EARLY CHRISTIAN VEGETARIANS
A Christian Living Article from All-Creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living

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Early Christians Practice Vegetarianism

Christian scholars have concluded vegetarianism to be the more consistent with respect to the spirit of Christ's teachings. There are the Ebionites, Athanasius, and Arius, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, Heronymus, Boniface, St. Jerome, and John Chrysostom. Clement wrote, "It is far better to be happy than to have your bodies act as graveyards for animals. The Apostle Matthew partook of seeds, nuts and vegetables, without flesh". Of the earliest Christian documents is, Clementine Homiles', a second-century work based on the teachings of St. Peter. Homily XII states, "The unnatural eating of flesh meats is as polluting as the heathen worship of devils, with its sacrifices and its impure feasts, through participation in it a man becomes a fellow eater with devils". Many monasteries in ancient times to the present practiced vegetarianism.

Many early Christians were vegetarian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, John Chrysostom, and Basil the Great. In some early church writings, Matthew, Peter and James (Brother of Jesus and first leader of the New Jerusalem Church) were all Vegetarian.

Early Christian Vegetarians

The apostle Matthew partook of seeds and nuts and vegetables without flesh. Clement of Alexandria (The Instructor, book 2, chapter 1., Peter said, "I live on olives and bread to which I rarely only add vegetables." Pseudo-Clementine Homolies 12,6; also Recognitions 7,6.

Early Christians Practice Vegetarianism

Christian scholars have concluded vegetarianism to be the more consistent with respect to the spirit of Christ's teachings. There are the Ebionites, Athanasius, and Arius, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, Heronymus, Boniface, St. Jerome, and John Chrysostom. Clement wrote, "It is far better to be happy than to have your bodies act as graveyards for animals. The Apostle Matthew partook of seeds, nuts and vegetables, without flesh". Of the earliest Christian documents is, Clementine Homiles', a second-century work based on the teachings of St. Peter. Homily XII states, "The unnatural eating of flesh meats is as polluting as the heathen worship of devils, with its sacrifices and its impure feasts, through participation in it a man becomes a fellow eater with devils". Many monasteries in ancient times to the present practiced vegetarianism.

Clement of Alexandria

Sacrifices were invented by men to be a pretext for eating flesh.

James

James, the brother of the Lord was holy from his mothers womb; and he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh. Hegesippus, quoted in The Church History of Eusebius, book 2, chapter 23.

Regenstein

Says that nowhere in the New Testament is Jesus depicted as eating Flesh and "if the Last Supper was a Passover meal, there is, no mention of the Pass Over Lamb Dish".

Saint Augustine

Says: Jacobus, the brother of Jesus, lived of seeds and vegetables and did not accept meat or wine.

Saint Basil

The steam of meat meals darkens the spirit. One can hardly have virtue if one enjoys meat meals and feasts. In the earthly paradise, no one sacrificed animals, and no one ate meat.

St Francis of Assisi

All things of creation are children of the Father and thus brothers of man, God wants us to help animals, if they need help. Every creature in distress has the same right to be protected.

Saint Jerome

The eating of meat was unknown up to the big flood, but since the flood they have the strings and stinking juices of animal meat into our mouths, just as they threw in front of the grumbling sensual people in the desert. Jesus Christ, who appeared when the time had been fulfilled, has again joined the end with the beginning, so that it is no longer allowed for us to eat animal meat.

Go on to: Ellen Gould (Harmon) White and The Seventh Day Adventist Church
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