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 scandalls in the separated Churches, is no argument to condemne their practice.

I See no such excellency, or perfection in the separated Churches more then in others, but they often runne into many scandalous evills and are full of jarres, emulations and contentions; so that [Object. 9] for ought I see, a man were as good keepe where he is, as goe to them, except they were otherwise then they are?

I answer first, As Lot fell into a more grievous sinne, when onely [Answ. 1] he and his daughters were in the cave, then he ever did when he was in the midst of the Sodomites: And as David in his great advancement committed a more foule fact then ever hee did in his former abase∣ments; so there is no estate in this world free from temptation and danger neither is our enemy idle, or slothfull, to take his opportuni∣ties, from our estates, occasions and condition, but followeth us, to the gates of heaven, that he may either get us, or cause us to scandalize, by which meanes he may get some others.

When therefore wee speake of such glorious things in the Church, [ 2] we doe not yet meane that they are a company of Angels, or of men free from corruption and Temptation; for were it so, it needed no ordi∣nances, nor meanes to helpe, recover and uphold it, but as I said be∣fore, even therefore is a Church-fellowship appointed of God to pre∣vent frailties and offences, and to purge out such as grow wilfully scandalous in evill; and such as will except against all such Churches as in whom they find failing in manners, must goe seeke the Church in heaven; for whilest we are here, we are fraile men, and some frail∣ties will still appeare in us, though by the grace of God, many are kept all their life from scandalous evills.

The Papists with like colour object against the Protestants, that they [ 3] are evill livers, and given to wanton lusts, being full of swearing, whoring, drunkennesse, theft, &c. But he that is acquainted with both▪ can tell, that even the Papists in the greater part of them are more frequent in such vices than the Protestants, and by their leave, they that will condemne another for an euill, must be cleare of it them∣selves, else their owne mouth will accuse them.

But both will object against the separated Churches, and say you [Object. 10] are but a handfull, and those also of culled men, and wee are many, and of all sorts, as Cities and Countries yeeld, therefore there is no reason to expect like holinesse from us as from you, but if you looke upon the better sort of us, you shall not see no such evills breake out in us, as are printed and recorded against you?

I answer, first, when Christ had culled out his wedding guests, [Answ. 1] yet there was one which had not a wedding garment; so though those men be culled out, yet some hypocrites will lurke amongst them, though they be never so poore and contemptible; as Iudas did adhere unto Christ: for though they professe a separation from the open wicked, yet they professe no separation from Hypocrites, neither may, nor can, till they are discovered.

Secondly, Hypocrites, that turne the Grace of God into wantonnesse, are most forward of all to separate themselves from others; and therefore how [ 2] can those Churches be free from them?

Thirdly, it is a punishment of their former hypocrisie to be disco∣vered where they looked for greatest esteeme, and so being disappoin∣ted [ 3] of the praise of men which they desired they are in a better way to come to Repentance, then in living amongst a company as ill as them∣selves, where their visard should not have beene plucked off.

Fourthly, true it is, there may be lesse evills amongst the separated, then amongst the parish multitudes, ••nd so I am sure there is; for [ 4] whereas three Scribes in a few sheets of paper did note and discourse of all the evils and scandalls that fell among the separated in many yeeres. If in the Parishes all the evills should be noted and chronicled;

there had neede at every fifth house to dwell a Scribe.

Fifthly, And though I love not to make comparisons, to cause [ 5] disparagement; yet I freely confesse and with great comfort ac∣knowledge, that there are many in the parishes in England which are of a very godly life and conversation; and some that goe as farre therein, as any I ever saw in my life. And if I should preferre any of the separated before them in conversation, I should speake against my owne conscience, but in the Church state and order I must pre∣fer the other before them.

Sixthly, And yet if a man had a minde to breed and foster Atheisme, [ 6] he might cull out a number of scandalls, which noted men, both Prea∣chers and Professors in the Parishes have fallen into, in a few yeeres, but why should wee make worke for wanton eares? let us rather feare our selves, and let him that thinketh hee standeth, take heed lest hee fall.

Seventhly, It is a fault of the professors, that the Churches of sepa∣ration are no better; they have lingered, and refused to bring their [ 7] soules and bodies into an holy Temple, whilest Sanballat and Tobiah have beene building there, whose separation hath rather beene from grace than from corruption; and these creeping in under a shew of godlinesse, have filled all with scandall, contention and division; whereas if those that had beene sound and sincere men, and groun∣ded and experienced in the knowledge of God and themselves, would have beene gathered together, and filled the Sanctuary, there would have beene no roome nor use for such instruments:

Wherefore, hereafter doe not you sit still and controll others, and doe just nothing your selves; for I tell you, it is a worke well befit∣ting and beseeming the most holiest and godliest people that are in the world, and altogether unfitting and unlawfull for such whose lives and conversations are not otherwise answerable.

Eighthly, Admit that all the separated Churches have hitherto but [ 8] dallied and trifled, and puzled themselves, by reason of their igno∣rance, weaknesse, and evill carriages, and are rather scattering then combining, yet this is no just exception against the course. Israel ranged about divers yeeres in the wildernesse and effected nothing, except it were to dig each others grave, yet was their generall ayme good.

The eleven tribes made two sallies out against the Benjamites, and lost the field, yet was their cause good, and in the end they prevailed; errors in actions are best found out, when they are really discovered: and if you have seene these mens failings you owe the more diligence. if you find your owne Church estate not right; doth that helpe you to talke of the Brownists contentions? Are you borne to find fault with others, and doe nothing your selves? rather you should

mend it where they have failed, and when you are come into the right order of a Church, then let other mens harmes teach you.

And where you have seene the separated Churches to be contentious, be you more quiet; where they have beene full of divisions, cleave you close together; If they would beare nothing, yet beare you one ano∣thers burthen; If they have beene too censorious, be you more chari∣table; If they have lived loosely, live you strictly; If they have beene cold, be you zealous; If they have beene fearefull, be you more stout; If they have revolted, stand you fast; And if you thinke all they have done is in hypocrisie, take heed all that you doe be in sincerity. And thus much for the first Generall part of this Treatise, tending to direct and perswade all Christians to come into the fel∣lowship of the Saints in the order of the Gospell.

Notes

• SECT. 20.
• 2 Cor. 12. 20.
• Gen. 19. 33. 34.
• 2 Sam. 11. 4.
• Iob 1. 7.
• The visible Church hath no Angelicall▪ perfection.
• The frailties of men no argu∣ment against a Religion.
• Mat. 22. 11.
• The separated Churches are not free from hypocrites.
• Iude 4. 19.
• Acts 8. 19. 20.
• The separated Churches not so evill as the pa∣rishes.
• Many Christi∣ans in the pa∣rishes excellent in personall grace but not in Church order.
• 1 Cor. 10. 12.
• Ezra. 4. 1. 2.
• Iude 1. 4.
• It is the fault of the professors, that the separa∣ted Churches are no better.
• Deut. 1. 4••.
• Iudge 20. 18. 21. 25. 35.
• The failings of the separated Churches, serve to teach them that now are to begin to doe better.
• An excellent imitation.