The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 11
MEDITAT. XI. Of Nonconformiſts.
LOrd what a duſt is raiſed in this Nation about Conformity and Nonconformity; let the Dew of thy …race lay it, before the Rain fall, and there come a Shower of Perſecution to do it! Alas what pity it is that ſo many Men, ſo Wiſe, ſo Pious, and ſo Learned, ſhould ſo differ one from another, and that in a matter of ſo great Conſequence; and yet all of them ſo doubtful; that they can ſcarce ſay themſelves are in the right; or a leaſt ſo modeſt, that they will ſcarce ſay the other is in the wrong. It is not ſo great a Controverſy as was of Old, when the Queſtion was, who were the Prophets of the Lord and who the Prieſts of Baal? and yet it is to be feared that God muſt …nifeſt himſelf by Fire before it will be determin'd.
Is it not ſtrange and ſad, That they that profeſs One (and the ſame) God, Faith, Baptiſm, ſhould yet themſelves not be One? Lord, How haſt thou forſaken the Earth? How haſt thou hid Truth from the eyes of men? How is the Spirit of diſcerning fail'd from amongſt us! Here is utterly a fault amongſt us ſomewhere, and a great one too; and yet be it where it will, it muſt needs be that many learned and holy men are guilty of it: For they are as ſhie to impute it to their Adverſaries, as they are loth to aſſume it to themſelves.
This indeed makes the Caſe leſs ſad, but it makes it more ſtrange. It is neither in my Skill nor Will, to enter into the Controverſie between them; for it's very Nice, and I ſee no hopes of accommodating the difference by any amicable Interpoſition or Argument. But what then? Shall I ſit down and be ſatisfied, ſaying with my Saviour, It must needs be that offences come. Alas! This affords me no ſatisfaction, ſo long as the next words ſtand of equal Divine Authority, Wo unto that man by whom they come.
If I in the integrity of my heart only lament the breach, ſome ſtander by or other will be ready with the Midwiſe in the Story, Gen. 38. 29. to let flie at the one Party or the other, and cry, This Breach be upon thee; and in deſpight of them, either the Conformiſt or the Nonconformiſt ſhall be a Pharez in the Houſe of Iſrael. What ſhall I do then? Why poſſibly amongſt the one and the other, there may be found ſome that are Lovers of the World, more than of God. I will endeavor to ſeparate theſe, the Vile from the Precious: And then as for the ſincere Lovers of God, of what Perſuaſions ſoever, they will be ſure to eſcape at the laſt, though it ſhould be as by fire.
Now methinks, I may divide theſe diſabled perſons, as our Saviour did his Eunuchs into Three Sorts. Firſt, Such as have made themſelves Eunuchs for the Kingdom, &c. Secondly, Such as are born Eunuchs. Thirdly, Such as are made Eunuchs of men: Nonconformiſts out of Judgment, by vertue of Education, or out of ſome Worldly Reſpects, or Carnal Principle.
The Eccleſiaſtical Eunuchs, that are ſuch for the Kingdom of Heavens ſake, do not fall under my Conſideration. That they are ſuch, themſelves do averr; and their charitable adverſaries are loth to ſuſpect, nay, they are ready to ſay of them as the Pharaſaical Scribes ſaid of St. Paul, Act. 23. 9. We find no evil in theſe men, but if a Spirit or an Angel have ſpoken to them, let us not fight against God. We find no fault with the temper or converſation of theſe men; therefore if they be thus perſwaded in their Conſciences, let us not oppreſs or perſecute them, ſeeing the root of the matter is found in them. By what Arguments they come to be perſwaded in their Conſciences to be ſuch, I need not conſider. Themſelves have propounded them openly and plentifully enough, inſomuch that all men know the men, and their Argumentations.
The 2d. ſort therefore are ſuch, as are Nonconformiſts by Education, (as it were from their mothers Womb) who thereby receiv'd a prejudice, before they could judge of things that differ. I do not know that there are any ſuch, but 'tis ſaid they are, and 'tis not unlikely, for we know what the former times were, and what Power, Breeding and Education has to form the Nations, and faſhion the Opinions of Men. If theſe ſhould hit of the right way, it is no thanks to them. However, not chooſing it by a mature Judgment, but being faſhioned thereunto by company and converſe, it cannot be ſuppos'd that they act ingenuouſly or rationally. And if there be any that give no better account of their Nonconformity then this, that they were ſo bred and ſo taught, I think they themſelves are Carnal, though the things they hold are never ſo Orthodox. It is a vain Nonconformity, as well as Converſation, that has no other gound but this, that it is receiv'd by Tradition from the Fore-Fathers. And it may truly be ſaid they Worſhip they know not what, that have nothing to ſay for their way of Worſhip, but, Our Fathers Worſhipt upon this Mountain.
They ſay there are of the Third, ſort that are made Eunuchs of Men, that in their diſſenting are acted as Carnal men, by obſtinate humour, or worldly intereſt. Some ſay they are proud and wilful, and conceited; ſome ſay they are idle, and therefore they cry, let us have our liberty, let us Sacrifice unto our God in our way. Some ſay they are obſtinate and unruly, They regard not thee O King, nor the Decree that thou haſt Sign'd. Others ſay they are acted by Worldly Intereſt, either the Intereſts of their Reputations, which by their levity they are loth to forfeit with the People; or their Eſtates, which are advanc'd and not impair'd by their ſufferings. I confeſs ſome of theſe charges ſeem to be ſtrange and almoſt incredible: Others are perhaps too true. God will judge their Hearts and Principles; in the mean time, I would they ſhould know that God does not eſtimate any Man by his Profeſſions, be they never ſo ſpecious; nor his Opinions, be they never ſo Orthodox; nor by his outward Form, be it never ſo pure and refined. (It's eaſy, (I wiſh it be not ordinary) for man to be carnal, in a fine Spiritual mode.
And I beſeech you Sirs, lay it to heart; whoſoever prefers Eaſe or Honour, Popular eſteeem, the good Opinion of a Party, or an Opportunity of making himſelf and his Name great, before Unity and Order, before the Peace and Settlement of the Church, yea, or before his Liberty and Capacity of miniſtring in Holy Things, and Propagating the Goſpel of Chriſt, is ſo far Carnal, and a Lover of the World.
Faction and Schiſm, and Sedition, are Works of the Fleſh, as well as F…cteries, and bare Compliance.
The propagation of a Party, and the advancement of a Name, are a part of the World, as well as Fat Benefices: And where they are preferr'd before Peace and Charity, do denominate a Man a Lover of the World, as well as thoſe where they are preferr'd before Truth: For God is Peace and Love, as well as Truth.
To run away from Ceremonial Uncleanneſs, and at the ſame time to run into Moral.
To be ſhie of White Garments, and yet free to entertain Black Paſſions.
To avoid the Sign of the Croſs, and yet to live in the ſpirit of Croſneſs and Contradiction, is as fooliſh, as to be frighted at an Apparition of a Devil, and yet confidently to follow a real One in all his Works, as moſt men do. And it is ſo much the more fooliſh, as it odds Hypocriſie to the Folly.