the promulgation of the appointed food of man, as simply and
beautifully presented in the words, — “Behold, I have given
you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the
earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding
seed ; to you it shall be for meat.’’* And the more earnestly do
we refer to this, because the scientific revelations of the greatest
enlightenment have hitherto declared for precisely the same
character of food ; manifesting that what was prescribed when
all things were declared to be “ very good,” is still the natural
and best food of man. We submit, therefore, that the above
objection originates merely in a misconception of Scripture.
As a fit sequel to the various argmnents already presented in
the treatment of our subject, we now approach the experience
of the system we would commend to the attention of the public,
and regret that our space for this department is far too limited
to admit of more than a bare reference to the evidence that
could be brought to bear upon it. The doubt so frequently
expressed as to the possibility of subsistence upon a diet apart
from fiesb, ought long since to have been exploded, by the
mei’e notice of the animal creation, where we see the massive
carcasses of the herbivorous animals actually built up on the
simplest products of natui-e, and to a degi'ee of strength and
endurance of fatigue altogether surpassing those of correspond-
ing developments in the carnivorous classes of animals. We
will not, therefore, anticipate doubts at this stage of our
reasoning, as to the practicability of the Vegetarian system of
diet, since these must necessarily be removed by a very limited
inquiry upon the subject. Wo present, however, the con-
clusion arrived at by the able writer in the Meview from which
we have already quoted : “ In concluding, then, that the V egetable
kingdom is perfectly capable of supplying the necessary wants
of man under all ordinary circumstances ; and that, in particu-
lar, it is quite -adequate to the production of an amount of
physical force which can probably not be permanently sur-
passed on any other dietetic system, wo consider that the
advocates of Vegetarianism have a wide and secure basis of ex-
perience, such as can scarcely be shaken by any negative testi
*Gen. i. 29.
32
IMTEODUCTION
mony, — certainly not by the fullest proof of the unsuitableneai
of a vegetable regimen to individtials." *
In regard to the experience presented by history upon this
subject, we have already alluded to the primseval condition of
man, in the antediluvian period. We find, also, the history of
the great nations of antiquity identified with the simple habits
we seek to commend. The Greeks and the Romans in the
time of their early and most successful career, as well as the
Persians under Cyrus, owed much of their physical strength
and endurance of purpose, as well as their comparative freedom
from the temptations in the path of conquering armies, to
their simple diet and abstemious habits. We find that the
Spai-tans of Thermopylae and the athletae of ancient Greece
were thus educated ; and that the latter were never deteriorated
till they commenced the practice of consuming flesh as food,
when they became slothful and stupid, t We find various
nations wholly, or in a great measure, carrying out the practice
of diet apart from the flesh of animals from generation to
generation ; as the hi
Page 22
Presented as published in 1891. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
the promulgation of the appointed food of man, as simply and beautifully presented in the words, — “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you it shall be for meat.’’* And the more earnestly do we refer to this, because the scientific revelations of the greatest enlightenment have hitherto declared for precisely the same character of food ; manifesting that what was prescribed when all things were declared to be “ very good,” is still the natural and best food of man. We submit, therefore, that the above objection originates merely in a misconception of Scripture.
As a fit sequel to the various arguments already presented in the treatment of our subject, we now approach the experience of the system we would commend to the attention of the public, and regret that our space for this department is far too limited to admit of more than a bare reference to the evidence that could be brought to bear upon it. The doubt so frequently expressed as to the possibility of subsistence upon a diet apart from flesh, ought long since to have been exploded, by the mei’e notice of the animal creation, where we see the massive carcasses of the herbivorous animals actually built up on the simplest products of nature, and to a degree of strength and endurance of fatigue altogether surpassing those of corresponding developments in the carnivorous classes of animals. We will not, therefore, anticipate doubts at this stage of our reasoning, as to the practicability of the Vegetarian system of diet, since these must necessarily be removed by a very limited inquiry upon the subject. We present, however, the conclusion arrived at by the able writer in the Meview from which we have already quoted : “ In concluding, then, that the Vegetable kingdom is perfectly capable of supplying the necessary wants of man under all ordinary circumstances ; and that, in particular, it is quite -adequate to the production of an amount of physical force which can probably not be permanently surpassed on any other dietetic system, wo consider that the advocates of Vegetarianism have a wide and secure basis of experience, such as can scarcely be shaken by any negative testi
*Gen. i. 29.
IMTEODUCTION
mony, — certainly not by the fullest proof of the unsuitableness of a vegetable regimen to individuals." *
In regard to the experience presented by history upon this subject, we have already alluded to the primeval condition of man, in the antediluvian period. We find, also, the history of the great nations of antiquity identified with the simple habits we seek to commend. The Greeks and the Romans in the time of their early and most successful career, as well as the Persians under Cyrus, owed much of their physical strength and endurance of purpose, as well as their comparative freedom from the temptations in the path of conquering armies, to their simple diet and abstemious habits. We find that the Spartans of Thermopylae and the athletae of ancient Greece were thus educated ; and that the latter were never deteriorated till they commenced the practice of consuming flesh as food, when they became slothful and stupid, t We find various nations wholly, or in a great measure, carrying out the practice of diet apart from the flesh of animals from generation to generation ; as the hi