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And if this hold in reason, as I see none to the contrary; then
it may be probably concluded, that Moses who (I told you before)
writ the book of "Job," and the prophet Amos, who was
a shepherd, were both anglers; for you shall, in all the "Old
Testament," find fish-hooks, I think, but twice mentioned,
namely, by meek Moses the friend of God, and by the humble prophet
Amos.
Concerning which last, namely, the prophet Amos, I shall make but
this observation,---that he that shall read the humble, lowly, plain
style of that prophet; and compare it with the high, glorious, eloquent
style of the prophet Isaiah; though they be both equally true; may
easily believe Amos to be, not only a shepherd, but a good-natured
plain fisherman.
Which I do the rather believe; by comparing the affectionate, loving,
lowly, humble, "Epistles" of St. Peter, St. James, and
St. John, whom we know were all fishers, with the glorious language
and high metaphors of St. Paul, who we may believe was not.
And for the lawfulness of fishing: It may very well be maintained
by our Saviour's bidding St. Peter cast his hook into the water,
and catch a fish, for money to pay tribute to Caesar.
And let me tell you, that angling is of high esteem, and of much
use in other nations. He that reads the voyages of Ferdinand Mendez
Pinto, shall find that there he declares to have found a king and
several priests a-fishing.
And he that reads Plutarch, shall find that angling was not contemptible
in the days of Marc Antony and Cleopatra, and that they in the midst
of their wonderful glory used angling as a principal recreation.
And let me tell you that in the Scripture, angling is always taken
in the best sense; and that though hunting may be sometimes so taken,
yet it is but seldom to be so understood. And let me add this more:
he that views the ancient "Ecclesiastical Canons," shall
find hunting forbidden to churchmen, as being a turbulent, toilsome,
perplexing recreation; and shall find angling allowed to clergymen,
as being a harmless recreation, a recreation that invites them to
contemplation and quietness.
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