Certain Notes of Ainsworths Last Sermon, Title page – Dedication
CERTAIN NOTES of M. HENRY AYNSWORTH HIS LAST SERMON.
Taken by pen in the publique delivery by one of his flock, a little before his death. Anno 1622.
Published now at last by the said writer, as a love token of remembrance to his brethren, to inkindle their affections to prayer, that scandalls (of manie years continuance) may be removed, that are barrs to keep back manie godly wise and judicious from us, wherby we might grow to farther perfection again.
Matth. 9. 37. 38.
Surely the harvest is great, but the labourers are few. Wherefore pray the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
Imprinted 1630.
To my beloved brethren in the faith and fellowship of the Gospell in all places specially those my native countrymen resident in Amsterdam, grace and peace from our God in Christ.
BEloved the Scripture tells us that while the Ark of God taryed in Kiriath-jearim, the time being long (for it was twenty years) all Jsraell lamented after the Lord 1. Sam. 7. 2. The same affections me thinks I perceive in manie of you, even for the sundry years absence of the Lords ministers, wherby our comfortable portion in the Lords house is greatly lessened, for being left now as sheep upon the bare commons, I fear we may truely cry with the Prophet, My leannes, my leannes, and with all being divers times hurryed and torn with the loud out cryes, and hard handling of furious and unmercifull spirits, who under pretence of godly zeal and hatred against sin, ungodlily massacre the true & living members of Christs body, and by pulling out the squared living stones indanger the fall of the house. And herewith considering what reproach not onelyonly our selves, but also the truth it self sustains by reason of such courses, for now the wayes of Syon mourn, in that few or none come to her solemnityes so that we may truely take up that complaint of the Prophet Lament. 1. 8. Ierusalem hath greivously sinned, therefore shee is in derision: all that honoured her, despise her, because they have seene her filthines: yea, she sigheth and turneth backeward. And besides all this, the vigilant adversary is as forward to discourage and dishearten us by slaundering our holy practise with scisme and profanesse. Who duely weighing these things brethren cā refraine pitying us as our saviour Christ did the multitude, because they were dispersed, and scattered abroad, as sheepe having no shepheard. But this being now toward the end or last dayes, love in men towards others is growen cold, every man seeking his own and not that that is Christs, Therefore brethren let us at last learn to be wise for our selves, in weighing the daunger of biting and devouring one another which tends to the consuming one of another Gallat. 5. 15. Let us hereafter study to be quiet. 1. Thess. 4. 11. and if any yet lust to be contentious, we must answere with the same Apostle, We have no such custom. 1. Cor. 11. 16. And touching those that seeme to be possessed with Diotrephes spirit, who are unwearyed to prate against us with malicious words, & not therwith content thrust them out of the Church that witnes for us, and testify against their iniquitye, what shall I say of them (since they reject the word of God, and all wholsom counsell for their amendement, contrary to the very letter of the 38. Article of our published confession of faith) but onelyonly leave them to the Lord who onelyonly hath power to change them or cutt them of. In the mean time read & consider that affectionate exhortation of the Apostle Rom. 16. 17. Now I beseech you brethren mark them diligently which cause division and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoyd them, for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but themselves. Yet least they should take themselves hereby to be wronged if nothing be said farther, amongst the manie evills done us, I have thought fitting to give the Christian reader a tast of some, to will them in the fear of God to consider their waies in their hearts, and judge without partiallity their courses by the law of God, so may they soone see, how injuriously and irregularly they have walked ever since the death of our wise, faithfull, and honoured guides, who spake enough to declare our daunger, and the means (through Gods blessing) to avoid it, for who can forget those oft pressed speaches of our Teacher upon his death bed when he earnestly exhorted even to his last breath, to Christian moderation in the affaires of the Church, as the main thing wherein our tranquilly would consist, and he had greate reason to urge it upon some, because manie yeares experience bad taught him how feirce, unadvised, & preposterous he had found some (to be left now in main trust as the principall) from time to time, in kindling fire that their wisedom and understanding found work enough to quench. And the last deceassed Elder that best knew him that was principally aymed at, said in direct words, that it would never be well with the Church while it was guided by a strangers head, & who can deny his words to be true hitherto, nay let even himself and his privy counsellours speak, whether in their firey zeale they did not instantly so far forget our Teachers counsell for moderation, that they sought up and forced into the Church new causlesse troubles contrary to the Law & Gospell, as the Church of Leyden plainly proved to them, & contrary to the very letter of the 8. Position of our Apologie.
For when even in a meere matter of advise (desired of us by another Church) the Church here had come to a peacable conclusion to the content of ech part that differed in matter of judgment, and that the Elder had solemnly promised to write a letter accordingly, certain discontented brethren made a meeting to change that solemn agreement of the Church, the Elder consenting & acting with them, which he bringing and reading to the Church, it was instantly blamed in the Elder, for writing contrary to the Churches joynt agreement, and his own promise, and so he was turned back (after much striving by him & his confederats, who were afterwards discovered as guitly of that they unjustly had censured others for) & willed to write the first peacable agreemēt, that the church might not be farther troubled, but in soms absence (minded chief) the next Lords day, there was advantage taken of the time, & the letter brought again unaltered in the least, and by a strong and violent hand those manie masters then so far prevailed against those that pressed the former conclusiō, that the letter was consented to by the Church to be sent away as it was, onelyonly crossing out my name, because I could be no testimonie, in that my name was produced for, and now the Church was so transported, that they refused so much as to signify under their letter, either that some brethren were differing minded thereto, or to take the advise of the Church of Leyden that were joyntly interessed with them.
But farther here was another thing yet worse, for either the Elder alone, or these privy counsellers with him, stood not to this second agreement the Church made, but wrote another with alterations, additions, and diminishings besides the Churches knowledge or consent, & sent it for the Churches minde and acte; yet behold the other brethren that never saw or heard this newe forged letter, till near two years after they were cast out of the Church (which was dispatched in hast, even in 14. dayes time least they should bee prevented) upon the very suspitiō, that a few of thē met to write to cōtradict the Churches action, in hir letter of advise, by the sole, yet false, information of the Elder, two of them were singled out, and selected from the rest, and produced to the Church for evill, which yet the informer professed, that the thing informed and accused, might be holy just, and good, for ought he knew, yet being desirous to get matter, the matter was prosecuted in the Church by interrogatoryes to finde out sin, which the brethren testifyed against, as contrary to the law of love which thinks no evill, & rule of Christ Matth. 18. Yet offred they the suspected act to sight & correctiō wherin soever it should be found amisse, and with all protesting solemnly they had neither done the thing so suspected, nor intended it; & yet behold the brethren were cast out without the knowledge of sin or due dealing for sin, save that for refusing to answere intrapping demaunds, which they urged submission unto as Gods word & Christs government, they were Consured as contemners of both, and the maintenance of this both Elders & Church are now so wedded to, that the chief of them blush not to affirm, that rather then they will goe back from what they have done herein, they will goe on in it, yea though two of them doe not remain together. And yet who sees not their palpable grosse partiallity in sparing their offending favourites in matters of scandalous and evill nature, least their evill combination be weakened, discovered, or broken. Oh how much better were it they would ceasse to abound in their own sence, and take counsell from such as in the fear of God are both able and willing to direct them better. O that they would learn to be wise at the last, so through the good hand of our God there might be some recovery of what is lost. Whereas now their irregular proceedings have made our brethren in all places to hang down their heads, as they have been plainly certifyed frō sundry Churches. Now from these and the like offences divers that were of us turn their backs upon us, and betake themselves to live at large, as if now the doore of indifferency or libertinisme were sett open, that it matters not whom they hear, or where they walk, anie where or no where, and measuring these mens sins with others they think they can hardly goe to worse: And whence riseth all this, & much more of the like, but even for the want of faithfull Pastors and Teachers, and godly discreet and able guides or Rulers in the Church? but what hope of ever such worthyes coming in, when there is such an hideous noyse in the house, by such unruly masters which cruelly smite some, wound others, & cast their dear brethren out at the windowes. Hence come familyes to be devided, the loving husband from his beloved wife, the affectionate parents from their dear Children, hence come familyes to be spoyled by remissnes in neglect, nay, in utter laying aside of joynt family dutyes; the new vessels want their seasoning, the tender plants their due watering, and so become barren before their full growth. So that we may justly take up the complaint of the Prophet Habakuk 1. 2. 3. 4. Oh Lord how long shall I cry and thou will not heare! even cry out to thee for violence and thou will not help! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, & cause me to behold sorrow? for spoyling and violence are before mee: and there are that raise up strife and contention, &c. Oh consider this ye that are so bent to spoyling, repent and turn in time, least the living stones crying in the wall of the spirituall house, the corner stone be offended, and fall upon you and grind you to peeces. But I desire your conversion and not subversion, if the will of the Lord so be, though ye have been bold to vent your worst you can imagine against me upon all occasions, and for your presumptuous determining my eternall estate, the Lord forgive you. If you please to read what is here writt, I hope through the Lord it may turn your courses, that ye may see your duty is to build and not to destroy. They were the instructiōs our late faithfull Teacher M. Aynsworth, delivered to us all, the last time he ever executed his ministery with us, which was at such a time as his bodye & naturall strength were so decayed, that he wanted (as ye know) ability to come up again, even that very Lords day in the afternoone as his usuall manner was, wherein his faithfullnes may be seen even to his last gasp, in striving to feed the flocke even when the hand of God was heavy upon him in that sore perplexing and tedious disease of the stone, of which in a few dayes after he dyed, yet since even in his strong paines (that sometime by reason of the extremity caused a stay of speach, to the griefe of the hearers and beholders) he was delivered of this, as the last fruit of his ministery, let the Israell of God love it as Iacob did Benjamin the dear sonne of his beloved wife, of whom she dyed. It is not for nothing that the Holy Ghost expressly tells us. These be the last words of David 2. Sam. 23. 1. Give me leave therefore (though not to call you together as Iacob did his sons when he was to deliver his last words to them Gen. 49.) yet to entreat you to read what our loving Teacher as a father spake in his charge last to us. And though some or the most of you heard them sett out in the lively voyce Gods solemn ordinance of preaching, yet let it not greive you, that I write to you some of the same things, so farr as my slow hand could extend to compasse, the fullnes of his words I professe not to report, no nor yet the summe or substance of every thing he hence delivered, no nor yet have I published things so well as J might have done, had I sett upon the work to write it out fair instantly, while things were green in my own & others memoryes, but now these notes having layen by me near 8. years before I sett upon this resolution, it is more defective then is requisite for the report of a work of so able and faithfull a man, yet I trust none will be offended at me for this my service of love, since if ought shall be found amisse, I am willing the blame lye upon my misunderstanding or forgetfullnes, and so let him be free, who ever approved himself in his ministery to every mans conscience. Besides, had I been exact in taking, yet considering his condition at the time of the delivery, it is not probable to come so refined to satisfy this curious carping age, whom nothing almost pleaseth, but novelly garnished with humane art. But as the contents of the sermon tend not that way, so neither doe J passe to please the world herein. My chief drift is, to commend the remembrance both of the person and work, that ye may be affected with the dayes of old, when we went together to the house of God with joy, as those that keep a feast, that so we may resolve with the Prophet Esai. 62. 1. 6. 7. Not to hold our tongues for Ierusalems sake, nor give the Lord rest till he repaire and set it up, that so the righteousnes thereof may break forth as the light, and salvation thereof as a burning lamp. I end with the heavenly words uttered when our great and good shepherd came into the world. Luk. 2. 14. Glory to God in the highest, & on earth peace, good will toward men.
Your brother in all Christian affection SABINE STARESMORE.