at
they manifestly discover excessive Pride, Hatred of their Neighbour,
Impatience of Injuries; to which _add, Melancholy Plots and
Machinations_; and that he must be either stupid, or infected with the
same Vice himself, who admires this [Greek: etheloperiosothreskeia], or
thinks they were for that Cause the more pleasing to God. This being
so, what may we then think of such Armies of _Hermits_, _Monks_ and
_Friers_, who pretending to justifie a mistaken Zeal and meritorious
Abstinence; not only by a peculiar Diet and Distinction of Meats
(which God without Distinction has made the moderate Use of common and
[103]indifferent amongst _Christians_) but by other sordid Usages, and
unnecessary Hardships, wilfully prejudice their Health and Constitution?
and through a singular manner of living, dark and _Saturnine_; whilst
they would seem to abdicate and forsake the World (in Imitation, as they
pretend, of the Ancient _Eremites_) take care to settle, and build their
warm and stately Nests in the most Populous Cities, and Places of
Resort; ambitious doubtless of the Peoples Veneration and Opinion of an
extraordinary Sanclity; and therefore flying the _Desarts_, where there
is indeed no use of them; and flocking to the _Towns_ and _Cities_ where
there is less, indeed none at all; and therefore no Marvel that the
Emperour _Valentinian_ banished them the Cities, and _Constantine
Copronymus_ finding them seditious, oblig'd them to marry, to leave
their Cells, and live as did others. For of these, some there are who
seldom speak, and therefore edifie none; sleep little, and lie hard, are
clad nastily, and eat meanly (and oftentimes that which is unwholsom)
and therefore benefit none; Not because they might not, both for their
own, and the Good of others, and the Publick; but because they will not;
Custom, and a prodigious [104]Sloth accompanying it; which renders it
so far from _Penance_, and the Mortification pretended, that they know
not how to live, or spend their Time otherwise. This, as I have often
consider'd, so was I glad to find it justly perstring'd, and taken
notice of by a [105]Learned Person, amongst others of his useful
Remarks abroad.

'These, says he, willingly renouncing the innocent Comforts of Life,
plainly shew it to proceed more from a chagrin and morose Humour, than
from any true and serious Principle of sound Religion; which teaches
Men to be useful in their Generations, sociable and communicative,
unaffec