without ransacking further reading are my onely store and will serue sufficiently for the common both instruction and comfort I put these labours foorth vnder your names as a seale of my zeale and loue towards you for that loue which in some of you hath been ancient and in all of you very good to me I commend them vnto you and you vnto God who more and more enlarge his holy spirit in you to his glory and your felicity Yours in all loue in the Lord Samuel Gardiner To the Reader I Apply it vnto prouidence God marking me out so contrary to my thoughts to that calling I am in to fish for soules that I haue so delighted in fishing in my time it being an exercise at which the very Cinicks and Stoicks will not lowre or shew frowning browes holding so in comparison with our ministeriall function in so perfect a proportion How typically the Angelicall vse of Angling shaddoweth and setteth foorth the duties of both parts 1. Preacher 2. Hearer Luke 3. and answereth like the Baptist to the question of the Souldiers Publicans all commers what shall we doe I put it to thy iudgement after thou hast but cursorily trauised this Treatise I trust God shall so blesse both it and thee as thou shalt be caught and brought thereby as fishes from the bottome to the shore from the bottomlesse pit of perdition to the land of the liuing and to the top of beauenly glorie So fare thou well Thine in prayer to God for thy good SAMVEL GARDINER The Contents of this Booke The summe of this following Treatise is abridged in these two Verses Ecclcsiam pro naue rego mihi climata mundi sunt mare scripturae retia piscis homo Which I deliuer in English thus The Church I gouerne as a shippe VVee seas with world compare The scritures are the enclosing nettes And men the fishes are Wee will follow this diuision and containe our selues within these limmited bounds THE FIRST CHAPTER Of the Fishermans Ship or Boat HE that giueth himselfe to Fishing The Fishermans prouision for his fishing and mindeth to follow it to the best proofe with the true and necessarie furniture of that trade he prouideth himselfe a ship keele or cocke-boat out of which he may lay out and take in his nets and be in the vaine and way where the best doing is But wee haue a sure and tight one indeed if we be of the Church The Church compared to a Ship Gen. 6.14.18 7.6.7 11. Math. 13.2.3 Mar. 4.1.2 Luk. 5.3 Math. 7.25 For the Church in Scriptures is compared to a Shippe Noah his Ship and Pinnesse did expresly prefigure it and the Ship out of which Christ preached did not obscurely shadow it It may well hold comparison with a Ship it is so like it in euerie degree I. Euerie Shippe hath need of a skilfull and watchfull Pilote and Gouernor so hath the Church whereof it is fitted with the best the eternall Sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ sitting alwayes at the sterne of it Mat. 7.25 and carefully keeping it So that wee need not feare though the Seas roare and beat with their proude waues against it for he ruleth it with such a steady hand as it cannot be shaken be that keepeth it Psa 121.4 doth neither slumber nor sleepe Of this wee haue a sure word of prophecie for our indemnitie Isay 43.1 Feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the flouds that they doe not ouerflow thee And that wee might build vpon it his promise to the same effect is thus in another part of Scripture repeated Zach. 2.5 I saith the Lord will be a wall of fire round about Novisible headin the Church as in a ship sithence Christ is neuer absent but guideth it c. The Church hath no need of a visible head as a Ship hath as Poperie deliuereth For sithence Christ is neuer absent what need haue wee of any outward head to be present But that Christ is alwaies incūbent on his Church is present with his ship his promise to the Church prooueth I will be with you to the end of the world Mat. 28.10 Gen. 7.1.20 8.16 Christ watcheth euer Iohn 6.17.18.20.21 Mark 6.47 48.51 Mat. 14.22 24.30.32.33 Mark 4.35.36.37.38.39.40.41 Mat. 8.24.26 Luke 8.23.24.25 Thus was he with Noah whilest his Arke and Barke floated and houered on the surface of the waters during all the raging time of the floud Our Pilot may seem to vs to slumber when the Ship and Church is in danger but as in the deluge so in the deuillish deuises of men hee taketh charge of it So that we may fasten these verses vnto it translated out of a Greeke verse of which Sybilla is said to be the author Mergitur interdum sed non submergitur vnquam Saluificum Christi seruans ecclesia verbum The Church though somtimes drencht is neuer drowned Because it is vpon Christs sauing Gospell founded Sybillas verses II. Euerie Ship must haue a Rudder to rule it The rudder of the ship Iames. 3.4 The Rudder wherwith the Arke of Gods Church is guided is the word of God the rule and direction of euerie mans life Of the word of God a rule for vs c. Psa 119.9 For if we put the question of euerie mans as Dauid doth of the young man saying Wherewithall shall a young man clense his wayes and say wherewithall shall young and old rich and poore one with another rule his way the answere is the same taken from the mouth of Gods spirit Euen by ruling himselfe according to thy word For this is not onely a word of authoritie to binde the conscience or of wisedome onely to aduise it or of power onely to conuert it or of grace onely to comfort it but it is a word
is a foolish creature altogether indocible So as by the sir-name of a fish they vnderstood a man of absolute follie among the Aegyptians If wee giue man his right Ephe. 2.11 12. Psal 32.9 Of the folly of man as he is without God And of true wisdome Isaâ— 1.3 1. Cor. 1.20 3.19 as hee is without God hee is as foolish as the fish For the horse and Mule without vnderstanding to whome Dauid compareth him by the iudgement of God in the mouth of the Prophet is of better vnderstanding than hee The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters cribbe but Israel hath not known my people hath not vnderstood I grant they haue the wisedome of the worlde which the spirite of God calleth foolishnesse Exod. 1.10 The wisedome of the world is foolishnesse with God Pharoah saide Let vs worke wisely when hee wrought most foolishly The Apostle maketh a great enquirie after the wise and would faine finde him out 1. Cor. 1.20 Where is the wise where is the cribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnes Christ calleth such Wizards Dizzards wise without vnderstanding Matth. 11.25 when as he saith I giue thee thanks O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast opened them vnto babes And the wisest of men the Sonne of man only excepted calleth them starke fooles Prou. 1.22 saying O yee foolish how long will yee loue foolishnesse Hee is no more to be admired that can make much matter by inuention of wit of a slender subiect than the shoomaker is that can make a great shoe for a little foote How can they be wise whose whole cogitations and actions are foolishnesse For there is no true wisdom but that which is heauenly which is the word of God or Christ the sonne of God the onely subiect and argument of the worde who is made vnto vs by God his Father Wisedome Righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1.30 Col. 2.3 Sanctification and Redemption In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge But this wisdome is of little woorth with those who in the eyes of the world seeme of most worthe who stoppe their eares with waxe when this wisedome is spoken off and thinke themselues wiser than any of their teachers But they are but wise after a sort Luk 16.8 in their generation as Christ distinguisheth wherein indeed they haue eyes as broade as the Moone and haue a priuiledge aboue their betters But such aduantage hath the Owle of a man whose sight is better in the night-time than a mans In deedes of darknesse such Owles faces are better sighted than the children of light So is the Catte cunninger than a man to beguile a Mowse in wilie craftinesse the rudest rusticke easilie circumuenteth the greatest Scholler But hee is but an Asse in the shape of a man who hath not learned Christ and whose bringing vp hath not beene in Gods Schoole That is Moses iudgement when hee sayth Keepe the ordinances and Lawes which I haue taught you Deut. 4 6. for that is your wisedome and your vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shall heare all these ordinances shall say Only this people is wise and of vnderstanding When Saul started from the wisedome of the worde Psal 78.57 like a broken bowe he was but a sotte for it and Samuel doubted not to befoole him to his face saying in broad words 1. Sam. 13.13 Thou hast done foolishly Salomon I assure you left his wisedome behinde him when by marriage of strange women he worshipped strange gods doing as foolishly as I heard of any as the consequent thereof euen to the common calamitie of his Countrie it being beside the scandall of example 1. King 11.1.2.3.4.5.14.23 25 26.31 c. Ierem. 8.9 the ocasion of the rupture and mangling of his monarchie too lamentably confirmed Ieremy wondered how he should be a wise man that is not a Gods-man saying How doe ye say we are wise yee haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in you As Ezechiel calleth them Ezech. 13.3 foolish Prophets and denounceth a woe as bitter as worme-wood to such as take not their text from Gods mouth but broach their owne fancies so folly is with them and they haue no lesse woe that are wise in their owne conceits onely The Turkes and wise to the world and not to Godward Though it bee a rascall religion that the Turkes professe yet they haue that grace as they command that religion by the leuell of their actions For their Professor of the Lawe standeth vp and in his charge especiall commandeth that before they beginne to sit in counsell they consult of nothing derogatorie to religion insinuating religion to the foundation of all wisedome Heathenish men to drawe on the popular applause to those Lawes which they should propound to them did beare the people in hand that they were grounded vppon the rules of Diuinitie and that they were warranted by their owne Gods Numa in a generall assembly at Rome Of Aegria and Numa Iuuen. Sad. 3. metam l. 15. sab 1. 44. liu 1. ab vâ—b condit Plutar. in Numa Solon Lyâ—urgus Minos Chaâ—ondas Osyrus Zamolxis alleaged that hee had conference with the Nymph Aegeria in the scrowle of those statutes that he then set out Solon suggested direction of authority from Minerua in like case Lycur gus of Lacedemon pleaded his commission from Apollo Minos in Creete sayd he came from Iupiter Charondas of Carthage tooke counsell of Saturne as he suggested Osyrus of Aegypt with Mercurie Zamolxis of Sythia with Vesta And the people of those times vpon such supposals yeelded became obedient vnto them wherein they plainly distrusted their own wisedome and thought it the best wisedome to anchor themselues vpon heauenly wisedome wherein they were misled with the blindnesse of those times ignorance as a hand-kerchiefe couering their eyes But sure we are Exod. 19.16 18 20.1 2 3. c. and 31.18 that Moses had his lawes deliuered him from God vpon the mountaine Sinai which haue beene since confirmed vnto vs by the oracles of Prophets and by Christ the Law-giuer and life of them himselfe To this beare all the Apostles witnesse and the Martyrs haue set their redde waxe thereunto Wherefore stultorum omnia sunt plaena The worlde runnes quicke with fooles the children thereof sauouring and fanouring nothing lesse than Gods worde the wisedome of the spirit For if wee take a suruey of mens natures wee may place them all in one of these 3. 3. Ranks or classes ranckes and classes 1. First of such as are simple by nature and of shallowe capacitie who are made to dwell in their home-borne stoliditie by such as are about them of a peruerse subtiltie These doe not so much as wet