NON 
NON-CON', f. [abbreviation of] Non-conformift: 
So at pure barn of loud non-con, 
(Where with my granam I have gone,) 
When Lobb had lifted all his text. 
And I well hop’d the pudding next, 
« Now to apply” has plagu’d me more 
Than all his villain cant before. Prior. 
NON-CONCUR'RENCE, f. A refufal of concurrence. 
_For an account at large of bilhop Sanderfon’s laft judge¬ 
ment concerning God’s concurrence or non-concurrence 
with the aCtions of men, and the pofitive entity of fins of 
commiflion, I refer you to his letters. Pierce. 
NON-CONFOR'MING, adj. Not joining in the efta¬ 
blilhed religion.—A non-conforming minifter of eminence. 
Burke. 
NON-CONFOR'MIST, f. One who refufes to comply 
with others.—Is it juft, is it handfome, that I (hould 
be a non-conformijl either in the public forrow or joy ? 
Barrow. — One who refufes to join in the eftablilhed 
worlhip.—On his death-bed he declared himfelf a non- 
conformifl, and had a fanatick preacher to be his fpiritual 
guide. Swift. 
Non-conformifts, in England, are of two forts. Firft, 
Such as abfent themfelves from divine worlhip in the 
eftablilhed church through total irreligion, and attend 
the fervice of no other perfualion. Thele, by the ftatutes 
i Eliz. c. 2. 23 Eliz. c. x. and 3 Jac. I c. 4. forfeit one 
flailing to the poor every Lord’s day they fo abfent them- 
lelves, and 20I. to the king if they continue fuch default 
for a month together. And, if they keep any inmate thus 
irreligioully dilpofed in their houfes, they forfeit iol. per 
month. The fecond fpecies of non-conformifts are thofe 
who offend through a miftaken or perverfe zeal. Such 
were efteemed, by the Englilh laws enaCted lince the time 
of the Reformation, to beFapiftsand Proteftant diffenters : 
both of which were fuppofed to be equally fchifmatics, 
In not communicating with the national church. 
By the corporation-aft, flat. 13 Car. II. ft. 2. c. 1. no per- 
fon can fee legally ele&ed to any office relating to the go¬ 
vernment of any city or corporation, unlefs, within one 
year before, be has received the facrament of the Lord’s 
fupper according to the rites of the church of England ; 
and he is alfo enjoined to take the oaths of allegiance and 
fupremacy at the fame time that he takes the oath of 
office; or, in default of either of thefe requifites, fuch 
election Ihall be void. By flat. 5 Geo. I. c. 6, however, no 
perfon fhall be removed from a corporate office to which 
he has been duly eleCted, or otherwife profecuted for his 
omiffion to take the facrament, nor incur any incapacity 
or penalty, unlefs fuch perfon be fo removed or the pro- 
fecution commenced within fix months after his being 
eLeCted into the office. 
By the ttfl-aft, ftat. 25 Car. II. c. 2. all officers civil 
and military, and perfons having places of truft under his 
majefty in England, Wales, Berwick, Jerfey, or Guernfey, 
or in the navy, are directed to take the oath, and make 
the declaration againft tranfubftantiation, in the court 
of King’s Bench or Chancery, the next term, or at the 
next quarter feffions; or by fubftitutes within fix months 
after their admiffion ; and alfo within the fame time to 
receive the facrament of the Lord's fupper, according to 
theufage of the church of England, in fome public church, 
immediately after divine fervice and fermon ; and to de¬ 
liver into court a certificate thereof figned by the minifter 
and churchwardens; and alfo to prove the fame by two 
credible witneffes; upon forfeiture of 500I. and difability 
to hold the office. 
It is to be obferved, that the toleration-aft, 1 W. & M. 
c.. 18. though it exempts diffenters and others from certain 
penalties, does not difpenfe either with the tell or cor¬ 
poration a£ts as far as they impofe the obligation of re¬ 
ceiving the facrament on perfons ferving in offices or cor¬ 
porations. As to the juftice, or the policy, of the laws 
NON 127 
againft Proteftant Diffenters, and againft Papifts, fee th* 
article Liberty of Conscience, vol. xii. p. 586-601. 
NON-CONFOR'MITY, /. Refufal of compliance.— 
The will of our Maker, whether difcovered by reafon or 
revelation, carries the higheft authority with it; a con¬ 
formity or non-conformity to it, determines their aCtions 
to be morally good or evil. Watts's Logick. —Refufal to 
join in the eftablilhed religion.—Since the liturgy, rites, 
and ceremonies, of our church, are fo much ftruck at, 
and all upon a plea of confcience, it will concern us to 
examine the force of this plea, which our adverfaries are 
ftill fetting up as the grand pillar and butterefs of non¬ 
conformity. South's Sermons. —The lady will plead the 
toleration which allows her non-conformity in this par¬ 
ticular. Addifon's Speftator. 
NON-DESCRIPT', adj. Undefcribed: ufed alfo as a 
fubftantive for any natural production that has not been 
defcribed. A modern word. 
NON-EN'TITY, f. Non-exiftence; the negation of 
being.—When they fay nothing from nothing, they muft 
underftand it as excluding all caufes. In which fenfe it 
is moll evidently true ; being equivalent to this propo- 
fition, that nothing can make itfelf, or, nothing cannot 
bring its no-felf out of non-entity into fomething. Bentley. 
—A thing not exifting.—There was no fuch thing as ren¬ 
dering evil for evil, when evil was truly a non-entity, and 
no-where to be found. South. 
NON-EXIS'TENCE,yl Inexiftence ; negation of being. 
•—How uncomfortable w'ould it be to lie down in a tem¬ 
porary Hate of non-exiflence! How delightful is it to think 
that there is a world of fpirits ; that we are furrounded 
with intelligent living beings, rather than in a lonely 
unconfcious univerfe, a wildernefs of matter! Baxter on 
the Soul. 
When non-exiflence burfts its clofe difguife, 
How blind are mortals not to own the fkies ? Boi/fe. 
The thing not exifting.—A method of many writers, 
which depreciates the elteem of miracles is, to falve not 
only real verities, but alfo non-exiflences. Brown's Vulg. 
Errors. 
NON est FAC'TUM. The general iffue, or anfwer, 
in an aCtion on bond or other deed, whereby the de¬ 
fendant denies that to he his deed whereon he is impleaded. 
—None but the party, his heirs, executors, See. can plead 
Aon eftfaftum. Jacob. 
NON-FE'ASANCE. An offence of “ omiffion of what 
ought to be done;” as in not coming to church, &c. 
which need not be alleged in any certain place; for 
generally lpeaking it is not committed any-where. 
NON est INVEN'TUS. The ffierifPs return to a writ, 
when the defendant is not to be found in his bailiwick. 
NON-JU'RING, adj. \_non, and juro, Lat. to fwear.] 
Belonging to thofe who will not fwear allegiance to the 
Hanoverian family.—This objection was offered me by 
a very pious, learned, and worthy, gentleman of the non- 
juring party. Swift. 
NON-JU'ROR, f. One who, conceiving James II. un- 
juftly depofed, refufes to fwear allegiance to thofe who 
have- fucceeded him.—The non-conformifts, were then 
exactly upon the fame foot with our non-jurors now, 
whom we double-tax, forbid their conventicles, and keep 
under hatches, without thinking ourfelves poffeffed with 
a perfecuting fpirit, becaufe we know they want nothing 
but the power to ruin us. Swift. 
Non-Jurors, generallyfpeaking, are perfons that refufe 
to take the oaths to the government, who are liable to 
certain penalties ; and for a third offence to abjure the 
realm, by 13 & 14 Car. II. c. 1. Parfons, vicars, &c. are 
to take the oaths, and give their affent to the declaration 
14 Car. II. c. 4. or they fhall not preach, under the 
penalty of 40I. &c. (17 Car. II. c. 2.) Ecclefiaftical per¬ 
fons not taking the oaths on the Revolution, were ren¬ 
dered incapable to hold their livings: but the king was 
empowered 
