'JCËTJQÎJL
i£f
the Leaves of Plants âlortej to which they Would heeds confine themfelves ; but were not able to go thro' that thin* and
meagre Diet : But then it would be enquir'd, whether they had
not firft, and from their very Childhood, been fed arid brought
up with Flefh, and better Suftenarice* till they ettter'd the Cloyfier ; and what the Vegetables and the Preparation of them
were allow'd by their Inftitution ? Wherefore this is nothing
to our Modern Ufe of Sattets, or its Difparagement. In the
mean time, that we (till think it not only poffible, but likely,
and with no great Art or Charge (taking Roots and Fruit in*
to the Basket) fubftantially to maintain Mens Lives in Health
and Vigour : For to this, and lefs than this, we have thé Suffrage of the great * Hippocrates himfelf; who thinks, ab initio * uîftec. d«.
etiam bominum (as well as other Animals) tali vittu ufum ejfe, and .
."
needed no other Food. Nor is it an inconfidenble Speculation,
f- ^
v
etere
Medi
citliiCa
s
;
That fince a3 Flefh is Grafs (not in a Figurative, but Natural arid
Real Senfe) Man himfelf, who lives on Flejh, arid I think upon
no Earthly Animal wliatfoever but fuch as feed on Grafs, is noiirilh'd with them (till; and fo becoming an Incarnate Herb, arid
innocent Canibal, may truly be faid to devour himfelf.
We have faid nothing of the Lotophagi, and fuch as (like
St. John the Bapti/l, and other religious Afcetics) were Feeders ort
the Summities and Tops of Plants : But as divers of thofe, and
others we have mention'd, were much in times of Streights, Perfections, and other Circumftances, which did not in the leafl:
make it a Pretence, exempting them from Labour, and other
Humane Offices, by enfnaring Obligations and Vows, (never to be
uleful to the Publick, in whatever Exigency) fo I cannot but take
notice of what a Learned || Critic, fpeaking of Men's negleding •„ cobfft i"
plain and eflèntial Duties, under colour of exercifing themfelves
in a more fublime courfe of Piety, and being righteous above
what is commanded (as thofe who feclude themfelves in Monafteries) that they manifeftly difcover exceflive Pride, Hatred
of their Neighbour, Impatience of Injuries ; to which add, melancholy flots and Machinations * and that he mud be either (tu-
pid, or infe&ed with the fame Vice himfelf, who admires this
ihvho-me/- ^^^
° thinks they were for that Caufe the more
pleafing to God. This being fo, what may we then think of fueh
Armies of Hermits, Monks, and Friars, who pretending to juftify
a miftaken Zeal and meritorious Abftinence • not only by a peculiar Diet and Diftin&ion of Meats (which God without Diftinâion
has made the moderate Ufe of common and * indifferent amongft * f
Çhriftians) but by other fordid Ufages, and unnecefTary HardIhips, wilfully prejudice their Health arid Conftitution ? and
through a fingular manner of living, dark and Saturnine ; whilft
they would feem to abdicate and forfake the World (in imitation, as they pretend, of the Ancient Eremites) take care to
fettle, and build their warm and (lately Nefts in the moft populous
Cities, and Places of Retort; ambitious, doubtlefs, of the Peoples Veneration and Opinion of an extraordinary Sandity; arid
. '
iherefore
03
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im
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