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.

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 onely 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 can 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 onely leave them to the Lord who onely 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 agreement , 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 conclusion , that the letter was consented to by the Church to be sent away as it was , onely 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 suspition , that a few of them met to write to contradict 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 & correction 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 from 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 instructions 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 .