The cry of a stone, or, a treatise; shewing what is the right matter, forme, and government of the visible church of Christ. How, and wherein the present Church of England is wanting and defective, both in the body of the land, and in the parochiall branches thereof, with divers reasons and grounds taken from the Scriptures, to perswade all that feare God, rather to suffer any afflictions at the hands of men, than to submit to mans carnall policy and humane devices in the worship of God, or be deprived of the sweet fellowship of the saints in the right order of the Gospel. Together with a just reproofe of the over-strained and excessive separation, contentions and divisions of such as commonly are called Brownists. By Robert Coachman.

The time of suffering is now come.

ANd such is the carnality of our times, even of the professors of Religion, that they are never weary of ease, pleasure and * 1.1 plentie, nor feare the taking of too much thought for the flesh, neither will they ever have the time come for judgement to begin * 1.2 at Gods House, much lesse with the Apostle Paul will they take plea∣sure in afflictions and persecutions; belike we are borne in the time when men must die in their nests, and goe to heaven in feather-beds; and the * 1.3 gate to heaven is growne so wide, that men may runne in at it with all invented formality and fleshly libertie that can be invented or desired.

Some there are, who will pray earnestly, that the abuses in the [ 2] Church may be removed, and the cleare light of the Gospell really discovered, and that the Saints may rejoyce together in the sweet fellowship of the Church, and it is well they doe so; but in their prayers they looke the wrong way for it ever to come in, they looke it should be done with sound of Trumpet, by decrees of Parliaments, * 1.4 by Edicts of Princes; alas, the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world, he gaines his glory here, by abasement, and they that will doe any good in his cause, must cast away all carnall helps▪ and hence∣forth know Christ according to the flesh no more, but walke close with * 1.5 him in his temptation.

And what doctrine is there in the Scriptures more cleare than this? Did not Christ himselfe by death vanquish sinne and Satan, * 1.6 and so enter into glory? and was his whole life here any other then a continuall suffering? and were not these his sufferings as well imi∣table

as meritorious? Are not we to looke unto him who is the Authour and finisher of our Faith, and follow him in his temptati∣ons? * 1.7 and are not all his promises made with the condition of the crosse? Did not Paul desire to have fellowship with Christ in his * 1.8 afflictions, and to be made conformable to his death? Well, how commeth it to passe, that wee never examine our selves by these things? nor thinke of suffering afflictions, but imagine that the com∣mon pace and prevailing course of the times and multitude will serve the turne to bring us to glory? What priviledge have we above Christ, above Paul, and the Christians in the Primitive time? Be∣like no Prophet nor good man can perish, or be wronged in our * 1.9 Nation; but we are borne in the day, in which he that is most godly is the most secure.

Well, if it be not so, I would it were so, but it is rather to be feared we joyne too much carnall libertie with our Profession, and * 1.10 too eagerly desire to make a faire shew in the flesh, and measure Gods favour too much by temporall blessings; and we thinke, because we build us faire houses, and make us costly apparell, and eate our * 1.11 meate merrily, and lie and turne upon our feather-beds, with our braines full of roving thoughts, and traine up our children accor∣ding to the fashion, if withall we lend our eares sometimes to a Sermon, and conferre sometimes cursarily of the Scripture, and sometimes use a forme of Prayer in our Families; we thinke God is wonderfully beholden to us, and we are some rare instruments of his glory, and notable pillars in his Church; for we sit fast and * 1.12 quiet, and are not moved with errors, nor schismes; but when other busie and giddie headed men that can never be quiet, rove and range about, troubled in minde, and distempered in affections, and foolish∣ly pulling trouble upon themselves, and beggery upon their wives and children; we live at wealth and peace and die quietly in our beds, and are honourably buried amongst our friends, and leave be∣hinde us a paterne and patrimony to our children.

Notes

• * 1.1

  SECT. 17.
• * 1.2

  Rom. 13. 14.
• * 1.3

  2 Cor. 12. 10. Iob 29. 18.
• * 1.4

  Iohn 18. 36.
• * 1.5

  2 Cor. 5. 16.
• * 1.6

  3. Luke 24. 26.
• * 1.7

  Heb. 12. 2. ••.
• * 1.8

  Marke 10. 30. Phil. 3. 10.
• * 1.9

  Luke 13. 33.
• * 1.10

  Gal. 6. 1••.
• * 1.11

  A vaine con∣ceit.
• * 1.12

  Acts 26. 24.