ACEt ARIA.

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But leaving this Controversy (ne nimium extra okas') it has oftenbeen objected, That Fruit and Blants, and all other things, may,since the Beginning, and as the World grows older, have universallybecome ejfœte , impair’d and divested of those nutritious and transcen-dent Virtues they were at first endow'd withal: But as this is beggingthe Question, and to which we have already spoken; so all are not a-greed that there is any, the least f Decay in Nature, where equal In- -j- Hackweit,dustry and Skill’s apply’d. ’Tis true indeed, that the Ordo Foliatorum , Apolog.Feuillantines (a late Order of Ascetic Nuns) amongst other Mortifica-tions, made Trial upon the Leaves of Blants alone, to which theywould needs confine themselves ; but were not able to go thro' thatthin and meagre Diet: But then it would be enquir’d, whether theyhad not first, and from their very Childhood, been fed and brought upwith Flejh, and better Sustenance, till they enter’d the Cloyster; andwhat the Vegetables and the Preparation of them were allow’d by theirInstitution? Wherefore this is nothing to our modern Use of Sallets, %

or its Disparagement. In the mean time, that we still think it not on-ly possible, but likely, and with no great Art or Charge (taking Rootsand Fruit into the Basket) substantially to maintain Mens Lives inHealth and Vigor: For to this, and less than this, we have the Suf-frage of the great * Hippocrates himself; who thinks, ah initio etiam * Hipfee.dchominum (as well as other Animals) tali viffu usum ejse, and needed v etereMedi-no other Food. Nor is it an inconsiderable Speculation, That since all clna > ca P- 6 >7'Flejh is Grafs (not in r figurative, but natural and real Sense) Manhimself, who lives on Flejh, and I think upon no earthly Animalwhatsoever but such as feed on Grafs, is nourilh’d with them still; andso becoming an incarnate Herb, and innocent Ganibal, may truly belaid to devour himself.

We have said nothing of the Lotophagi, and such as (like St. Johnthe Baptist, and other religious Ascetics) were Feeders on the Sum-mit ies and Tops of Plants: But as divers of those, and others we havemention’d, were much in Times of Streights, Persecutions, and otherCircumstances, which did not in the least make it a Pretence, exempt-ing them from Labour, and other human Offices, by ensnaring Obli-gations and Vows , (never to be useful to the Publick in whatever Exi-gency) so I cannot but take notice of what a learned || Critic, speak- » L. C. An- ^ing of Men’s neglecting plain and essential Duties, under colour 0 f J 0 '-'» Col ofl.exercising themselves in a more sublime course of Piety, and beingrighteous above what is commanded (as those who seclude themselvesin Monasteries) that they manifestly discover excessive Pride, Hatred oftheir Neighbour, Impatience of Injuries; to which add, melancholyBlots and Machinations ; and that he must be either stupid, or infect-ed with the lame Vice himself, who admires thisor thinks they were for that Cause the more pleasing to God. This be-ing lo, what may we then think of Inch Armies of Hermits, Monksand Friars, who pretending to justify a mistaken Zeal and meritori-ous Abstinence, not only by a peculiar Diet and Distinction of Meats(which God without Distinction has made the moderate Use of, com-mon and * indifferent amongst Christians) but by other sordid Usages, * 2 Tim.iv. s .and unnecessary Hardships, wilfully prejudice their Health and Consti-tution? And through a singular manner of living, dark and Saturnine ;whilst they would seem to abdicate and forsake the World (in Imita-tion, as they pretend, of the antient Eremites) take care to settle and

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