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.

It is no wrong to Gods people, when the carnall multitude is taxed, and they perswaded to leave them.

IF now upon these and the like considerations wee leave the gene∣rall * 1.1 and carnall multitudes in the parish assemblies, in all such [ 1] actions, as are proper and peculiar to the faithfull, and in feare of offending God and strengthening his enemies in evill, we joyne in∣to Christian fellowships apart from them, what hurt of injury doe we to any? what hurt was it to Iehosaphat, when Elisha in his presence protested against Ioram, as against one betweene whom and God, he * 1.2 would not intercede? what hurt was it to Christs Disciples▪ when their naturall friends the Iewes, were taxed by Christ, and called blind guides, and blind leaders of the blind, dissemblers, hypocrites, &c. So when we tax here the multitude of carnall people, and protest against them that they are not Gods children▪ nor that they have no right to his sacred ordinances, nor to come neere his altar▪ nor use his name and word, untill they repent. But that those holy and consecrated things belong onely to the faithfull Christians of which there are many in the assemblies, whom we tell that they are not in their proper place, nor right fellowship, but ought to withdraw themselves from that so∣ciety * 1.3 in all such actions as are proper to the Saints and unite them∣selves in the fellowship of godly men, with whom they may freely and comfortably participate, in the sweet mysteries of the Lord; doe wee in this speake blasphemie? and are wee worthy for such words and practises, to be taxed and traduced in print and pulpit; for wicked and damnable Schismatiques? For what Christian man is there,

that had not rather converse with godly men then ungodly? are not * 1.4 the presence of faithfull Christians sweeter to a Christian, when hee commeth to powre out his prayers, and offer his oblations than the society of carnall men? Well then, what is the matter, that wee for holding and practising these things, must be thus tossed about and abused? Why must we be put in prison, confiscate goods, goe into exile, and death for holding and practising no otherwise than every * 1.5 Christian soule in heart desireth? we would begin our heavenly har∣mony here & our delight should be only in the Saints▪ and it is custome, * 1.6 wit and art, that fighteth against grace, conscience and Scripture; and it is they out of their idle visions, that perswade to give holy things to Dogs, and mingle light and darknesse, Christ and Belial together; and * 1.7 though times favour these abuses, and punish us for our right groun∣ded assertions, yet anon we shall come before a most just Judge, and then wee shall see whose righteousnesse and just judgement shall be * 1.8 brightest, and who hath gone the rightest course.

Wee labour to justifie the righteous, and condemne the ungodly, [ 2] and would not have the honourable name of Christians or godly * 1.9 men, given to swearers, liers, drunkards, oppressors, slanderers, &c. but would have them know, that as they live and delight in sinne, and hate to be reformed; so no comfort, no priviledge nor favour belongs * 1.10 unto them in that estate, but till they repent and breake off their un∣godly courses, no peace can be to them, nor no fellowship in the seales and badges of Saints can be had with them but as they are of the world, so we must account them, and under the kingdome of dark∣nesse, * 1.11 and it belongeth not to them, but unto us to build an house to the Lord our God, unto them belongs no promise of any favour till they repent, but onely the Law, thereatnings, judgements, commi∣nations and sharpe rebukes, which they are alwayes to heare, both publikely and privately, upon all occasions, but nothing must ever be said or done to them, by which they have any cause to thinke they are in Gods favour before they turne from their sinnes; for if the * 1.12 most righteous scarcely, and with much adoe, be saved, where shall such wicked and sinners appeare, and what hope is there for them?

And seeing in the things of this life they have their ease, pleasure and [ 3] priviledges above the godly, what are then the priviledges of the Saints? * 1.13 if also in spirituall ordinances and heavenly prerogatives they are equallized with them; alas, the men of this world feast and laugh, and dominere in their purple, scarlet, and fleshly wantonnesse, when ma∣ny * 1.14 of Gods deare children weepe and mourne in secret before the Lord, and are faine to pinch hard, goe thin, lie in prison, and some∣times goe to the shambles, that they may be tryed as gold in the fire, and all the privileges of the Saints, is their free accesse to God, their fellowship in their Sabbaths, Sacrifices, Prayers, blessings, seales▪ and

new songs of praise, in all which they meet with Christ their Saviour, * 1.15 and so gather new comfort and refreshing daily, amidst the many crosses and troubles of this transitory world.

Notes

• * 1.1

  SECT. 5.
• * 1.2

  2 King. 3. 13. 14. Mat. 15. 14. Luke 12. 52. Mat. 23. 27. It is no fault to taxe wicked men, and for∣beare commu∣nion with them.
• * 1.3

  Act. 2. 40. 41. 44. 47.
• * 1.4

  It is no fault to associate onely with the godly in the Sacra∣ments.
• * 1.5

  Psal. 16. 3.
• * 1.6

  Tailor on Titus, pag. 691.
• * 1.7

  2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. and 5. 10.
• * 1.8

  Psal. 37. 6.
• * 1.9

  1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. 11.
• * 1.10

  Psal. 50. 16.
• * 1.11

  Ephes. 2. 2. Ezra 4. 3.
• * 1.12

  1 Pet. 4. 18.
• * 1.13

  Psal. 73. 2. 3. Iob 21. 9. 10.
• * 1.14

  2 Sam. 15. 23. 30. 1 Cor. 4. 11. 12. Rom. 5. 2. Ephes. 3. 12.
• * 1.15

  Psal. 99. 1. Phil. 1. 21.