41 
Extracts from the Porijolio of a Man of Letters, [Aug. 1, 
it reproves for every vain thought, and 
every evil inclination, before it can cotne 
into bad words, or wicked w’orks*; and 
as this divine swift witne.ss, the principle 
of life, is hearkened to, and the soul 
takes heed, watching continually to it to 
receive powerf; and being obedient 
thereunto, abstaining from every ap¬ 
pearance of evil; it saves man from com¬ 
mitting sin, because he is born, and led, 
and preserved, by the Spirit of God, viz. 
Christ Jesus, which is the power of God 
in man, which overcometh, and keepeth 
from, and leads out of,all evil inclination. 
Query 3. Why do you deny yourself 
to kill .any animal creature, and not to 
eat fish, flesh, eggs, butter, cheese, milk, 
or any animal, oj* the produce of any 
animal, your food and raiment you use 
being of nothing but only the produce of 
vegetatives that grow, or may grow, in 
the country wherein you live, as corn, 
herbs, roots, and fruits of trees, &c. or 
preparations of corn and water for your 
food; and your refusing to drink wine, 
or strong drink; only water for your 
drink, and linen and other iregetatives 
for your clothes? 
An&w. Let every man do as he is 
persuaded in bis own inindt, so as it be 
innocent, and not sin; and my practice 
in doing according to my conscience and 
belief, that sought not to kill, is very 
innocent and harmless, which cannot 
give any just offence to any n»an, nor 
other creature; and my strict rule in it§, 
keeping out of w^ath and violencejj, 
brings me forward on my way to keep 
my conscience void of offence towards 
God and towards man^f. And whereas 
I cannot kill without wounding my con¬ 
science, in acting against my mind, doing 
doubtingly, condemned in my very 
thought**: therefore, rather than I will 
offend that innocent life in me, I refuse 
any food or raiment that may come from 
any beast, or other animal creaturef f; 
and because wine and strong drink are 
hot in operation, and intoxicating, and, I 
* Malach. lii. 5. Ephes. iv. 6. 2 Cor. 
xiii. 5. Job. xxxii. 8. 1 Cor. iii. 16. 
f Psalm iv. 4. 1 John iii. 9, 24. 1 
J&hn V. 18. Mat. i. 21. John i. 12. Rom. 
viii. 2, 11. • 1 Thes. v. 22. Gal. p. 20. 
J Rora. iv. 5. 
^ Gen. vi. .5, 11. 
|l Acts xxiv. 16. 
^ Rom, iv. 23. 
** Rom. xiv. 21. 
ff Jer. XXXV. 6. Prov, iii. 4. Judges 
xsxiv. Luke i. 5. 
think, as needless to me as tobacco; 
.and 1, by experience, flndiog that water 
for drink, and pulse, viz. corn and other 
vegetatives for food, and linen and otlier 
vegetatives for raiment, is cleanest, and 
wholesomest, ar.d warm, and strength¬ 
ening, and nourishing, and healthful; 
I choose to use them, and so am cleared 
from most of the cumbers, labours, and 
toils, both of bf)dy and mind, a fewr 
things being sufficient, in this my way of 
living, «nd brings easily into contented¬ 
ness and true thankfulness with God. 
Eusebius kis Writing relates, that the 
holy apostle, called James the Just, the 
brother of our Lord, ate not fish, nor 
flesh, nor drank wine, nor strong drink, 
nor wore woollen clothes, but linen. 
At the end of this w'as printed a long 
prayer, or contemplation, too tedious to 
be inserted. It is remarkable of this 
man that he lived to a good old age, 
being upwards of fourscore when he died. 
He had several other peculiarities, as his 
choosing to keep white cows instead of 
black, and had his coach drawn by white 
horses. A fox which had killed several 
of his poultry, being taken by some of his 
servants, he assembled his workmen and 
tenants on the occasion, and from a kind 
of tribunal, having harangued a consi¬ 
derable time upon-the crime of the fox, 
he condemned him to run the gauntlet; 
tlien making all his people stand in two 
rows, with rods in their hands, lie had 
the fox whipped through the midst of 
them, and so let him go. 
QUEEN ELIZABETH AND POPE SIXTUS 
THE FIFTH. 
When Philip, King of Spain, medi¬ 
tated his descent upon England, it 
was requisite for the Queen of Eng- 
land to be informed, what partf the 
new Pope would take in the then trou¬ 
bled concerns of Europe. She held a 
council to consider of means to secure 
his friendship; fora Pope of his enier- 
prizing genius might possibly engage the 
otlier catholic powers to join in a league 
Spain against England. A Rom an 
catholic gentleman, who had been obliged 
to the Earl of Essex for his lile and for¬ 
tune, Mr. Carr, w’as sent for by tlie EarU 
When became before the council he con¬ 
firmed the former accounts the Earl had 
heard. “ He had been particularly ac¬ 
quainted with the Pope when he was 
Cardinal Montalto, that he was his con- 
* Gen. xxix. Daii xri. 3; 4, 5, 6. Dan. 
xlv. 23. 
f Pope S-ixtus the 5th began his reign. 
May 6, 1585V 
fessor 
