The True Non-Conformist, Title page – Response
The true NON-CONFORMIST In Answere To the Modest and free Conference Betwixt a CONFORMIST And a NON-CONFORMIST, About the present Distempers Of SCOTLAND. By a Lover of Truth, And Published by its order.
HEBR. XII. Ver. XIV, XV. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord, looking diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God, lest any root of bitternes springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.
Printed in the Year 1671.
To the AUTHOR OF THE CONFERENCE.
ALthough I judge it no less of my concernment then of yours, to be concealed and unseen in this undertaking; Yet seeing, that I do not captate the empty praise of an affected modesty, I am resolved in liew of your Stationer to the Reader and Friend to the Stationer, to give the following Sheets this direct and immediate adress.
And to begin with my self, as your Friend doth with you, really I think I should have had nothing to say of such a nothing, were it not in opposition to that Character wherewith he pretends to honour you. He sayes, You are a person of extraordinary Moderation and Peaceableness; And no doubt these qualities understood in their due mediocrity and subordination, are of notable value: But that you can allow any difference of opinion but such as is incompatible with the peace & quiet of the Chuch, is an ampliation so little favourable to truths preference, & so inconsistent with these Scripture intimations of Heresies and divisions through mans corruption inseparably attending it, that I cannot otherwise esteeme it to be extraordinary, then as it is excessive. If truth do allow, nay require a synathletick zeal, which error doth no wise warrant; to accommodate their contradictions by an easie indifferencie, is more agreeable to the love of this World, then the love of God. And verily your Friends excusing the tartness of some of your expressions, from a zeal that he allowes against that uncharitable Spirit, which can suffer nothing that is not exactly of its own vvay, is not more calumnious in its insinuation against us, who desire utterly to disclaime selfe conceit in all thir matters, then unjustly restrictive of the true zeal of God, no less enemy to an irreligious lukewarmness, the apparent measure of your latitude, and the extreme now so dreadfully prevalent, then an humorous severity so little at present to be apprehended. But let all who desire to be found of a true Christian temper seek first the Kingdome of God, and his righteousnesse, and as his peace and the love of the Brethren cannot be wanting, so the quiet of the Church is best submitted to his good pleasure.
For the occasion of my writing, the account which your Friend gives of the occasion of yours doth equally justifie it. The English Dialogues please you, and I assure you, both they and their answer are displeasing to me. I reflect not upon the method of Dialogues; Nay I am so far from censuring it, though I relish it not in thir matters, that I am confident, that had you and your English pattern managed it sincerily, it had proven the ruine, and not the support of your design. But finding the English man so insolently scornful, as not to rest satisfied with an answere, which by taking sanctuary in the Act of Indemnity, & other such fearful & fainting shifts, did rather bewray, then vindicat the commoun cause, and perceiving, by your little essay, the humors of the unquiet Spirit in both Nations (as you are pleased to speak evill of the uprightnesse of such who run not with you to the same excess of ungodlinesse) not to be more the same, then it is the same strange Spirit of Hypocrisie and irreligion that at present abounds so much in these Lands, to the perverting of both truth and righteousnesse, I was moved by these considerations to make you this free and round reply. Your Friend sayes, you designed not vanity by your few sheets, written almost as hastily as they could be transcribed: And the truth is, I am so much convinced of it, that I am more enclined to apologize for the seriousnesse that I have used in confuting such a trifling bable, then to purge my endeavours of any such suspicion. Only, because he saith, You wish that every one may see the weakness of these grounds upon which such specious structures are built, which, when they come to be examined, prove but painted sepulchers, I thought it worth my paines, by clear descriptions, & firme demonstrations, both of the solidity of the foundations, and beauty of the superstructure of the work of God, to check the tumor of this insinuat boasting.
But in the next place, we have your great designe in your small Book, and it is, To let some well-meaning People, who have a love, to godlinesse, see that Religion is not at all concerned in things wherein they do concern themselves very much, and that in contending for the shell, we are like to lose the Kernel of Religion. Why herein is a marvellous thing, if I may use the blind mans words, since I think you would almost have me to lose that sight which he had then lately received, while the things wherein we did concerne our selves were sincerily owned and improven, Religion flourished, holinesse was in request, profanity was ashamed, & iniquity stopt its mouth; and since by you and your partakers, they were subverted and decried, wickednesse only hath exalted it selfe, and its blasphemous Impieties and violences have abounded, to the very horrour of every ingenuous man: And yet we must believe that Religion is not at all concerned in the change. And your Friend doth attribute to you the confidence, not only to write, but to direct your writing to well-meaning People, Lovers of godlinesse. For this effect, I shall not anticipate my performance in the ensuing answer; only, as I have singly aimed at the establishment of the Lord's faithful remnant in this hour of great & manifold temptations; so I am hopefull, that eternal life, and the meanes thereof, the Gospel and its Ordinances, shall never be so divided in this Land, as to separate the things that they and I do contend for, from Religions real and true interest: Your Friend sayes, They are but the shell, and not the Kernel of Religion. And if I may presse his lame similitudes, I would enquire, whither he call's them so because of their use for conservation, or their superfluity when broken off? And though it be manifest, that this later sense can only warrand his undervalue, and is indeed a proper allusion for such who have not stood to devoure that which is holy, and after vowes to make enquirie; Yet I am assured, that unto his second thoughts its absurdity will appear so palpable, as by forcing him to the first meaning, it will constrain him rather to contradict his asserting of Religious inconcernment in these matters, being the special means of its preservation, then prophanely to despise them as rejectaneous trifles.
The language and manner of my writing is such, as I conceived to be most proper for my purpose; if the prosecution of your particularities, specially in an essay, pretended indeed to be equally managed, but without question unequally designed, for the parties therein contending, prove irksome and tedious to others, as it hath been to my self, I have no Apologie, but the necessity of a full reply, aswel to deliver the true Non-Conformist from your disingenuous imposings, as to refute your Conformist's Objections. As for other matters, I referr all to the Reader. There is one thing only I would intreat, and that is, that if in the perusal of what I have written, you do find any thing that may move you again to take up your pen, you would not imploy it in any further continuation of this dramatick way of scribling: But seeing truth's interest is that which both of us ought to regard, let the differences in controversie be fairly stated, propositions clearly drawn forth, and by you either defended or impugned, according to the exigence of your cause, and I promise you either my assent, or the reasons of my dissent without passion or partiality. Now as to your language and manner of writing, your Friend sayes, It is accommodated to these meaner capacities, who are most apt to be abused, by such as care not, nay, which is very sad, but too true, wish not Religion nor godlinesse to prosper in the hands of those who differ from them in opinion about external things, which are not of great moment. Sir, this is a charge of too high an import to be let flye at randome. There are, I confesse, amongst us, who do apprehend, that both the opinions and practices of you and your Associats do directly tend to the debauching of Conscience, by the false pretences and undue extensions of Civil Obedience and Allegeance, the perverting and destroying of Gospel Ordinances, not only of Church-government and a sent Ministry, but even of the two Sacraments, by turning their divine institution into ecclesiastick custome, and lastly, to the subverting of the very foundation, Justification through faith in Jesus Christ, by the superadding of our own to his righteousnesse, and who therefore justly fearing that your colouring and covering of these most momentous points, as if different opinions about things externall were all the controversie, to be only a turning of things upside down, and a seeking deep to hide your Counsel from the Lord, do wish that the Lords people may bewar of such deceivers, specially, seeing their universal perjury and intrusion, their common profanity and ordinary insufficiency, are obvious to all men: But that there are any of us, who care not, nay, wish not Religion to prosper, even in the manner here represented, is not more groundlesse, then it is most certain, that the prospering of Religion and godlinesse would be the most effectual mean both to ruine your course, and establish what me maintain.
But let us hear how your Friend makes out his accusation; and he saith, it may appear from their perswading poor souls to take for a mark of zeal that which in all christian Nations is lookt on as a very great mark of impiety, to wit, not going to Church. A mighty conviction, and worthy to be write in greater letters. But where did he learn, that not going to Church, in the meaning only pertinent to his reflection, viz, our not going to the house appointed indeed for publick divine worship, but invaded and usurped by perjurious Intruders, for the most part, as palpably wicked and naughty as their intrusion is undeniable, is lookt on in all Christian Nations as a great mark of impiety? Or how will he make it out, that we perswade not going to Church, that is, to the assembling of our selves together for the more solemn worship and adoration of God, and hearing of our lawful Pastors, though in corners, as God gives opportunity, which is most certainly all whereunto Christianity doth oblidge? Let him prove either, and then let him boast himself: But seeing either of these demands must of necessity sinke him into perpetual silence, how foolishly doth he second his allegeances? He subjoynes, that you mean no prejudice to any person in writing of it (viz.) your DIALOGUES, & that it is only published to informe sincere people. Whither it be so or not, let the work bear witness; As for my intention in answering, I have already declared it, and I hope the answer it selfe will not contradict, I wish indeed it had been more timous: But as I affect not hasty productions, so there are many other reasons, easily supposible for the delay: If it may give any light for establishment in this evil time, I know it is not yet unseasonable: And in this single and earnest desire, I recommend it to all that love our righteous Cause, and wait for the Lords appearance.