The fur that warms a monarch, warmed a bear. While man exclaims — * See all things for my use 1 * See man for mine ! ’—replies a pampered goose. And just as short of reason he must fall Who thinks all made for one, not one for all.” * We should much regret occupying the space required for even brief replies to these various objections, but for the fact of their arising so generally, and as it were standing as obstructions to arguments of real consideration. We are compelled, therefore, to notice another of these, which assumes a disadvantageous aspect, and is met with greater difficulty, arising out of the more or less conflicting opinions of society as to what is to be the true standard of judgment upon the subject. It is stated, that “ the declarations of Scripture are opposed to the principles and prac- tice of Vegetarianism.” On this subject we trust we cannot be misapprehended when we state, that our convictions lead us not • “ Essay on Man,” Epis. i. 1, 131. 80 INTRODUCTION. merely to acknowledge the importance of the revealed Irutha contained in the Scriptures, but the expressed facts also of the laws and institutions of the Creator, as day by day ,oromulgated in the history of the world. We have endeavoured to show that our system, so far, is in accordance with these, and that thus, science, as the true interpreter of facts, must necessarily be the handmaid of higher and more important truths, there being ever, where the frailty and error of man are excluded, perfect accordance between the revealed truth of God and His spoken voice in the facts of creation. We would contend, there- fore, for the harmony we believe there exists in both the word and works of the Creator, and we see no reason whatever, but the contrary, for the objections brought against the system, that Scripture nullifies by its opposition the rea.soning which is in general readily acknowledged in relation to our external argu- ments. In confirmation of the con-ectness of our views, we see that the appointed diet of man is that for which we contend, and that the flesh of animals was never partaken of tiU man fell from the beauty and order of his earliest state. Since then, we are free to admit (as the Scriptures show) that the con- sumption of flesh has more or less prevailed in the various phases of the world’s history ; but this we would say, respect- fully though firmly, has always been to the disadvantage of man ; and if sanction be sought from the practice of the Jews, we contend that this reasoning is most fallacious, as many things were obviously tolerated in their wanderings and departures from the sound principles by which they refused to be ruled, which we learn, in the subsequent history of Scripture, were by })emiission, and in relation to their fallen condition. * To re- ceive, then, the authority and sanction of particular passages of Scripture history for the consumption of the flesh of animals as food, mthout regard to the general principles of Scripture, is, in our estimation, to betray Scripture, just as it has too com- monly been betrayed, and made to sanction war, capital punish- ment, slavery, intemperance, and even the most degrading social anomalies, authority for all these being sought in the various passages of the fallen state of man. 'We hold, then, by * Matt. xix. 3. INTRODUCTION. 31

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The fur that warms a monarch, warmed a bear. While man exclaims — * See all things for my use 1 * See man for mine ! ’—replies a pampered goose. And just as short of reason he must fall Who thinks all made for one, not one for all.” * We should much regret occupying the space required for even brief replies to these various objections, but for the fact of their arising so generally, and as it were standing as obstructions to arguments of real consideration. We are compelled, therefore, to notice another of these, which assumes a disadvantageous aspect, and is met with greater difficulty, arising out of the more or less conflicting opinions of society as to what is to be the true standard of judgment upon the subject. It is stated, that “ the declarations of Scripture are opposed to the principles and practice of Vegetarianism.” On this subject we trust we cannot be misapprehended when we state, that our convictions lead us not • “ Essay on Man,” Epis. i. 1, 131. merely to acknowledge the importance of the revealed Irutha contained in the Scriptures, but the expressed facts also of the laws and institutions of the Creator, as day by day ,oromulgated in the history of the world. We have endeavoured to show that our system, so far, is in accordance with these, and that thus, science, as the true interpreter of facts, must necessarily be the handmaid of higher and more important truths, there being ever, where the frailty and error of man are excluded, perfect accordance between the revealed truth of God and His spoken voice in the facts of creation. We would contend, therefore, for the harmony we believe there exists in both the word and works of the Creator, and we see no reason whatever, but the contrary, for the objections brought against the system, that Scripture nullifies by its opposition the reasoning which is in general readily acknowledged in relation to our external arguments. In confirmation of the correctness of our views, we see that the appointed diet of man is that for which we contend, and that the flesh of animals was never partaken of till man fell from the beauty and order of his earliest state. Since then, we are free to admit (as the Scriptures show) that the consumption of flesh has more or less prevailed in the various phases of the world’s history ; but this we would say, respectfully though firmly, has always been to the disadvantage of man ; and if sanction be sought from the practice of the Jews, we contend that this reasoning is most fallacious, as many things were obviously tolerated in their wanderings and departures from the sound principles by which they refused to be ruled, which we learn, in the subsequent history of Scripture, were by permission, and in relation to their fallen condition. * To receive, then, the authority and sanction of particular passages of Scripture history for the consumption of the flesh of animals as food, without regard to the general principles of Scripture, is, in our estimation, to betray Scripture, just as it has too commonly been betrayed, and made to sanction war, capital punishment, slavery, intemperance, and even the most degrading social anomalies, authority for all these being sought in the various passages of the fallen state of man. 'We hold, then, by * Matt. xix. 3.

Vegetarian cookery