Luke 5:6-11 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.… "The net brake." That net is the Church; and the history of the Church is, alas I a history of the tearing of its meshes, and the breaking away of its fish. Heresy and schism have troubled the Church from the apostolic period; and Christ in this miracle showed that it would be so, lest we should be discouraged; but He also showed the remedy for it — a remedy we have not sufficiently taken to heart. When the net was torn, then Peter beckoned to his partners to help to receive the draught. And by this we are shown that the true remedy for heresy and schism is unity. Sad it is that there should be so much separation among the Apostolic Churches; that the Eastern Church, and the Church which claims to be founded by St. Peter, and our own English Church, should all be engaged in fishing on our own several accounts, with mangled nets, from which many escape, and in which only few are saved. When the Churches recognize the real cause of their failure, repent of their haughty and narrow isolation, and draw together, and call to each other to help, then, and then only, will they be filled to the bulwarks, so that they seem almost about to sink. (S. Baring-Gould, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.WEB: When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking. |
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