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1
 James Phumptre

Queen's College 1788.

Clare Hall 1790

Hinston Vicarage 1797

.

Gransden D: 1012.

al

Primis
t

YET

E
6
7
 A

DISSERTATION

ON THE

DUTY OF MERCY

AND

SIN OF CRUELTY

то
#
BRUTE ANIMALS.
 :

A rare book, upon apeculiar topic, by akindly

mar , a Clergyman ofthe Establishment, who quote the life-
cryphal books withtheCanonical ofScripture
He considers Noaks
, Coverant & Rainbow, astheelding

theBrite Creation, no less that Mar pp 313–315

from debran Surth bedtograph
W
wJames Chemptre 1864
Hisper il side,in margi.

DISSERTATION

ON THE

DUTY OF MERCY

AND

SIN OF CRUELTY

то

BRUTE ANIMAL S.

BY HUMPHRY PRIMATT, D.D.

OPEN THY MOUTH FOR THE DUMB

IN THE CAUSE OF ALL SUCH AS ARE APPOINTED
TO DESTRUCTION . LEMUEL.

EGO ME NOVA VIDERI DICERE INTELLIGO , CUM PER-

VETERA DICAM , * SED INAUDITA PLERISQUE.
CIC. ORATOR.

LONDON :
PRINTED BY R. HETT ;

AND SOLD BY T. CADELL , IN THE STRAND ;

J. DODSLEY, IN PALL-MALL ; AND: J. JOHNSON,
IN ST. PAUL'S CHURCH -YARD.

MDCCLXXVI.

C
THENEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY
08010
ASTOR , LENOX AND
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS ,
1897.
 THE

PREFA CE.

HOWEVER men may differ

as to fpeculative points of Re-

ligion, JUSTICE is a rule of uni-

verfal extent and invariable obliz

gation . We acknowledge this im-

portant truth in all matters in

which MAN is concerned, but then

we limit it to our own fpecies only.

And though we are able to trace

the moſt evident marks of the Cre-

ator's wisdom and goodneſs , in the

formation and appointment of the

arious claffes of Animals that are

A infe-
 [ ii ]

inferior to Men, yet the confciouf

nefs of our own dignity and excel-

lence is apt to fuggeft to us, that

Man alone of all terreſtrial Ani-

mals is the only proper object of

Mercy and Compaffion, becauſe he

is the most highly favored and di-

ftinguished. Milled with this pre-

judice in our ownfavor, we overlook

fome ofthe BRUTES *, as if they

were meer Excrefcencies of Nature,

beneath our notice, and infinitely un-

worthy the care and cognisance ofthe

Almighty ; and we confider others

ofthem, as made onlyfor ourſervice ;

andfo long as we can apply them to

* In the enfuing treatife I ufe the word

Brute as a general term for every creature
inferior to Man, whether Beaft, or Bird, or

Fish, or Fly, or Worm.

our
 [ iii ]

our ufe, we are careless and indif-

ferent as to their happineſs or mi-

fery, and can hardly bring our-

felves to fuppofe that there is any

kind of duty incumbent upon us

toward them.

To rectify this miſtaken notion is

the defign of this treatiſe, in which

I have endeavoured to prove, that

as the Love and Mercy of God are

over all his works, from the higheſt

rational to the lowest fenfitive, our

Love and Mercy are not to be confined

within the circle of our own friends,

acquaintance, and neighbours ; nor

limited to the more enlarged fphere

of human nature , to creatures of

our own rank, shape, and capacity ;

but are to be extended to every ob-

A 2 ject
 [ iv ]

ject of the Love and Mercy of

GOD the univerfal Parent ; who,

as he is righteous in all his ways,

and holy in all his works, will

undoubtedly require of Man, ſu-

perior Man, a strict account of

his conduct to every creature en-

trufted to his care, or coming in his

way ; and who will avenge every in-

ftance of wanton cruelty and op-

preffion, in the day in the which

he will judge the world in RIGH-

TEOUSNESS .

As it is of no confequence to the

Brutes, for whofe fakes this trea

tife is publiſhed, what may be the

different modes offaith or forms of

worship amongst men, I have endea-

voured to write it without any bias,

preju-
 [ v ]

prejudice, or partiality. And if

Some of my Sentiments should not

in all reſpects fquare with thoſe

of my reader, I have only to

defire that they may be read and

interpreted with the fame candour

and charity with which they are

written, as I do affure him I have

no defign to offend any party

whatſoever.

As to the manner in which this

work is executed, let it be confidered

that, as it treats upon a ſubject in

which men of all ranks are con-

cerned, it is necessary to pay fome

attention to the capacities of thofe,

who have not had the advantage

of a liberal education ; and, on

their account it is, that the Au-

thor
 [ vi ]

thor has enlarged upon fome

points of duty in his illuftration of

fome of the teftimonies from Scrip-

ture ; and if it is written fo as

to contribute to mollify one fingle

heart, or to rescue but a fly or a

worm from unneceſſary pain, it

would be a reflection upon the huma-

nity of the learned to attempt an

apology for the manner of it.

But if I fhould feem to them to

have mistaken, mifapplied, or diftort-

ed any text of Scripture, I hope no

mistake, inaccuracy, or defect, on my

part, willbe any objection to the bene-

volent caufe which I have efpoufed.

Upon me be the reproach, spare but

the innocent brute. You are welcome

to say, ifyou please, I have handled

the
 [ vii ]

the word of GOD improperly, or

injudiciously, but fay not that I

have handled it deceitfully ; for I

am confcious my intention is good ;

and, if I have deceived myſelf, it

is a delightful deception, and I

ſhould be forry to be undeceived.

But I prefume I have deceived nei-

ther myſelf nor others : for, MERCY

is a most amiable difpofition of

mind, admired even by those

that will not practiſe it ; and

the cultivation of it in the lowest

inftances, and to the most infigni-

ficant objects, can never be attend-

ed with any ill confequences to So-

ciety ; nor has it any thing in it

inconfiftent with reafon, or with

our ideas of fuftice. Reft it upon

thefe commonprinciples , and, though

3 Ishould
 [ viii ]

Ifhould havefailed in myproofsfrom.

Revelation , my end is in part an-

fwered, and I am well pleafed ; but

much happierſhall I be, ifI have been.

able to prove, that Mercy to Brutes

is as much a doctrine ofdivine Reve-

lation, as it is in itself reasonable,

amiable, ufeful, and juft.

ERRAT A.

Page 14. li . 15. for barrs read bars - P . 42. li . 15.

for not be read not to be - P. 95. li. 5. for 20 read
29 - P. 97. li . 6. for as read if — P. 98. li . 16 .
after Hebrew a comma - P. 109. li . 13. for 24
read 23 - P. 114. at bottom, for ix read xi-
P. 148. li. 3. for that read when he - P. 158.
li. 2. after likewife dele the comma P. 159. li. 76
WATERING ? -P. 164. line the laft . for in
read at- P . 181. in note, line the last, after binding
- P. 184. li. 20. for on read in-
put a comma
P. 190. 1. 12. for for read and - P . 256. li . 11.
for neighbors read neighbor's - P. 264. line the
laft , after muzzle put a comma L -P. 266. line the
laft , Cattle ? -P. 274. line 11. for in read upon.

A DIS
 A

DISSERTATION

ON THE

DUTY OF MERCY

AND

SIN OF CRUELTY

TO

BRUTE ANIMAL S.

OVE is the great Hinge

L
upon which univerfal Nature

turns . The Creation is a tranſcript

of the divine Goodness ; and every

leaf in the Book of Nature reads

us a lecture on the wifdom and

benevolence of its great Author .

The Philofopher, inured to ſtudy

and contemplation , untainted with

pride, and unbiaſed by prejudice,

B fees
 [ 2 ]

fees and acknowledges this truth

as inconteſtable , that the Supreme

Being is wife, and juſt, and good,

and merciful . And from the ob-

fervations he has made upon the

animal part of the creation that is

within his view and reach, he

draws this general conclufion ,

that every creature muft have its

proper ufe and office, (however

latent as to us ; ) and that the dif-

ferent powers, appetites, perfec-

"
tions, and even comparative, de-

fects of different animals, are ef

fentially neceffary to anſwer the

different purpoſes for which they

were created, and to promote the

common good of the whole. I

fhall not undertake to illuftrate this

particular, as it would carry me

too far from my purpoſe ; and as

all
 [ 3 ]

all that I could fay would be but

a repetition of what has already

been written by the many learned

and ingenious Naturalifts, whofe

fole aim it has been to demon→

ftrate the exiftence and perfec,

tions of GOD from the works of

Creation. Ifhall therefore take

it for granted, that as GOD is

wife and good, all his works and

appointments must be the effects

of wifdom and goodnefs.

Upon this principle, every crea

ture of GOD is good in its kind ;

that is, it is fuch as it ought to

be. For to fuppoſe otherwiſe, is

to arraign the divine Wiſdom for

making it fuch as it is . And as

every creature is good in its kind,

and did not make itfelf what is

B 2 is,
 [ 4 ]

is, but is fuch as it is folely by

the will and appointment of

GOD ; it follows, that whatever

its perfections or defects may be,

they cannot be owing to any merit

or demerit in the creature itſelf, be-

ing, not prior, but conſequential to

its creation. There is not therefore

in nature any foundation for pride

on account of perfection , nor for

contempt on account of defect .

Subordination is as neceffary in

the natural, as in the political

world ; it connects the whole to-

gether, and makes the creatures

dependent upon, and fubfervient

to each other ; and it preferves

that harmony, variety, beauty,

and good order, which would be,

loft in a perfect fameness and

equality .

Every
 [ 5 ]

Every creature is to be con-

fidered as a wheel in the great

machinery of Nature ; and if the

whole machine is curious and

beautiful, no wheel in it, how-

ever ſmall, can be contemptible

or uſeleſs . In fome animals , their

ufefulneſs (which to us is their per-

fection) is fubfervient and owing

to their defects. Confequently ,

to deſpiſe or abuſe them for being

defective, is to deſpiſe or abuſe

them for being uſeful. The moft

ugly animals, though we knew

no other uſe of them, may be

confidered as a foil, like the fhades

in a good picture, to ſet off the

beauties of the more perfect. And

even the loathſome vermin are not

without their uſe, when they

compel us to preſerve neatneſs

B 3 and
 [ 6 ]

and cleanlineſs in our houſes and

perfons,

An Animal, whatever it be, or

wherever it is placed in the great

Scale of Being, is fuch, and is fo

placed by the great Creator and

Father of the Univerſe. At the

Top of the fcale of terreftrial ani-

mals we fuppofe MAN ; and,

when we contemplate the Per-

fections of Body, and the Endow-

ments of Mind, which, we pre-

;
fume, He poffeffes above all the

other animals, we juſtly ſuppoſe,

Him there conftituted by his

Maker. But, in this bighest rank ,

we may obferve degrees and dif→

ferences, not only as to fature,

beauty, ftrength, and complexion,

but alſo as to thofe very Powers

of
 [ 7 ]

of the Mind, which fo eminently

diftinguiſh Men from brutes.

Yet, in one particular we all

agree alike, from the moſt per-

fect to the moſt dull and de-

formed of men, and from him

down to the vileft brute, that we

are all fufceptible and fenfible of

the mifery of Pain ; an evil, which

though neceffary in itſelf, and

wifely intended as the fpur to in-

cite us to ſelf-preſervation , and to

the avoidance of deftruction , we

nevertheleſs are naturally averfe

to, and fhrink back at the ap-

prehenfion of it. Superiority of

rank or ftation exempts no crea-

ture from the fenfibility of pain ,

nor does inferiority render the

feelings thereof the leſs exquifite.

Pain is pain, whether it be in-

flicted on man or on beaft ; and

B 4 the
 [ 8 ]

the creature that fuffers it, whe

ther man or beaft, being fenfible

of the mifery of it whilft it lafts,

fuffers Evil ; and the Sufferance of

evil , unmeritedly, unprovokedly,

where no offence has been given ,

and no good end can poffibly be

anſwered by it, but merely to ex-

hibit power or gratify malice , is

Cruelty and Injustice in him that

occafions it.

I prefume there is no Man of

feeling, that has any idea of Juf-

tice, but would confefs upon the

principles of reafon and common

fenfe , that if he were to be put to

unneceſſary and unmerited pain

by another man, his tormentor

would do him an act of injuftice ;

and from a ſenſe of the injuſtice

in
 [ 9 ]

in his own cafe, now that He is

the fufferer, he muſt naturally

infer , that if he were to put

another man of feeling to the fame

unneceffary and unmerited pain

which He now fuffers, the injuftice

in himſelf to the other would be

exactly the fame as the injuſtice

in his tormentor to Him. There-

fore the man of feeling and

juſtice will not put another man

to unmerited pain, becauſe he will

not do that to another, which he

is unwilling ſhould be done to

himſelf. Nor will he take any

advantage of his own fuperiority

of ftrength, or of the accidents of

fortune, to abuſe them to the op-

preffion of his inferior ; becaufe

he knows that in the article of

feeling all men are equal ; and

that
 [ 10 ]

that the differences of ftrength or

Station are as much the gifts and

appointments of GOD, as the

differences of underſtanding, co-

lour, or ftature . Superiority of

rank or ftation may give ability

to communicate happiness, (and

feems fo intended ; ) but it can

give no right to inflict unneceffary

or unmerited pain. A wife man

would impeach his own wiſdom ,

and be unworthy of the bleffing

of a good underſtanding , if he

were to infer from thence that he

had a right to deſpiſe or make

game of a fool, or put him to any

degree of pain. The folly of the

fool ought rather to excite his

compaſſion , and demands the wiſe

man's care and attention to one

that cannot take care of himſelf.

It
 [ x ]

It has pleafed GOD, the Father

ofall men,to cover ſome men with

white ſkins, and others with black

fkins : but as there is neither

merit nor demerit in complexion ,

the white man (notwithſtanding

the barbarity of cuſtom and pre-

judice) can have no right, by vir

tue of his colour, to enflave and

tyrannize over a black man ; nor

has afair man any right to defpife,

abuſe, and infult a brown man .
Nor do I believe that a tall man ,

by virtue of his ftature, has any

legal right to trample a dwarf

under his foot . For, whether a

man is wife or foolifh, white or

black, fair or brown, tall or ſhort,

and I might add rich or poor (for

it is no more a man's choice to be

poor, than it is to be a fool,

or
 [ 12 ]

or a dwarf, or black , or tawney, )

fuch he is by GOD's appoint-

ment ; and, abſtractedly confi-

dered, is neither a fubject for

pride, nor an object of contempt.

Now if amongſt men, the dif-

ferences of their powers of the

mind, and of their complexion ,

ftature, and accidents of fortune,

do not give to any one man a

right to abuſe or infult any other

man: on account of thefe differ-

ences ; for the fame reaſon , a man

can have no natural right to abuſe

and torment a beaſt, merely be-

cauſe a beaſt has not the mental

powers of a man . For fuch as

the man is, he is but as GOD

made him ; and the very fame is

true of the beaft .. Neither of

them can lay claim to any in

trinfic
 [ 13 ]

trinfic Merit, for being fuch as

they are ; for before they were

created, it was impoffible that

either of them could deferve ;

and at their creation , their fhapes,

perfections, or defects were in-

variably fixed, and their bounds

fet which they cannot pafs . And

being fuch, neither more nor leſs

than GOD made them, there is

no more demerit in a beaft's be

ing a beaft, than there is merit

in a man's being a'man ; that is,

there is neither merit nor demerit

in either of them .

A Brute is an animal no lefs

fenfible of pain than a Man . He

has fimilar nerves and organs of

fenfation ; and his cries and groans ,

in caſe of violent impreffions upon

his
 [ 4 ]

his body, though he cannot utter

his complaints by ſpeech or human

voice, are as ftrong indications to

us of his fenfibility of pain, as

the cries and groans of a human

being, whoſe language we do not

underſtand. Now as pain is what

we are all averfe to, our own fen-

fibility of pain fhould teach us to-

commiferate it in others, to al→

leviate it if poffible, but never

wantonly or unmeritedly to inflict

it. As the differences amongſt

men in the above particulars are

no barts to their feelings, fo nei-

ther does the difference of the

Shape of a brute from that of a

man exempt the brute from feel-

ing ; at leaft, we have no ground

to fuppofe it. But ſhape or figure

is as much the appointment of

GOD,
 [ 15 ]

GOD, as complexion or ftature.

And if the difference of } com →

plexion or ftature does not convey

to one man a right to defpife and

abuſe another man , the difference

of ſhape between a man and a

brute, cannot give to a man any

right to abuſe and torment a brute.

For he that made man and man

to differ in complexion or ftature,

made man and brute to differ in

ſhape or figure. And in this

cafe likewife there is neither merit

nor demerit ; every creature, whe-

ther man or brute, bearing that

ſhape which the fupreme Wiſdom

judged moſt expedient to anſwer

the end for which the creature

was ordained .

With
 [ 16 ]

With regard to the Modifica

tion of the maſs of matter of

which an animal is formed, it is

accidental as to the creature itself;

I mean, it was not in the power

or will of the creature to chooſe,

whether it ſhould fuftain the fhape

of a brute, or of a man : and yet,

whether it be of one fhape, or of

the other ; or, whether it be inha-

bited or animated by the * foul of

*
a brute or the foul of a man ;

the ſubſtance or matter, of which

the creature is compofed , would

be equally fufceptible of feeling.

It is folely owing to the good

* It is of no confequence, as to the cafe

now before us, whether the SOUL is, as fome
think, only a Power, which cannot exiſt with-
out the Body ; or, as is generally fuppofed, a
Spiritual Subftance, that can exift, diftinct and

feparate from the body.

Pleaſure
 [ 17 ]

Pleaſure of GOD, that We are

created Men ; or animals in the

Shape ofmen. For, He that *formed

Man of the duft of the ground,

and breathed into his noftrils the

breath of life that he might be-

come a living foul and endued

with the ſenſe of feeling, could ,

if he had fo pleaſed, by the

fame plaſtic power, have caft the

very fame duft into the mould

of a Beast ; which , being ani-

mated by the life- giving .

breath

of its Maker, would have be-

come + a living foul in that

form ; and, in that form , would

have been as ſuſceptible of pain ,

as in the form of a Man. And if,

in brutal ſhape, We had been en-

dued with the fame degree of reaſon

* Gen. ii . 7. Gen. i. 30. in the margin.

C and
 [ 18 ]

and reflection which we now en→

joy ; and other Beings , in human

fhape, fhould take upon them to

torment, abuſe , and barbarouſly

ill treat us , becauſe we were not

made in their ſhape ; the injuſtice

and cruelty of their behaviour to

Us would be felf-evident : and we

fhould naturally infer, that, whe-

ther we walk upon two legs or

four ; whether our heads are prone

or erect ; whether we are naked

or covered with hair ; whether we

have tails or no tails , horns or no

horns, long ears or round ears ;

or, whether we bray like an aſs ,

fpeak like a man, whiſtle like a

bird, or are mute as a fiſh ; Na-

ture never intended theſe diftinc-

tions as foundations for right of

tyranny and oppreffion . But, per-

7 haps
 [ 19 ]

haps, it will be faid, it is abfurd to

make fuch an inference from a meer

ſuppoſition that a man might have

been a brute, and a brute might

have been a man ; for, the fuppo-

fition itſelf is chimerical, and

has no foundation in nature ; and

all arguments fhould be drawn

from fact, and not from fancy of

what might be or might not be.

To this I reply in few words, and

in general ; that all cafes and ar-

guments, deduced from the im-

portant and benevolent precept of

Doing to others as we would be done

unto, neceffarily require fuch kind

offuppofitions ; that is, they fup-

poſe the cafe to be otherwiſe than

it really is. For inftance ; a Rich

man is not a Poor man ; yet, the

duty plainly arifing from the Pre-

C 2 cept,
 [ 20 ]

cept, is this,-The man who is now

rich, ought to behave to the man

who is now poor, in fuch a manner

as the Rich man If he were poor

would be willing that the Poor

man If he were rich fhould behave

towards him. Here is a cafe which

in fact does not exist between thefe

two men, for the rich man is not

a poor man, nor is the poor man

a rich man ; yet the Suppofition

is neceffary to enforce and illuf-

trate the precept, and the rea-

fonableneſs of it is allowed. And

if the fuppofition is reaſonable in

one caſe ; it is reaſonable, at leaſt,

not contrary to reaſon , in all cafes

to which this general precept can

extend, and in which the duty

enjoined by it can and ought to

be performed . Therefore though

it
 [ 21 ]

it be true that a man is not a

horſe ; yet, as a horſe is a ſubject

within the extent of the precept,

that is, he is capable of receiving

benefit by it, the duty enjoined

in it extends to the man, and

amounts to this, -Do You that are

a Man SO treat your horfe, AS

you would be willing to be treated

by your maſter, in cafe that You

were a Horfe. I fee no abfurdity

nor falſe reaſoning in this precept,

nor any ill confequence that would

arife from it, however it may be

gainfaid by the barbarity of

Cuſtom .

But there is no cuftom, whe- heure ver

ther barbarous or abfurd ; nor, in-

deed any vice, however deteſtable,

but will find fome abettors to juf-

Ċ 3
tify
 [ 22 ]

tify, or at leaſt to palliate it ;

though the vindication itſelf is an

aggravation of the crime. When

we are under apprehenfions that

We Ourfelves fhall be the fufferers

of pain , we naturally fhrink back

3
at the very idea of it : we can

then abominate it ; we deteft it

with horror ; we plead hard for

Mercy ; and we feel that we can

feel. But when MAN is out of

the queftion , Humanity fleeps, and

-
the heart grows callous. We no

longer confider ourſelves as Crea-

tures of fenfe, but as Lords of the

creation . Pride, Prejudice, Aver-

fion to fingularity, and contracted

Mifreprefentations of GOD and

Religion do all contribute to harden

the heart againſt the natural im-

preffions and foft feelings of com-

paffion.
 [ 23 ]

paffion. And when the mind is

thus warped and diſpoſed to evil,

a light argument will have great

weight with it ; and we ranfack

and rack all nature in her weakest

and tendereſt parts , to extort from

her, if poffible, any confeffion

whereon to reft the appearance of

an argument to defend or excuſe

our cruelty and oppreffion.

The Confcioufness of the Rank

which as men we hold in the

creation, and of the evidently fu-

perior powers of the mind of man,

which juftly diſtinguiſh men from

brutes, puff us up with fuch a

fond conceit of our own dignity

and merit, that to make any com-

pariſon between a man and a

C 4 brute
 [ 24 ]

brute is deemed as abfurd as it is

odious, and hurtful to our Pride.

The mistaken Indulgence of

Parents ; and the various inftances

of Sportive cruelty, in fome fhape

or other daily, practiſed by men in

all ranks of life ; and the many

barbarous Cuſtoms connived at, if

not countenanced by perfons in

high ſtations or in great authority,

(whofe conduct in other points

may be truly amiable and refpect-

able, ) prejudice our minds to con-

fider the brute animals as fenfelefs

and infignificant creatures, made

only for our pleaſure and fport.

And, when we reflect upon the

moft ſhocking barbarities, and fee

the brutal rage exercifed by the

moft worthlefs of men, without

controul
 [ 25 ]

controul of Law, and without no

tice or reproof from the Pulpit,

we are almoft tempted to draw this

inference, that Cruelty cannot be

Sin.

And, poffibly, the Affectation

of love or hatred according to the

mode of the faſhion ; or, in other

words, Vicious Tafte, which con

fifts in making the love or hatred

of others the ſtandard of our own

love and hatred ; -that we muſt

admire whatever our fuperiors ad-

mire, and condemn whatever they

are pleaſed to condemn ; -that true

politeness is to have no thought,

no foul, no fentiment of our own,

but a graceful refignation of the

plaineft dictates of truth and com-

mon fenfe to the follies and whims

of others ; -that the art of pleaſing

is
 [ 26 ]

is the art of flattery and bafe com-

pliance ; and that Singularity of

fentiment or practice is the mark

of a mean , a vulgar, and a chur-

lifh foul ; this affectation of com-

pliance, this vicious tafte, and

this Averfion to fingularity may

poffibly lead us to fuppofe, that

no diverfion can be cruel that has

the fanction of Nobility ; and that

no diſh can be unbleſſed that is

ferved up at a Great man's table,

though the kitchen is covered

with blood, and filled with the cries

of creatures expiring in tortures.

I am forry there fhould be any

occafion to name Religion as in

any reſpect contributing to this

infenfibility and indifference as

The Guardian, Vol. I. N°. 61.

to
 [ 27 ]

to the happineſs or mifery of the

inferior animals. I am well aware

of ber delicacy and tenderneſs 44

and hope I fhall not be deemed

rude or uncharitable, or as re-

Aecting upon true Religion, when

I declare it is not my intention to

give offence to Chriftians of any

denomination . Let me not then be

mifunderstood, when I exprefs the

concern of my foul if her facred

garments have ever been polluted

with blood, unlefs mifrepreſented .

But, upon enquiry, we fear it

is Ltrue,
too that there have

been Profeffors of Religion, who

thought they did GOD ſervice,

when they defaced his Image ;

and anathematized with the moſt

bitter imprecations , and per-

fecuted ,
 1

[ 28 ]

fecuted, with torture even unto

death, unhappy wretches, whofe

misfortune it was to ſuppoſe

their fouls were their own ; or

whoſe only crime it was to * have

more understanding than all their

teachers. Now is it poffible, that

Compaffion to brutes could find

place in a breaſt that withheld and

denied the Mercy of GOD unto

Men ? Or, are we to wonder

that Cruelty to brutes made no

Article of Self-examination , when

mercy itſelf was deemed herefy ?

Even in prior and purer times,

it was affirmed, that it is + Abfurd

and

* Pf. cxix. 99 .

* Abfurdum eft ad hoc Dei deducere Ma-

jeftatem, ut fciat per momenta fingula quot

nafcantur culices, quotve moriantur ; quæ ci-
micum
 [ 29 ]

and a difparagement to the Ma-

jefty of GOD to fuppofe Him to

KNOW how many infects there are

in the world, or how many fishes in

the Sea ; yea, that ſuch an idea of C Ball

the Omniſcience of GOD would

be foolish Flattery to HIM, and

an Injury to OURSELVES,

Now, if GOD knows them not,

he cannot regard them ; and if

He regards them not, why ſhould

We? Why ſhould we thus flatter

GOD, and injure our own

Pride ?

micum et pulicum et mufcarum fit in terra

multitudo ; quanti pifces in aqua natent, et

qui de minoribus majorum prædæ cedere de-
beant. Non fimus tam fatui Adulatores Dei,
ut dum potentiam ejus etiam ad ima detrahi-
mus in nos ipfos injuriofi fimus. HIERONYMI
Comment. in Abac. Lib. 1. Edit . Bafil. Tom. vi.

P. 187.
But
 [ 30 ]

But let not theſe miſtaken no-

tions be imputed to the fpirit

of the Goſpel of JESUS. Love

and benevolence are the ge-

nuine characteriſtics of his Reli-

gion, which originated in the

Mercy of GOD, and is perfected

in the Love of Man . True Chrif-

tian humility abominates theſe

fwellings offpiritual pride, and the

enlarged Soul of a Chriftian can-

not find room in the narrow heart

of a bigot. I mean not to give

offence to any one ; but if any

take offence, they befpeak the

error I mean to correct. Chrif

tian love is without partiality, and

without hypocrify : and all that

I mean, is this, -Let not our love

be evil ſpoken of ; let us examine

ourſelves well , and if we find that

we
 [ 31 ]

we hold any doctrine or tenet that

explicitly or confequentially re-

preſents the Supreme Being as

partial or injurious to any of his

creatures, fuch doctrine is a con-

tracted mifrepreſentation of the

divine Goodneſs, and muſt have

a natural tendency to crafe from

the human mind all ideas of Juf-

tice and Mercy to creatures of in-

ferior orders.

I faid above that Pride, Pre-

judice, Averfion to fingularity,

and contracted Miſreprefenta-

tions of GOD and Religion ,

do all contribute to harden the

heart againſt the natural impref-

量
fions and foft feelings of com-

paffion . But perhaps I may be

miſtaken as to the three laſt par-

ticulars ; at leaft , there are very

few
 [ 32 ]

few perfons, who will ingenuouſly

confefs themſelves the dupes of

Prejudice, or the fools of Affecta-

tion ; and as to miſtakes in points

of Religion, they are ſcarce ever

acknowledged ; hard to be recti-

fied ; and hardly to be touched

upon, though with the utmoſt

tenderneſs, without exciting the

flame, which it is the ſcope of

true religion to quench and fup-

prefs. But as to Pride, which

arifes from the fond conceit of

our own dignity and fuperior ex-

cellence above the brutes ; though

the name is odious, and we dif-

claim the imputation of it ; yet,

we cherish it with pleaſure, and

dote upon it with admiration .

We bluſh at the thought of a

Compariſon ; we fire with re-

fentment ; we tofs up our heads

7 with
 [ 33 ]

with fcorn ; and claim kindred

with heaven .

Well ; be it
be fo . Man is the

moft noble, the moſt excellent,

the moſt perfect of all terreftrial

Beings. But what then ? He is

fill but a Creature ; and, with all

his perfections and excellencies ,

he is a dependent and accountable

creature ; yea, accountable for

thefe very perfections and excel-

lencies, whether or no he has be-

haved in a manner becoming a

creature fo eminently diſtinguiſhed

and exalted . And if found defi-

cient in this grand inquifition ,

That wherein he now glories will

be the burthen of his difgrace .

The more talents are intruſted

with any man , the more he ſtands

accountable for : and if not rightly

D
employed
 [ 34 ]

employed, or miſapplied , it had

been better for him not to have

poffeffed them .

Every Excellence in a man is

furcharged with a Duty, from

which the Superiority of his ftation

cannot exempt him. Nay, his

fuperior ſtation urges the demand ;

and his Noncompliance may be

justly deemed ftubbornness and

ingratitude . And where Supe-

riority of ſtation , and Excellence

of nature , do both concur in one

fubject, ( as is fometimes but not

always the cafe amongſt men, )

there the duty required is greater ,

and the obligation is ftronger.

But however it may be between

Man and Man ; this is certain ,

that, when we compare Man

and Brute, we find both Ex-

cellence
 [ 35 ]

cellence and Superiority to center

in Man . The Excellence of the

nature of a man to that of a

brute, no one will queftion ; and

the advantages which the loweft

of men derive from their tation

as men, give them a Superiority

which deferves their gratitude and

attention . This granted : I be-

lieve it will be found not diffonant

from reaſon , if we were to affirm

from the above principle, that

the cruelty of Men to Brutes is

more heinous (in point of injuf-

tice) than the cruelty of Men

unto Men. I will call the former

brutal cruelty, and the latter hu-

man cruelty.

In the cafe of human cruelty,

the oppreffed Man has a tongue

D 2 that
 [ 36 ]

that can plead his own cauſe, and

a finger to point out the ag-

greffor : All Men that hear of it

ſhudder with horror ; and, by ap-

plying the cafe to themſelves , pro-

nounce it cruelty with the com-

mon Voice of Humanity, and una-

nimoufly join in demanding the

puniſhment of the offender , and

brand him with infamy. But in

the cafe of brutal cruelty, the

dumb Beaft can neither utter his

complaints to his own kind, nor

A
defcribe the author of his wrong ;

nor, if he could, have they it in

122. their power to redrefs and avenge

him .

In the caſe of human cruelty ,

there are Courts and Laws of Juf-

tice in every civilized Society , to

which
 [ 37 ]

which the injured Man may make

his Appeal ; the affair is canvaffed ,

and puniſhment inflicted in propor-

tion to the offence . But alas ! with

fhame to man , and forrow for

brute, I ask the queſtion , What

Laws are now in force ? or what

Court of judicature does now exift,

in which the ſuffering Brute may

bring his action againſt the wan-

ton cruelty of barbarous man ?

The laws of Triptolemus are long

fince buried in oblivion , for Trip-

tolemus was but a heathen. No

friend , no advocate , not one is to

be found amongſt the bulls nor

calves of the people to prefer an

indictment on behalf of the brute.

The Prieft paffeth by on one fide ,

and the Levite on the other fide ;

Pfalm lxviii . 30.

D 3 the
 [ 38 ]

the Samaritan ftands ftill, fheds a

tear, but can no more ; for there

is none to help ; and the poor

wretched and unbefriended crea-

ture is left to moan in unregarded

forrow, and to fink under the

weight of his burden .

But fuppofe the Law pro-

mulged, and the Court erected .

The Judge is feated , the Jury

fworn, the indictment read, the

caufe debated, and a verdict found

for the plaintiff. Yet what coft

or damage ? What recompence

for lofs fuftained ? In actions of

humanity, with or without law,

Satisfaction may be made . In

various ways you can make amends

to a Man for the injuries you have

done him. You know his wants,

and you may relieve him . You

may
 [ 39 ]

may give him cloaths, or food,

or money. You may raiſe him to

a higher ſtation, and make him

happier than before you afflicted

him . You may be " feet to the J.

lame, and eyes to the blind. You

may entertain him, keep him

company, or ſupply him with

every comfort, convenience, and

amuſement of life, which he is

capable of enjoying. And thus

may you make fome atonement

for the injury which you have

done unto a Man ; and by thy

affiduity and future tenderneſs ,

thou mayeft perhaps obtain his

pardon, and palliate thine own of-

fence . But what is all this to the

injured Brute ? If by thy paffion

or malice , or ſportive cruelty ,

thou haft broken his Limbs , or

D 4 deprived
 [ 40 ]

deprived him of his Eye-fight ,

how wilt thou make him amends ?

Thou canst do nothing to amuſe

him . He wants not thy money

nor thy cloaths. Thy converfa-

tion can do him no good . Thou

haft obftructed his means of get-

ting fubfiftence ; and thou wilt

hardly take upon thyfelf the pains

and trouble of procuring it for

him, (which yet by the rule of

juſtice thou art bound to do) . Thou

haft marred his little temporary

happineſs, which was his All to

him. Thou haft maimed, or

blinded him for ever ; and haft

done him an irreparable injury .

But here it will be fuggefted, that

there are fome MENin the world

as unfortunately circumftanced ,
I and
 [ 41 ]

and as far from the means of

redreſs , as the unhappy Brute now

before us . It may be fo. Yet be

it remembered, that a Day will

come, when all the injuries which

an innocent Man can fuffer from the

hand of violence and oppreffion

will be overbalanced in a future

"
and happy ftate, where our light

affliction , which in comparison of

eternity " is but for a moment,

fhall work for us a far more ex-

ceeding and eternal weight of

"
glory? This is the hope and con-
fidence of a man . And a moſt

comfortable reflection it is indeed

to the virtuous and innocent fuf-

ferer, who knows that he has an

almighty Patron and Avenger,

who will finally cauſe that the

malice and wickedneſs of his ene-

mies
 [ 42 ]

mies here , ſhall at length promote

the degree of his glory hereafter .

But what hope, what glimpſe of re-

compence hereafter awaiteth the

afflicted brute ? An hereafter for

a Brute, a recompence for a Beaſt

has a ftrange found in the ears of

a man. We cannot bear the

thought of it. Injustice itſelf is

a virtue in the judgment of Par-

tiality ; and in the pride of our

heart we rather fay, -Let Man be

happy, though all creation groan .

Yet it is a truth that ought not to

be concealed , that GOD is a

righteous Judge ; and it is pre-

fumption in man to determine the

limits of the divine goodneſs ,

However , as we have no authority

to declare, and no teſtimony from

heaven to affure us, that there is

a ftate
 [ 43 ]

a ſtate of recompence for ſuffering

Brutality, we will fuppofe there is

none ; and from this very ſuppo-

fition, we rationally infer that

cruelty to a brute is an injury ir-

reparable.

Compare the whole of both the

cafes together, and the difference

is ſtriking . The injured man has

a tongue that can utter his com-

plaints ; he can appeal to the laws

of his country ; he may obtain

redreſs from his own fpecies ; or,

if overlooked here, and debarred

or denied the juft and common

claims of humanity , he can make

his further appeal to the righteous

Judge of all the earth , and under

the fevereft oppreffions can lift up

his head with hope and con-

fidence ,
 [ 44 ]

fidence, in expectation of another

ftate , wherein he fhall be com-

forted, for all the days in which

he hath fuffered adverfity . But

on the other hand , the injured

brute hath neither ſpeech to plead

for him , nor law to protect him,

nor hope of future rècompence to

fupport him. His preſent life

(for any thing we know) is the

Whole of his exiſtence ; and, if he

is unhappy here, his lot is truly

pitiable ; and the more pitiable

his lot, the more baſe , barbarous ,

and unjuſt in man , muſt be every

inftance of cruelty towards him.

To fuffer pain and mifery from

the hand of man merely becauſe

he IS a Brute , he ought not. To

fuffer pain as Puniſhment he can-

not : for puniſhment is due only.

to
 [ 45 ]

to Demerit ; and demerit, being

of a moral nature , can be attri-

buted only to rational beings ,

when they act in a manner unbe-

coming the ſtation , in which the

providence of GOD hath placed

them. Demerit therefore (accord-

ing to our own favourite principle

that Man only is rational ) is pecu-

liar to men ; and is never more

confpicuous, than when we deſpiſe

or abuſe the inferior and irrational

part of the creation ; for in no

inftance do we more betray our

weakneſs , debaſe our pride , and

act beneath the dignity of our ex-

alted ſtation .

When a man boafts of the dig-

nity of his nature , and the advan-

tages of his ftation , and then and

from
 [ 46 ]

from thence infers his right of op-

preffion of his inferiors , he ex-

hibits his folly as well as his ma-

lice.

What should we think of a

ftout and ſtrong Man , that ſhould

exert his fury and barbarity on

a helpleſs and innocent Babe ?

Should we not abhor and deteft

that man , as a mean , cowardly,

and favage wretch, unworthy the

ftature and ftrength of a man ? No

lefs mean, cowardly, and favage

is it, to abuſe and torment the

innocent Beaft, who can neither

help himſelf nor avenge himſelf ;

and yet has as much right to hap-

pineſs in this world as a child can

have : nay, more right, if this

world be his only inheritance.

Again,
 [ 47 ]

Again, what dignity or diftinc-

tion have We, that we did not re-

ceive from the great Giver of all

good ? It is true that man is fuperior

to a brute. But then, Who

maketh thee, O man, thus to

differ ? And what haft thou that

' thou didst not receive ? Now if

' thou didſt receive it, why doft

' thou glory, as if thou hadſt not

' received ? Have we not all one

‹ Father, and hath not one GOD

' created us ?' He that made thee

a man, could have made thee a

brute . Now if thou art a Man, be

thankful , and fhew thy fuperiority

by mercy and compaffion ; elfe thou

debaſeft thy reaſon , and art as low,

if not lower than the brute whom

you opprefs . You confefs , that a

* 1 Cor. iv. 7. + Mal. ii . 10.

brute
 [ 48 ]

brute is an animal without reafon ;

and Reaſon ſays , that to put any

creature to unmerited or unne-

ceffary pain is unjuſt and unrea-

fonable : Therefore , a man that is

cruel is a brute in the shape of a

man.

But what ! ſay you , Shall a

man endued with an immortal

Soul be compared unto a beaſt that

perifheth ? I anſwer, be this as it

may happen. If a man acts like

a brute, the compariſon is juft,

however difagreeable . But wa-

ving the compariſon : If thou art

cruel, thy boaft of Immortality is

the moſt egregious folly. Thou

art like a prifoner, making his

boaft of the brightneſs and exqui-

fite workmanship of his fetters .

Or,
 [ 49 ]

Or, thou art like an unjuſt and

haughty Steward of a great eſtate,

counting over his Lord's money,

and bragging of it as if it were his

own ; and flattering himſelf with

the future favour of his mafter,

though all the tenants groan under

the weight of his oppreffion , and

can and are ready to bear witneſs

to his pride and perfidy , at their

Lord's return , when a thoufand

articles will be exhibited againſt

the upftart fycophant, of wafte,

miſmanagement, negligence , abuſe,

tyranny, and injuftice . Yet this

is thine own Cafe, this thine own

Folly, if thy foul is polluted with

malice and cruelty. Thou mayft

glory in thy pretenfions to im-

mortality now ; but wilt thou glory

in it hereafter, when the dreadful

E time
 [ 50 ]

time ſhall come that thou wilt

wiſh thyſelf upon a level with the

beaſt whom thou haft defpifed and

abuſed ; when thine Immortality

will be thy greateſt Burthen .

Strange ! therefore, to hear cruel

men boaſt of that very Circum-

ftance, which will make them

truly wretched.

But I know not how it is ; our

hands are fo imbrued in blood,

that in fpite of the fhame of it,

we cannot waſh them clean. We

glory in that which, being mif-

applied, is our difgrace ; and

when we feel ourſelves wounded

in our pride, we change the fcales ;

we drop the confideration of our

own dignity, which avails us but

little ; and betake us to argu-

I ments
 [ 5 ]

ments of another kind, which are

equally inconclufive, when al-

ledged in defence or excufe of the

wanton cruelty of man .

For thus it is argued—

That Man has a Permiffion, Ant

that is, it is a univerfal prac- Pen

tice with mankind , the b to eat

IX .
fleſh of animals ; which cannot be

done without taking away their

lives, and putting them to fome

degree of pain.

-That there are fome animals

Obnoxious to mankind ; and the

moſt compaſſionate of men make

no fcruple to deftroy them . And

That there are fome Brutes

of prey which wholly fubfift on

the flesh of other brutes ; and

whoſe lives are one continued

courſe of rapine and bloodſhed .

E 2 Thefe
 !

[ 52 ]

Theſe are the formidable argu-

ments , which we fometimes have

recourſe to in vindication of our

cruelty, our abuſe, or unfeeling

neglect ; but to each I ſhall make

a reply .

And, firſt, as it is a univerfal

Practice, it fhall be taken for

granted, that Man has a permif-

fion to eat the flesh of fome ani-

mals ; and confequently, to kill

them for food or neceffary ufe..

But this permiffion cannot au-

thorize us to put them to unnecef-

farypain , or lingering death. Death

they are all liable to ; they muſt

fubmit to it ; and they do not feem

to us to have any idea, or fear

of death. Avoidance of pain is in-

deed as natural to brutes as it is

to
 [ 53 ]

to men, therefore pain is the only

ground of fear in brutes .

As to ourſelves , We fear both

pain and death ; and our fear of

death arifes from the fear of fu-

ture pain, or from apprehenfions

of what may happen to us after

death : and in fome men theſe ap-

prehenfions are ſo terrifying, that

they prefer exquifite pain to death .

But the Brute, having no idea of

an hereafter, cannot fuffer any

terror on account of death. To

him prefent pain is the only Evil ;

and prefent happineſs the only

Good ; therefore, whilft he lives

he has a right to happineſs . And

death , though it is to him the

period of his preſent happineſs of

exiſtence, (and fo far is a negative

E 3 evil ; )
 [ 54 ]

evil ; ) yet it is likewife the period

to all his fears and future pain ;

and fo far as it removes him from

the poffibility of future miſery

from the cruelty of men , it may

be confidered as a pofitive good .

But be this as it may, Death to a

brute is nothing terrible. He

muft die once as well as we ; and

though it is of fmall moment, whe-

ther my beaft is to die to -day or

to-morrow ; yet if I will not kill

him tillto-morrow, I ought not to

put him to pain to-day ; for, whilſt

he lives, he has a right to hap¬

pineſs, at leaſt I have no right to

make him miferable ; and, when

I kill him, I ought to diſpatch

him fuddenly, and with the leaft

degree of pain . This is my opi-

This is

nion ; and even if I fhould be

miftaken ,
 [ 55 ]

miftaken, it appears to me to be

falſe reaſoning to ſay, that Becauſe

I have permiffion to kill a brute,

and cannot kill him without put-

ting him to fome degree of necef-

fary pain in the port article of

death, Therefore I have permiffion

to put him, or any other brute to

unneceſſary pain in the long article

of life. It is as fallacious as to fay,

that Becauſe the future happineſs

of a family may depend upon the

preſent gentle correction of the

child of it, now that he is in fault,

Therefore ſeverity and moroſeneſs

are commendable and juſtifiable

in a parent. Or, in general, that,

Becauſe ſome pain is a neceffary

and unavoidable evil to promote

fome good, Therefore all pain is

good and defirable. Which would

be granting too much .

E 4 But,
 [ 56 ]

But, fecondly ; It is alledged ,

That there are fome animals ob-

noxious to mankind ; and the moſt

compaffionate of men make no

fcruple to deftroy them.

It is true ; Some animals are Ob-

noxious to us , and have it in

But very
their power to hurt us.

feldom do they exert that power ;

and well it is for us that they have

not the malice nor revenge that is

in man . ' It is obfervable (fays

' the ingenuous writer of the

Guardian, Vol . i. No 61. ) of

thofe noxious Animals , which

have qualities moſt powerful to

' injure us, that they naturally

' avoid mankind, and never hurt us

unleſs provoked , or neceffitated.

by hunger. But Man , on the

·I - other
 [ 57 ]

' other hand, feeks out and pur-

' fues even the moſt inoffenfive

' animals on purpoſe to perfecute

' and deſtroy them.' If this be the

cafe ; it appears, that Mercy pre-

ponderates in the fcale of brutes .

For One injury which We may pof-

fibly receive from the creatures, we

offer Them a Thouſand . A Horſe

may now and then, when pro-

voked , give a man an unlucky kick ;

but what is this to the blows, and

cuts, and ſpurs , which they receive

every day and every hour from

the brutal rage and unrelenting

barbarity of men ? The matter of

wonder is that we do not oftener

feel the effects of their power and

refentment. If we confider the

excruciating injuries offered on

our part to the brutes, and the

patience
 [ 58 ]

patience on their part ; how fre-

quent our provocations , and how

feldom their refentment ; (and in

fome cafes our weakneſs and their

ftrength, our flowneſs and their

fwiftnefs), one would be almoſt

tempted to ſuppoſe, (reaſon to both

alike allowed, ) that the brutes had

combined in one general ſcheme

of benevolence to teach Mankind

leffons of Mercy, and Meekneſs ,

by their own forbearance and long-

fuffering. But grant that there

are fome fierce and formidable

animals that are ftrangers to pity

and compaffion . Does this juſtify

the fuppreffion of theſe amiable

difpofitions in men ? Becauſe a

Wolf will feize upon a man ; Is a

man therefore warranted to whip

a Pig to death ? Or, Becauſe a Ser-

pent
 [ 59 ]

pent will bite a man by the heel ; Is

a man to tread upon every harmleſs

Earthworm he fees wriggling upon

the ground ? No. If fome offen-

five creatures do fometimes un-

provokedly moleft us , let it be

accounted but as a retaliation of

the injuries we offer to thofe that

are inoffenfive ; (and thus even the

dreadful hornet may be confidered

but as the avenger of the ſuffer-

ings of the feeble fly ; ) for Cruelty

and Cowardice are * near of kin ;

and we exert our power moſtly

upon thofe creatures who can

neither do us an injury, nor return

an injury done. But fuppofe we

happen to meet with noxious

* Cowards are cruel ; but the brave

Love mercy, and delight to fave.
GAY.

animals,
 [ 60 ]

animals ; Let us prudently get out

of their path . But what if I can-

not avoid them ? Why, Then it

is time enough to put myſelf in a

poſture of defence ; and for my

own preſervation, I think it no

more crime to defend myſelf from

the beaſt or ferpent, than from a

villanous man that fhould attack

my perſon : and if, in the fray, I

kill the beaſt, I cannot charge

myſelf with malice or any inten-

tional cruelty, provided I diſpatch

him as inftantaneously as poffible.

If a waſp or a hornet comes into

my room, I dread his weapon ;

but I hate him not : he is a

beautiful infect ; and I make no

doubt was created for fome

ufeful purpoſe. I am forry I am

neceffitated to kill him ; but I

will
 [ 6 ]

will not clip him in pieces with

my fciffors, if I can crufh him

under my foot : but if I cannot

mafter him , unless I clip him ;

having fo done ; I dare not leave

him in the pain of a lingering

death for many hours together,

but I finiſh the mortal work with

all expedition . And in this, I

hope , there is no cruelty ; for

cruelty in this cafe confifts in the

unneceffary infliction and conti-

nuation of pain, and not in put-

ting the creature to inftant death ,

which is the period of all pain .

Self- preſervation therefore (whe-

ther as in the former cafe for the

Support of nature in the article

of food ; or in the preſent cafe

for the avoidance of pain and de-

ftruction from the attacks of ob-

noxious
 [ 62 ]

noxious animals) though it may

juſtify a man in putting a brute

to inſtant death, yet cannot war→

rant the leaft act of cruelty to any

creature, however ferocious or

favage it may be ; much leſs can

it juſtify the hunting out for fport

and deſtruction creatures of the

tamer kind, whoſe inability to

defend themſelves, whofe harmleſs

nature, and whofe panting fears

rather demand all our compaffion,

and even our protection and at-

tention.

Thirdly ; It is alledged , that

there are fome Brutes of prey

which wholly fubfift on the fleſh

of other brutes , and whofe lives

are one continued courfe of rapine

and bloodshed .

This
 [ 63 ]

This likewife is true ; and in

the preſent ftate of nature, ſubject

to mifery and decay, it feems to be

the wife and good appointment of

the great Creator. Were there no

beaſts or birds of prey, we ſhould

every day be tormented with the

fight of numbers of poor creatures

dying by inches, ( as we fay) and

pining away through age or ac-

cidental infirmity. And, when

dead upon the ground , (as men

would hardly give themſelves the

trouble to bury them ; or it would

take up too much of our time to

bury them all, ) the unburied car-

cafes would by their ftench create

fuch a peftilence in the air, as

would not only endanger our lives

and health, but would likewife be

extremely
 [ 64 ]

extremely offenfive to us. To

guard againſt theſe evils, it hath

pleaſed GOD to appoint that (in

ſome countries ) Lions, Tygers ,

and Eagles , ( and, in other coun-

Pode cats tries,) Wolves, Foxes, Kites, Ra-

vens, and Hawks ſhould range

Drengelo
the woods and fields in fearch of

the unburied bodies, and thus

become the living graves of the

dead. And if, in the courſe of

their range or flight, they efpy a

beaft or bird worn out with age,

or with a leg or wing by accident

broken, or forfaken by his dam,

unable to help himſelf, or any

way rendered incapable of getting

his own food ; GOD, the Father

of Mercies, hath ordained Beafts

and Birds of Prey to do that dif-

treffed creature the kindneſs to

relieve
 [ 65 ]

relieve him from his mifery, by

putting him to death. A kind-

nefs which We dare not fhew to

our own fpecies. If thy father,

thy brother, or thy child fhould

fuffer the utmoſt pains of a long

and agonizing fickneſs , though

his groans fhould pierce through

thy heart, and with ftrong crying

and tears he ſhould beg thy re-

lief, yet thou muſt be deaf unto

him ; he muſt wait his appointed

time till his change cometh , till

he finks and is cruſhed with the

weight of his mifery . But then,

in all buman affliction , whether

our own or others, (not the pu-

nifhment or effect of vice and de-

bauchery, ) we may comfort our→

felves and them with the hope of

F a bleffed
 [ 66 ]

a bleffed immortality , when * all

tears fhall be wiped from our eyes ;

when there fhall be no more death,

neither forrow nor crying, neither

fhall there be any more pain. Hu-

man hope is human ſupport and

comfort . But what hope is there

to fupport and comfort the brutes

under their affliction ? They are

incapable of hope, becauſe they

can neither reflect nor foreſee . The

preſent moment is as eternity to

them. All their happineſs is in

this life only ; they have neither

thought nor hope of another.

Therefore when they are miſer-

able, their miſery is the more in-

fupportable. And when they can

no longer enjoy happineſs, Death

is welcome ; and the more wel-

* Rev. xxi. 4.

come,
 [ 67 ]

come, the fooner it comes ; and

fudden death more defirable than

a lingering painful Life . And

whilft the poor animal is thus

kindly delivered from his pain by

precipitated death, the Creature

that devours him has his degree of

happineſs therein , and will him-

felf one day meet with the fame

kind treatment from fome other

beaſt or bird, when he is no longer

able to enjoy life . This is not

cruelty but mercy : as much

mercy, as it is to ſhoot thy horſe

or thy dog, when all his teeth

are gone, and the happiness of

his life is at an end * .

* See Dr. Prieſtley's Inftitutes of Natural

and Revealed Religion, Vol. i. Part 1.
Sect. 3:

F 2 And
 [ 68 ]

And what if fome of the

creatures, fwifter of foot or wing

than the tamer kind , ſhould fome-

times feize upon a harmleſs and

defenceless animal not under the

diftreffed cafe before fuppofed ?

This fhould be confidered as an

accidental evil hardly to be avoided

in the preſent ſtate of things . In

brutes it is a natural, and not a

moral evil . Ferocity, ftrength, and

a carnivorous appetite are effen-

tially neceffary to brutes of prey ;

and the Divine Being does not in-

terpoſe to alter their natures,

if by chance they meet with a

ſheep or a man . It is neceffary

that they fhould be favage, to an-

fwer the purpoſes of their crea-

tion ; elfe they would not have

been fo created . It is as necef-

fary,
 [ 69 ]

fary, as that Soldiers and Execu-

tioners of the Law fhould be

firm , refolute, and in fome de-

gree unfeeling . All that men

have to do with regard to noxious

brutes is to keep out of their way,

and arm themſelves againſt their

attacks . But in this country we

have not much room for dread .

We have neither Lions, Tigers,

nor Wolves to moleft us. There-

fore, for us to infer, that men

may be cruel to brutes in general ,

becauſe fome brutes are naturally

fierce and blood thirsty, is tanta-

mount to ſaying, Cruelty in Bri-

tain is no fin, becauſe there are

Wild Tigers in India . But is

their ferocity and brutality to be

the ftandard and pattern of our

humanity ? And, becauſe they have

F 3 no
 [ 70 ]

no compaffion , are we to have no

compaflion ? Becauſe they have:

little or no reaſon, are we to have

no reaſon ? Or, are we to become

as very brutes as they ? However,

we need not go as far as India ;

for even in England Dogs will .

worry, and Cocks will fight ;

(though not fo often , if we did

not fet them on, and prepare

them for the battle . ) Yet what

is that to us ? Are we Dogs ? Are

we fighting Cocks ? Are they to

be cur Tutors and Inftructors,

that we appeal to them for argu-

ments to juftify and palliate our

inhumanity ? No. Let Tigers

roar, let Dogs worry, and Cocks

fight ; but it is aftoniſhing, that

MEN, who boaft ſo much of the

Dignity of their nature, the fu-

7 perior
 [ 71 ]

perior Excellence of their under-

ſtandings, and the Immortality of

their fouls, (which by the by is a

circumftance , which cruel men

above all others have the leaft

reaſon to glory in , ) fhould diſgrace

their dignity and underſtandings ,

by recurring to the practice of the

low and confeffedly irrational part

the creation in vindication of

their own conduct . There may

be fome caſes indeed in which we

may receive inftruction from them ;:

and there may be cafes too, in

which a wife man may learn in-

ftruction from a fool ; but it is

not therefore neceſſary that a wife

man fhould too implicitly and at

all times follow the Apoſtle's rule

( 1 Cor. iii. 18. ) to become a fool

that he may be wife ; nor is it ne-

ceffary that a man fhould transform

F 4 himfelf
 [ 72 ]

himfelf into a Beaft, to learn the

behaviour becoming a Man. What-

ever is good deferves our imita-

tion , whether it be in an Afs or

a Pifmire. Go to the ANT, thou

fluggard, fays Solomon (Prov. vi. 6. )

Confider her ways and be wife.

But if a man's capacity is not fo

exalted as that of a pifmire, or if

he is become ſtupid and obfti-

nate ; then fend him for inftruc-

tion to an Ox or an Afs ; for it is

thus that Ifrael was reproved for

ignorance and ingratitude (Ifa . i . 3.)

The OX knoweth his Owner, and

the ASS his master's crib, but Ifrael

doth not know , my People doth not

confider *. There are fome cafes

there-

* There is a fimilar kind of reproof to the

fame people in the Prophet Jeremiah. Ch. viii,
Ver. 7. The STORK in the heaven knoweth ber
appointed
 [ 73 ]

therefore in which we might do

well to imitate them. But when

we make the ferocity of favage

Brutes the model for our imita-

tion, when we pay them the com-

pliment to copy their manners in

that which is moft deteftable,

and which we naturally dread and

avoid, we carry the matter too

far ; we betray the weakneſs of

our own underſtanding ; we de-

grade ourſelves from the rank we

hold as Men ; and with all our

pretended boaft of Honour, the

obfervation of David King of

Ifrael is as true as it is plain ,

(Pfa. xlix. 20. ) MAN that is in

appointed times ; and the TURTLE, and the

CRANE, and the SWALLOW obferve the time
of their coming: but my People know not the
judgment of the LORD.

7 bonour,
 [ 74 ]

bonour, and underftandeth not, is

like the BEASTS that perish.

But let us have done with tri-

fling objections, and brutish Ex-

amples, whether of real Brutes , or

of Brutes in the ſhape of Men .

My appeal is not to Brutality,

nor to brutal Inhumanity. And

my Arguments are not deduced

from the natural fiercenefs or ir-

rationality of the one , nor from

the unnatural barbarity , blind

rage, or unfeeling avarice of the

other. It has been my endeavour

to plead the caufe of the Dumb

Creatures on the Principles of

Natural Religion , Juftice, Ho-

nour, and Humanity. And I

fhall be happy if any thing which

I have hitherto fuggefted , may

have
 [ 75 ]

have the bleffed effect of mollify-

ing a fingle human heart ; though

at the fame time I am aware of the

obloquy to which every man muſt

expofe himſelf, who prefumes to

encounter Prejudice and long re-

ceived Customs. To make a com-

pariſon between a Man and a

Brute, is abominable : To talk of

a man's Duty to his Horfe or his

Ox, is abfurd ; To ſuppoſe it a

Sin to chace a Stag, to hunt a

Fox, or courfe a Hare, is un-

polite ; To efteem it barbarous to

throw at a Cock, to bait a Bull,

to roaſt a Lobſter, • or to crimp a

Fiſh, is ridiculous. Reflections of

this kind muſt be expected ;

though I have avoided as much

as I could the pointing out any

particular inftances of cruelty ;

for
 [ 76 ]

for I had rather the Propofition

fhould be general , that Cruelty

in any ſhape is fooliſh and deteft-

able. But if it is applicable to

any of the abovementioned parti-

culars , I have no objection to the

inference. And I will not deny

that I had thefe , and many more

than theſe in view . I cannot, I dare

not give up a true and uſeful Pro-

pofition, becauſe the conclufion

may carry in it the appearance of

cenfure or difapprobation of the

falfe notions or wrong practices

of other men . There are fome

Truths which ought not to be con-

cealed . And there are fome cafes,

and indeed many cafes , in which ,

through the fear of offending,

and a defire to pleaſe and recom-

mend ourſelves to favour , we

carry
 [[ 77 ]

carry our complaifance much too

far. I would not willingly give

any one offence, but, in the pre-

fent cafe, to be filent would be

cruelty, and an offence to the

brutes for whofe fake I write,

Let it be deemed then in the

eftimation of the Vulgar *, abo-

minable, abfurd, unpolite, or ri-

diculous, I am not afhamed as a

Chriſtian to teſtify my utter ab-

horrence of every inftance of

Cruelty and as a Minifter of

Chrift, I fcruple not to affirm ,

upon the genuine Principles of

our Holy Religion , that an Un-

merciful Chriftian must be either

extremely ignorant of his duty,

* By the Vulgar I mean the Obftinate , the

Hard- hearted , and the Ignorant , of every clafs
and denomination .

or
 [ 78 ]

or extremely obftinate , hard-

hearted, and ungrateful .

To vindicate and ſupport this

affertion, as well as to illuftrate

and confirm what has been before

advanced on the Principles of

Nature, I ſhall now appeal to

the authoritative Word of the

Great GOD the Benevolent

Creator, and to the Goſpel of

the Bleffed JESUS the Merciful

Redeemer of the World. And if it

ſhall appear from the Teftimonies

and Examples, and from the Pre-

cepts and Promiſes contained in

Holy Scripture, that MERCY to

Brutes is a DUTYcommanded , and

that CRUELTY to them is a SIN

forbidden ; Then , let all Objec-

tions vaniſh ; Let all the Earth

keep
 [ 79 ]

keep filence before GOD . And

though * there are many Devices

in a Man's heart, nevertheless the

Counfel of the LORD, that ſhall

Stand ; and every Device and

Attempt to invalidate the Duty

of Mercy, or to exculpate the Sin

of Cruelty, (befide its repugnance

to Reafon and Common Senfe, )

muſt be confidered in a religious

view, as taking its rife, either

from Blindness of Heart, or from

Pride, Vain- Glory and Hypocrify ;

or from Envy, Hatred, and Ma-

lice, and all Uncharitableness ; or

from Hardness of Heart, and

CONTEMPT OF GOD'S

WORD AND COMMAND-

MENT.

Prov. xix. 21.

THE
 [ 80 ]

HE firft account of Brute

THE
Animals in Holy Scripture

is in the Hiſtory of the Crea-

tion recorded by MOSES in

the firſt chapter of the Book

intituled GENESIS or Genera-

tion. (ver. 20. and 24. ) GOD

SAID, Let the WATERS bring

forth abundantly the MOVING

CREATURE that bath LIFE,

(or as it is in the Hebrew, and in

the Margin of our Bible, The Mo-

ving Creature that hath SOUL, )

and FOWL that may fly above .

the Earth in the open firmament of

heaven . - And GOD SAID, Let

the EARTH bring forth the

LIVING CREATURE after his

(or it's) kind, CATTLE and

CREEP-
 [ 81 ]

CREEPING THING, and

BEAST of the Earth after his

kind ;
and it was fo .

There is a peculiar * fublimitý

of Stile throughout this chapter

in which the facred Hiftorian re-

preſents the WORD or Mandate

of the Almighty as preceding

every Event of Creation . GOD

SAID
, LET BE. A Form of

Expreffion this , which cannot fail

to
engage the attention of the
Reader
; and it ſeems
intended to

denote that it was as eaſy to the

eme Being to to
Supr DO as
SPEAK
, yet not fo as to exclude

the idea of the actual Exertion of

Vide Dionyfium Longinum Пp T↓us.

Pearcei Edit. 8vo . pa . 50.

G the
 [ 82 ]

the Divine POWER mediately or

immediately.

LIGHT or Fire, FIRMA-

MENT or Air, WATER, and

EARTH, were Elements of im-

mediate Creation , or Effects of

which the divine Power was the

Sole and Immediate Cauſe.

The SUN and STARS, the

SEA and VEGETABLES were

mediate Effects , or Formations

produced by the confluence and

configurations of the Elements

which were before created.

But ANIMALS, or Beings

with Life and Senfe, are to be

confidered both as Productions

and Creations ; Productions as to

their
 [ 83 ]

their Subſtance or Matter, and

Creations as to Life and Senfe.

LIGHT or Fire collected into

Orbs, and fet in proper places in

the great Expanſe , became Sun and

Stars. The WATERS, endued

with Gravity and Lubricity, were

gathered together, that is , ran

down into the bafon prepared for

their reception, and fo formed the

Sea. And the EARTH, endued

with the wonderful quality of

Vegetation , was , in the hand of

its Maker, the powerful Medium

of the Germination of Grass,

Herbs, and Trees. Yet, after all ,

theſe Effects were as inanimate as

the Elements of which they were

formed . There is fomething in

our ideas of Life and Senfation,

G 2 which
 [ 84 ]

which cannot be accounted for as

the mere effect of any configura-

tion or modification of inanimate

matter. The Waters by conflu-

ence might hew out a Rock , or

ſhape out an Iſland ; and a por-

tion of Earth might be concreted

into a precious Stone or a Mineral ;

yet rocks and iflands , precious

ftones and minerals are as void of

ſenſe or ſelf- motion , as if they had

never been formed . Neither

Water nor Earth (though power-

ful mediums to caufe furprizing

effects) can any more communi-

cate Life and Senfe to their own

productions , than a weight or

fpring can communicate Life or

Senfe to a Clock or a Watch . If,

by the motion of the Waters , the

Slime or Subftance in the bed of

the
 [ 85 ]

the Sea had been thrown into the

form of the moſt perfect Fiſh ; or

if the Earth had brought forth a

Vegetable in the perfect form of

a Beaft ; the Fifh would have

been as lifelefs as a rock or a

ſponge, and the Beaſt as infen-

fible as a ſtone or a blade of grafs.

Or, if all the Elements together

by an accidental concourfe had

formed Beings of the ſhapes of all

the Animals that exift in the Uni-

verfe, and of the fame fubftance

and texture as to every part of

them within and without, ftill

they would have been but as

figures of paſte, or as dead corpfes

without Life or Senfe.

To communicate Senſe to in-

animate matter, or to kindle but

G 3 the
 [ 86 ]

the firft fpark of Life (however

when fo kindled or communi-

cated to any being, that Being

might be enabled to continue and

extend the flame to others of its

own fpecies and generation ) was

a new and diftinct exertion of the

divine Agency ; or, it was as

much a CREATION, as the ori-

ginal Creation of the inanimate

Elements ; and as fuch it is repre-

fented to us by Moſes. For

though it is written * , GOD faid,

Let the Waters bring forth abun-

dantly the MOVING CREA-

TURE that hath Life, and

FOWL that may fly above the

Earth in the open firmament of

heaven ; yet we are not to fup-

pofe, from this form of expref-

fion , that the Fishes and Fowls

* Gen. i . 20.

were
 [ 87 ]

were a ſpontaneous generation , or

the meer production of the waters

without the interpofition and ope-

ration of the divine Power ; for

it
follows in the next verſe,

and GOD CREATED Great

WHALES
and Every LIVING
CREATURE
that moveth, which

the Waters brought forth abun-

dantly
after their kind, and Every

Winged FOWL after bis kind.

The WATERS brought them

forth, and yet GOD created them.

That is, they were both Produc-

tions and Creations. And the

meaning feems to be this . Of

the Slime or Mud or other necef-

fary Ingredients brought forth or

yielded from the Waters and *

G4
Earth,

* That Earth as well as Water was part

of the Subftance of Fowls is evident from
ch. ii.
 [ 88 ]

Earth, GOD took thereof, and

formed the Fifhes and Fowls, and

created them ANIMALS or

Moving Creatures, by communi-

cating to them LIFE, or Soul.

And GOD faw that they were

Good, good in their kind , and

well adapted to their proper Ele-

ments ; and GOD bleffed them.

Again, ( ver. 24. ) GOD faid,

Let the Earth bring forth the

LIVING CREATURE after

his kind, CATTLE and CREEP-

ING THING, and BEAST of

the Earth after his kind ; and it

was fo ; that is, it was fo that the

ch. ii. 19. and therefore, it is moſt likely it

was part of the ſubſtance of Fiſhes, though
the writer does not mention them in that
place, becauſe the Fiſhes were not brought to
Adam .

Earth
 [ 89 ]

Earth brought forth or yielded

fubftance or matter for the divine

Hand to work upon , and for the

Spirit of Life to quicken and ani-

mate ; for we read in the next

verſe, that GOD MADE the

BEAST of the Earth after his

kind, and CATTLE after their

kind ; and Every THING that

CREEPETH upon the Earth

after his kind. The EARTH

brought forth the ſubſtances ; but

GOD ſhaped them and gave them

Life , and fo Made them to be

ANIMALS or Living Creatures.

And GOD faw that they were

Good.

From this account of the Crea-

tion it plainly appears, that the

Fishes of the Sea, and every Crea-

5 ture
 [ 90 ]

ture that moveth in the Waters ;

the Fowls of the Firmament, and

every Creature that flieth in the

Air ; the wild Beasts of the Earth ,

and the tame Cattle of the Earth ,

and every Thing that creepeth

upon the Earth ; all and every

Brute Animal , from the Great

Whale to the Creeping Worm ,

were MADE and CREATED

by the Divine Appointment, and

by the Operation and Power of

that GOD , who in the Beginning

created the Heaven and the Earth.

I obferved above , that every

Animal was a Creation as well as

a Production . And this is no lefs

true of MAN ( the laft made and

created, but the moſt perfect and

moft eminent of all the terreſtrial

Animals , )
 [ 91 ]

Animals, ) than it is of Brutes.

For we read ( ch . ii . ver . 7. ) The

Lord GOD formed MAN of the

Duft of the Ground, and breathed

into his Noftrils the Breath of Life,

and MAN became a LIVING

SOUL.

Diſtinguiſhed and exalted as

Man is above all the other Ani-

mals, there is nothing recorded

of Him as to his Origin that is

not applicable to Them likewiſe .

The Lord Godformed MAN of the

Duft ofthe GROUND . And the

fame is faid of the Beaſts and Birds,

(ch . ii . 19. ) Out of the GROUND

the Lord God formed every

BEAST of the Field, and every

FOWL of the Air. As to Sub-

ftance then Men and Brutes are

alike,
 [ 92 ]

alike, Ofthe Duft of the Ground.

And to the fame purpoſe faith the

Royal Preacher ( Ecclef. iii . 20. )

fpeaking of Men and Beafts, All

are of the Duft, and all turn to

Duft again. The truth of the laſt

part of the fentence is indifput-

able, that all turn TO Duft ; and

daily Experience demonſtrates it .

Therefore we have reafon to con-

clude that the former is equally

true that All are OF the Duft.

And this is confirmed to us by the

Declaration of GOD unto ADAM ,

(Gen. iii . 19. ) Thou shalt return

unto the Ground ; for out of it

waft Thou taken ; for DUST Thou

art, and unto Duft fhalt Thou re-

turn.

It is further faid of MAN,

and GOD breathed into his Nof-

trils
 [ 93 ]

trils the Breath of Life. If we

turn to the fixth and feventh

chapters , we find the words Breath

of Life applied both to Brutes

and to MEN. For when GOD

declared to Noah (ch . vi . 17. )

that he would bring a flood of Wa-

ters upon the Earth, to destroy all

FLESH, wherein is the BREATH

of LIFE, it appears throughout

the feventh chapter, that the

Brutes are included in the words

FLESH, wherein is Breath of Life.

And the Brutes that were faved ,

are deſcribed in the fame form of

words (ch. vii. 14, 15. ) They,

Noah and his family, and Every

Beaft - and all the Cattle - and

every Creeping Thing - and every

Fowl - and every Bird went in

unto Noah into the Ark, two and

two
 [ 94 ]

two of all FLESH, wherein is the

BREATH of LIFE. And more

particularly , more exprefly, and

remarkably in verſes 21 , 22. All

FLESH died, that moved upon

the Earth, both of FOWL, and

of CATTLE, and of BEAST,

and of every CREEPING

THING that creepeth upon the

Earth, all in whofe NOSTRILS

was the BREATH of LIFE, of

all that was in the dry land *, died.

The Brutes then have the Breath

of Life in their Noftrils, as well

as Men . The GOD that made

the World and all things therein

(faid St. Paul to the Athenians ,

* The Limitation in this place , of all that

were in the dry Land, intimates that the Fiſhes,
though not in the dry Land, were Crea-
tures in whofe Noftrils was the Breath of
Life.

5 Acts
 [ 95 ]

Acts xvii . 25. ) giveth to all LIFE

and BREATH. And when He

taketh away their BREATH, they

die, and return to their Duft, Pfa.

civ. 29. And that which befalleth

the Sons of Men, fays Solomon ,

(Ecclef. iii . 19. ) befalleth Beafts ; as

the One dieth, fo dieth the Other ;

yea, they have all ONE BREATH ;

fo that a Man (in this refpect)

hath no preeminence above a Beaft.

All go unto one place ; All are of

the Duft ; and All turn to Duft

again. He then fubjoineth this

very pertinent queſtion, Who

knoweth the Spirit of a MAN

that goeth upward, and the Spirit

of a BEAST that goeth downward¸

to the Earth ? As much as to fay,

Who knoweth the difference (as

to this World) between a man

and
 [ 96 ]

and a beaſt ? Or wherein has a

Man any preeminence above a

Beaft, except that a Man walketh

erect * , and fo his Breath goeth up-

ward, but a Beaſt walketh prone *,

and fo his Breath goeth downward

to the Earth ? I confefs this com-

pariſon and this home queſtion is

very humiliating ; but I defire it

may be obſerved , that I quote the

WORDS of Holy Scripture, which

feems to repreſent Men and Brutes

in their original conftitution as

nothing more than BREATH-

ING DUST.

But it is added in the Creation

of Man, that MAN became a

* Pronaque cum fpectent animalia cætera

terram ;

Os homini fublime dedit : cœlumque tueri

Juffit, et erectos ad fidera tollere vultus.
OVID. Metam.

LIVING
 [ 97 ]

LIVING SOUL .- * The Lord

God formed MAN of the Duft of

the Ground ; and breathed into his

Noftrils the Breath of Life, and

MAN BECAME A LIVING

SOUL. Now if Man became a

Living Soul by God's breathing

into his Noftrils the breath of

Life ; Every Creature, into whoſe

Noftrils was breathed the Breath of

Life, became a Living Soul like-

wife. But we have ſeen above that

all the Creatures, who perifhed in

the flood, were fuch in whofe Nof-

trils was the Breath of Life ;

therefore, all thoſe Creatures , whe-

ther Fowls, or Cattle, or Beafts,

or Creeping Things, were LIVING

SOULS ; and confequently all of the

fame kind, at this day, are LIV-

* Gen. ii. 7. + vii . 22 .

H ING
 [ 98 ]

ING SOULS. And fuch they

are in Hebrew Scripture faid to be ;

and fo they are denominated in

our Engliſh Bibles , according to the .

Margin which has been always

underſtood as of the fame autho

rity as the Context itſelf. Thus

(ch. i. 20. ) Let the Waters bring

forth the Moving Creature that

bath LIFE : in the Hebrew, and

in the Margin , that hath SOUL.

and (ver. 30. ) To every Beast of

the Earth, and to every Fowl of

the Air, and to every Thing that

Creepeth upon the Earth, wherein

there is LIFE : in the Hebrew,

and in the Margin, wherein there

is a LIVING SOUL.

The Sum of the whole is this.

In the Scripture Account of the

5 Original
 *
[ 99 ]

Original Conftitution of Men and

Brutes, the very fame Terms are

applied to Both. Are the Brutes

of the Duft of the Ground? So

is Man . Have Men the Breath of

Life in their Noftrils ? So have

Brutes. Are the One Living

Souls ? So are the Other . For

the Lord GOD formed both Man

and Brute of the Dust of the

Ground, and breathed into their

Noftrils the Breath of Life, and

fo Man and Brute became LIV-

ING SOULS, or (ch . vii . 4. 23. )

LIVING SUBSTANCES.

I hope I fhall not be mifunder-

ftood in this fhort difquifition

concerning the Creation of Brute

Animals , as if I meant hereby in

any reſpect to diſparage the real

H 2
Dignity
 [ 100 ]

Dignity and Excellence of Man-

kind . I acknowlege with all

thankfulneſs and humility, that

there are perfections , endow-

ments , and advantages on the

fide of Men , which elevate Us far

above the Brutes ; and when we

take into the account the future

Immortality of Man, the diftance

between us is infinite . But as it

appeared to me neceffary, in a
Treatife of this nature , to con-

fider the Origin of the Creatures

who are the Subjects of it ; it .

would have been an act of great.

partiality to ourſelves , and of in-

juftice to their cauſe , to have

omitted any circumftance , that

may be advanced in their favor,

to conciliate fome attention from

us towards them. And furely it

is
5
 [ 11 ]

is fomething in their favour,

when, in looking to the rock from

whence Adam was hewn, and to

the hole of the pit from whence he

was digged, we find that, in our

original compofition , we are all

of the Duft of the Ground, that

we are all of One Breath, that we

have all OneFather, and that

One GOD created us.

In Dominion , Rationality, and

future Immortality, a Man hath

undoubtedly the preference to a

Brute ; and in theſe reſpects he is

+ Made in the IMAGE, after the

Likeness of GOD. But let it be

obferved that he is but a created

Image, or an Image of Appoint-

ment. It is not abfolutely ne-

* Ifa. li. 1 . + Gen. i. 26.

H 3 ceffary
 [ 102 ]

ceffary to his conftitution as a

Living Creature, that he ſhould

be thus appointed and diftin-

guiſhed. He might have been

without Dominion , without Rea-

fon , and without Immortality ;

and yet would have been a Man

as to figure, feature , nakedneſs ,

and upright pofture.

DOMINION is a * GIFT or

Grant unto Man , for which he

is accountable to Him that gave

and granted it ; and which may,

and in fome cafes has been taken

away from a man without his

And when-
ceafing to be a man .
ever he abuſes the Power and Do-

* Thou madeft him to have Dominion over

the works of thy bands. Pfa. viii . 6.

minion
 [ 13 ]

minion which GOD has given

him * over the Fish of the Sea, and

over the Fowl ofthe Air, and over

the Cattle, and over all the Earth,

and over every Creeping Thing,

that creepeth upon the Earth ;

whenever he tyrannizes over them

with the brutal fierceness of a

Shark , a Vulture , or a Tiger ;

though he may retain the ſhape

of a man ; he degenerates into a

Monſter, and forfeits the title of

the Image of GOD " whoſe Mer-

" Psalm
cies are over all his Works?
CXLV. 9.

And as Dominion , fo REASON

is a GIFT unto Man , yet not in-

feparable from the human form (as

is evident in the cafe of Idiots . )

And whenever we abufe that

Gen. i. 26.

H 4 Reaſon,
 [ 104 ]

Reaſon, and act beneath the cha-

racter and dignity of a rational

creature ; we loſe the divine Image

in that reſpect ; we have nothing

to denominate us Men but out-

ward fhape ; or, in other words ,

we become Brutes in the fhapes

of Men .

And as Dominion and Rea-

fon , fo future IMMORTALITY

is * a GIFT ; and, being a Gift,

we have no natural claim or

right to it, but by the Grace of

the Donor. We cannot claim

it merely becauſe we are animated

Duft ; for on this pretence a Lion

may put in the very fame claim .

* The Gift of God is Eternal Life through

Jefus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 23.

Nor
 [ 105 ]

Nor can we claim it through any

*
Merit of our own ; for it is GOD

that worketh in us both to will

and to do, or, GOD gave us our

powers of thinking and acting.

If it ſhould be faid that we are

intitled to it through the Merit of

another ; it is plain that exclufive

of that merit, we ſhould have no

claim to it at all. Or if it ſhould

be faid that , from the first moment

of our exiſtence , Immortality was

ſtamped upon us , or, that + GOD

created Man to be immortal, and

made him to be an Image of his

own Eternity ; ftill it was GOD's

Will and Pleaſure thus to dignify

and diftinguish the duft of the

Ground in one fhape, from the

like duft of the Ground in ano-

* Phil. ii . 13 . + Wifd. ii. 23.

ther
 [ 106 ]

ther ſhape. It was GOD that

made thee to differ from a Brute ;

and what haft thou, that thou didst

not receive ? I Cor. iv. 7.

GREAT then as MAN is,

Rational and Immortal, Image

and Likeness of GOD ; how ex-

alted foever his ftation now, or

whatever it may be hereafter ; it

invalidates not this truth, that

our Difference from and Excel-

lence above the Brutes is through

the Gift and Grace of GOD . In

the first point of Exiſtence, in

our original Compofition, we

feem to have been more upon a

level ; and during our Exiſtence

here, we fubfift together as the

joint and temporary tenants of

the earth, alike as to paffion ,

fenſe,
 [ 107 ]

fenfe, and appetite ; and alike

ſubject to infirmity, pain , and

death . The Brutes eat, and

drink, and fee, and hear, and

tafte, and ſmell , and have organs

of fenfation as well as Men . The

Blood circulates in their veins as

in our own. They hunger, they

thirſt, they faint for want of food

and refreſhment ; and Man hath

the fame paffions, and ſtands in

need of the ſame ſupport. And

when GOD taketh away their

breath, they die, and return to

their duft. Pfa. civ. 29. And when

the breath of Man goeth forth, he

returneth to his earth. Pfa. cxlvi. 4.

In fome refpects , in ftrength , in

fwiftneſs , in fcent, and ſharp-

fightedness, it is certain that

many of them exceed us. And

though
 [ 108 ]

though it is true in general, that

the Brutes have neither the Shape

nor the Reaſon of Men, yet it is

likewife true, that fome Brutes

approach fo near to the human

fhape, and fome Men feem to be

fo defective as to reaſon, that upon

Compariſon

But Compariſons are odious.

We will fuppofe MAN in all re-

fpects, and at all times, ſo perfect

and fo diftinguifhed , that no

Compariſon can, or ought to be

made . Yet thus much I prefume

will be granted, that a Brute is a

creature fuperior to a Stone, and

that fome of them poffefs proper-

ties and qualities which are not

unworthy of the notice and atten-

tion of men, inafmuch as they

tend
 [ 109 ]

tend to diſplay the power and

wiſdom of their great Creator.

I will fetch my knowledge from

afar, faid Elihu to Job, (Chap .

xxxvi. 3-5 . ) and will afcribe

righteouſneſs to my Maker.—Behold

GOD is Mighty, and defpifeth

not any ; He is mighty in Strength

and Wifdom. Chap . xxxvii . 14.

Hearken unto this, O Job ; ftand

fill and confider the wondrous

Works of GOD.- ver. 28. The Al-

mighty is Excellent in Power. But

how ſhall Job confider this ? Or

from whom fhall he learn inftruc-

tion ? For in the extremity of his

grief, he had faid to Corruption,

Thou art my Father ; and to the

Worm, Thou art my Mother and

my Sifter * ; and to the like pur-

* Ch . xvii . 14.

pofe
 [ 110 ]

pofe had Bildad faid, —Man is a

Worm, and the Son of Man is a

Worm *. To evince therefore

the Excellence of the divine

Power, the fublime Writer of this

noble and incomparable Poem,

as if he thought it beyond human

defcription , introduces the Al-

mighty as in a whirlwind conde-

fcending to expoftulate with

JOB upon the fubject ; Firſt, by

an Appeal to the ‡ Ordinances of

Heaven directed and controuled

* Ch . xxv, 6,

+ The whole Speech for Sublimity of Stile and

Matter is worthy of the divine Majefty, and fo
far above being equalled by any buman Compofi-
tion, that I am fatisfied no one can have the
Vanity to attempt it. WORTHINGTON's
Differtation on the Book of JOB, at the End
of The Effay on Redemption , page 525.

‡ Ch. xxxviii. 33. -

by
 [ III 1

by the over-ruling power and ap-

pointment of GOD ; and Then,

by referring him to the Living

Tokens and Effects of more than

human power and greatneſs , mani-

fefted in the prodigious Strength ,

or amazing Swiftnefs , or graceful

Beauty, or enormous Stature, or

tremendous Fiercenefs of the moſt

eminent of the Brute Creaturės ;

and particularly exemplified in

the LION, the RAVEN, the

*
Wild GOAT, the HIND, the

Wild ASS, the UNICORN, the

PEACOCK, the OSTRICH, the

HORSE, the HAWK, the

EAGLE, the BEHEMOTH or

Elephant, and the * LEVIA-

THAN

The Defcription of the Leviathan in ch . xli.

induces me to think that this Creature is the
Crocodile, and not the Whale, as fome have fup-

pofed.
 [ 112 ]

THAN or Crocodile. Ch . xxxviii .

xxxix. xl . xli .

Theſe noble Brutes in a moſt

remarkable manner, and indeed

Every Living Creature in fome

reſpect or other, do fo evidently

declare the Wiſdom and Power of

GOD, that the Royal Pfalmiſt

calls upon them ALL , from the

Greateſt to the Smalleft, to join

in the grand Chorus to the Praiſe

of the great Creator : Praiſe

the LORD from the Earth ye

DRAGONS, and all Ye CREA-

TURES in the depths of the Sea ; -

Ye BEASTS and all CATTLE,

pofed. It was the great Dragon of the rivers,

and more known in Egypt, where Mofes was
educated , than the Whale. See Pfal . lxxiv . 13 .
14. Ifa. xxvii . 1. Ezech. xxix. 3. and xxxii . 2 .

CREEP-
 [ 113 ]

CREEPING THINGS and

FLYING FOWL .- Praife ye the

LORD , Pf. cxlviii . 7 , 10. And Let

Every Thing that bath BREATH

Praise the LORD. Pfa . cl . 6 .

FROM the Confideration of

GOD's Power exhibited in the

CREATION of the Brute Ani-

mals , Let us now proceed to

the Contemplation of his Good-

nefs manifefted in his PROVI-

DENCE over them .

• The Lord of the Heavens and

Earth, the Creator of the Wa-

ters is the King of every Crea-

' ture *. What GOD hath created ,

he cannot but love ; and what he

Judith ix. 12 .

I loveth
 [ 114 ]

loveth cannot but be the object

of his Goodneſs . O Lord , Thou

loveft all the things that are,'

(faith the Writer of the excel-

lent but too much neglected Book

of * WISDOM) and abhorreſt

nothing that Thou haft made ; for

C never wouldft Thou have made

C
any thing, if Thou hadft hated

• it. And how could any thing

have endured, if it had not been

thy Will ? Or been preſerved,

No
if not called by Thee ?'

creature, that GOD hath made,

can be unknown to or difregarded

by him. Hear the words of the

great Creator himſelf, who in the

fiftieth Pfalm is repreſented as the

Speaker in terms that command

our utmoſt attention : The Mighty

* Wiſdom of Solomon, i 24, 25.

GOD,
 [ 15 ]

GOD, even the LORD hath

Spoken, and called to the Earth

from the Rifing of the Sun, unto

the Going down thereof; —EVERY

BEAST of the Foreft is Mine, and

the CATTLE upon a thousand

Hills ; I know all the FOWLS of

the Mountains, and the Wild

BEASTS of the Field are Mine ;

or * with me ; or † in my fight ;

i . e. of my Creation , and under

my Protection.

The Goodneſs and the Mercy

of GOD are as extenfive as his

Wiſdom and Power. For what

He hath created by his Power

and Wiſdom , He preferveth by

his Goodneſs and Mercy. The

* The Margin .

+ Common Prayer Verfion.

I 2 Eyes
 [ 116 ]

Eyes of ALL wait upon Thee, O

Lord, and thou giveft them their

Meat in due feafon. Thou openeft

thine hand, and fatisfieft the Defire

of EVERY LIVING THING.*

No fooner were the Animals

created, than they received the

Blefling of their Creator. For

having appointed unto MAN his

proper food, and declared what

fhould be meat for Him +; he then

adds, as a teftimony of his Provi-

dential Care over the Brutes-

To EVERY BEAST of the

Earth, and to EVERY FOWL

of the Air, and to EVERY

THING that creepeth upon the

Earth, wherein there is Life, I

* Pfa. cxlv. 15 , 16 .

+ Gen. i . 29 .

have
 [ 117 ]

have given every green herb for

Meat, Gen. i. 30 .

How excellent is thy Loving-

Kindness, O GOD ; Thou pre-

ferver of MAN and of BEAST.

Pfa. xxxvi . 6. - 0 Give Thanks

unto the GOD of Heaven, who

giveth Food to ALL FLESH ;

for his Mercy endureth for ever.

Pfa . cxxxvi . 25 .

But befide theſe declarations in

Holy Scripture concerning the

Benevolence of GOD to all his

Creatures in general, let us turn

to the CIVth Pfalm , and we fhall

find therein a ſtrikingly beautiful

Illuftration of his Providential

Goodneſs to various Species of

them. Which Pfalm if any man

13 can
 [ 118 ]

can read deliberately, without

fome tender emotion, he muſt be

either very proud of himſelf, or

very infenfible of the divine Good-

nefs and Greatnefs . Bless the

Lord, O my Soul ; -for He fend-

eth the Springs into the Vallies

which run amongst the Hills ; and

why ? that All the BEASTS of

the Field may drink thereof ; and

the Wild ASSES quench their.

thirst ; and that the FOWLS of

the Air may have their Habitation

in the Trees nouriſhed by their

moisture, and fing and chirp

among the branches. He watereth

the Hills from his chambers above ;

and the Earth is fatisfied with the

fruit of his works ; and why ?

Becauſe it brings forth Grafs for

the CATTLE as well as Herb for

3 the
 [ 119 ]

the fervice of Man. The Trees

of the Lord are * full, even the

tall Cedars of Libanus which He

hath + planted : To what purpoſe ?

Only to pleaſe the eye of Man ,

or to afford him timber for his

houfe, and a fhelter from the

ftorm ? The Pfalmift affigns ano-

-
ther reaſon, that the BIRDS

* In both our tranflations it is rendered

Full of Sap, but I have here omitted of Sap,

becauſe it is not in the Hebrew. The word.
IShBOU denotes Fulness in general ; and
in its extent it means not only fulness offap,
but likewife fulneſs as to Growth, Height,
Leaves, Fruits, and Branches, and whatever

might contribute to render the Trees more.

ufeful and convenient to their inhabitants .

Thofe Trees are faid to be the Trees of

the LORD, and planted by Him, which
grow of themſelves, without the Art and
Care of Men.

I 4 might
 [ 120 ]

might there make their Nefts ; and

as for the STORK, the Fir-Trees

are her Houfe. Let us next fur-

vey the high Hills , and the craggy

Mountains and Rocks inacceffible

to Men , and dangerous for us to

climb ; yet they are not without

ufe, or inhabitant ; for, The high

Hills are a Refuge for the Wild

GOATS ; and the ftony Rocks are

a Retreat and Habitation for the

CONIES, a weak and timorous

race of animals which could

hardly be ſafe in more frequented

places ; and concerning whom

Agur in the book of * Proverbs

makes the like obfervation , that

as they are but a feeble Folk, they

make their Houfes in the Rocks.

The Pfalmift then proceeds to

* Prov. xxx. 26.

con-
 [ 121 ]

contemplate the good Providence

of GOD both to Man and Beaſt,

in appointing the darkness of the

Night, as the moſt convenient

ſeaſon , for the Wild BEASTS of

the Foreft to move and creep forth,

when they can be the leaſt ob-

noxious unto Men : for, Then do

the LIONS roar after their Prey,

and feek their Meat from GOD .

And having fulfilled their pleaſure

and appointed taſk in devour-

ing the dead bodies of animals ,

which, for want of fuch Scaveng-

ers, would probably infect the air

and render it offenfive and un-

wholefome ; when the Sun arifeth,

they get them away together, and

lay them down in their Dens, that

they may be no obſtruction to the

induftrious MAN, who goeth

forth
 [ 122 ]

forth in fafety to his work and to

his labour, until the Evening,

when the Wild Beafts fally forth

again . Struck with a juſt ſenſe

and reverential awe of the Wiſdom

and Goodnefs of the Great Crea-

tor, the enraptured Pfalmift can-

not refrain from burſting out in

accents of Love and Admiration.—

O LORD, how manifold are Thy

Works ; in Wisdom haft Thou made

them all : The EARTH is full of

thy Riches. And not only the

Earth and Air , but SO alfo is

the Great and Wide SEA, where

the LEVIATHAN taketh his

paftime, and wherein are Things

Moving innumerable both Small

and great * LIVING CREA-

TURES.

* As Beast in our language denotes a land

animal, and the fubjects in this place are
water
 [ 123 ]

TURES. Theſe wait all upon

Thee, that Thou mayst give them

their Meat in due feafon. Thou

giveft them, They gather ; Thou

openeft thine Hand, They are filled

with Good. Thus fung the fweet

Pfalmift of Ifrael * in Hymns of

Praife unto the LORD his GOD,

who though clothed with Majefty

and Honour, and High above all

Nations, and his Glory above the

Heavens, Yet humbleth Himself to

behold the things that are in bea-

ven and earth +.

The Goodnefs and Benevolence

of GOD to the Brute Creatures

water animals, I have fubftituted Living

Creatures for Beafts. And thus the Hebrew
word ChIUT is rendered in Ezech. i. 5.

2 Sam. xxiii. 1. + Pfa. cxiii . 6.

feem
 [ 124 ]

feem to have made fuch an im-

preffion upon the mind of David ,

and to have been fo favourite a

theme with him , and he takes

fuch frequent occafions to intro-

duce their Names into his moſt

facred Poems, and moft ardent

Prayers ; that one would almoſt

ſuppoſe he thought to render

GOD the more propitious towards

Men, by reminding him as it were

of his Mercy, and Loving Kind-

nefs , to Creatures fo much infe-

rior to Men . When he was be-

wailing his own mifery and weak-

nefs, he compares himſelf to the

loweſt reptile : -I am a WORM,

and no Man. (Pfa. xxii . 6. ) When

he was interceding for his people

in the time of plague, he recom-

mends them to the divine Mercy

and
 [ 25 ]

and Forbearance, under the de-

nomination of harmlefs and inno-

cent Sheep * : -I it is that have

finned and done evil indeed ; but as

for thefe SHEEP what have They

done ? ( 1 Chron . xxi . 17. ) And

when deprived of the opportunity

of attending the public worſhip ;

when his Mind was contemplating

the Amiableness of GOD's Taber-

nacle ; when his Soul was longing

and fainting for the Courts of the

LORD, and his very heart and

flesh crying out for the Living

GOD, the Sparrow and the Swal-

low are the Mediators of his Sup-

* It is well known that our bleffed Saviour

frequently calls the Members of his Church

his SHEEP, which word likewife occurs in

the daily Liturgy of the Ch . of Eng. We

have erred and strayed - like loft Sheep.

3 plication :
 [ 126 ]

plication : — The SPARROW

bath found an Houfe, and the

SWALLOW & Neft for herself

,

where She may lay her Young,

even Thine Altars, O Lord of

Hofts, my King and my God.

Pfa. lxxxiv . 3.

In the CXLVIIth Pfalm , He

calls for the Harp to accompany

the Voice of Melody : -O Sing

unto the LORD with Thankſgiv-

ing, Sing praises upon the Harp

unto our GOD ; who covereth the

Heaven with Clouds, and prepareth

Rain for the Earth, and maketh

the Grass to grow upon the Moun-

tains *. He giveth to the BEAST

In the Com. Pr. Book Verfion , it is

added, and herb for the ufe of men ; but as this
is not in the Hebrew, nor in our Bible Ver
fion, I omit it in this place.

bis
 [ 127 ]

his Food ; and feedeth the Young

RAVENS which cry or call upon

him. With GOD no Creature is

contemptible . By his general

Providence , He hath manifefted

his Love and his Tenderneſs to-

wards ALL. Even a young Raven

cannot call upon him, but the

Lord will hear its cry and will an-

fwer it : For He provideth for the

RAVEN his Food, when his Young

Ones cry unto GOD. Job xxxviii.

4I .

It is not improbable that our

Lord JESUS had an eye to the

laſt mentioned paffages of Scrip-

ture, when he commanded his

difciples to Confider the RA-

VENS, which neither fow nor

reap, neither have ftorehouſe nor

barn,
 [ 128 ]

barn, for GOD FEEDETH

Them. (Luke xii. 24. ) In another

place this fentiment is expreffed

in more general terms : ( Matt . vi .

25.) Behold the FOWLS of the

Air, They fow not, neither do they

reap, nor gather into barns, yet

Your HEAVENLY FATHER

feedeth Them. That fame GOD,

to whom You are to addrefs your-

felves by the endearing and yet

exalted Title of Our Father which

art in Heaven, and to whom You

are daily to put up this Petition of

dependance, Give us this day our

daily Bread, That Heavenly Fa-

ther, That Giver of Bread, who

daily feedeth YOU, feedeth alſo

the RAVENS and the FOWLS

of the Air.

It
 [ 129 ]

It was a ufual method of teach-

ing with our Bleffed Saviour, to

deduce his Arguments from Na-

ture and common Obſervation ;

and particularly, when it was his

defign , either to correct the pride,

or to mollify the hearts of his

hearers . When he would remon-

ftrate with the people, whom he

came to redeem, concerning their

perverſeneſs and ingratitude to-

wards him, and his tender affec-

tion and concern for them, he

borrows a Simile from the cir-

cumftance of a HEN that

would have gathered together her

CHICKENS under her Wings,
but they would not * . And when

* Matt. xxiii. 37. Lu . xiii. 34. quoted from

2 Efdras i. 30.

K he
 [ 130 ]

he would convince his Difciples

of the Providence and Love of

GOD towards Men , and of the

Duty of Truſt and Confidence in

him , he refers them to the Spar-

rows ; as to beauty and melody

the moſt inferior of all the fea-

thered race ; and held fo cheap

with men, that two of them are

worth but one farthing, yet not

fo cheap in the eſtimation of the

GOD that created them as to be

beneath his notice, or unworthy

of his care. Are not Two SPAR-

ROW'S fold for a Farthing ?

And One of Them shall not fall to

the Ground without your Father.

Matt . x. 29. And that our Lord

did not mean hereby barely to re-

preſent to his Diſciples the exten-

five Knowlege of the Creator, ex-

clufive
 [ 13 ]

clufive of his providential Care

and Tenderneſs towards them , is

evident from another paffage in

which he expreffes himſelf more

particularly, Are not Five SPAR-

ROWS fold for Two Farthings ?

And not ONE of THEM is for-

gotten before GOD. Luke xii . 6 .

Whether Two Sparrows for one

Farthing, or (which is cheaper

ftill) Five Sparrows for Two Far-

things ; Not One of them fhall fall

to the ground without your Fa-

ther ; not One of them is forgotten

before GOD .

Now to what purpoſe theſe nu-

merous Teſtimonies of Scripture ,

which I have collected together in

proof of the Superintending Care

of GOD over all his Creatures ?

K 2 but
 [ 132 ]

but to enlarge the mind of Man ;

and to teach us that, as GOD is

the common Father of the whole

Creation , His Mercy is over all

his Works . The Goodnefs , the

Mercy, the Kindneſs , the Love

' of GOD towards his Creatures ,

is fo clearly laid down in expreſs

·
words, throughout the Scrip-

< tures , that the greateſt caution

' fhould always be taken not to

offend againſt them ; and no

• Notions muft ever lead us to

run counter to them *. Not

even a Sparrow is forgotten before

GOD, but holds a place in the

divine Remembrance . Infignifi-

cant as many of the Creatures may

appear to us, They are all in the

fight, and under the protection of

* Dr. Sykes .
the
 [ 133. ]

the great and merciful Creator.

They are all recorded in his Book ;

and it is He that cloaths , and

feeds, and preſerves them . And

well it is for most of them, that

they are in GOD's keeping, and

not in Our's ; for we fhew too

plainly by our treatment of thoſe

animals , that are in our power ,

and are committed to our care

and management, what would be

the unhappy fate of all the reſt, if

they were left to our difpofal .

Not that the Supreme Being is

the lefs concerned for fome than

for others ; for they are all of

them parts of his great Family

upon earth, though ſome of them

are more immediate objects of his

care and protection than others .

K 3 Creatures
 [ 34 ]

Creatures at large GOD claims

as his own peculiar property.

* All the Beasts of the Foreft are

Mine, faith the Mighty GOD , and

fo are the CATTLE upon a

thousand Hills ; I know all the

FOWLS upon the Mountains, and

the Wild BEASTS of the Field

are in My Sight. With regard to

thefe Creatures, He requires not

our care or attention . He does

not expect that we ſhould con-

cern or trouble ourſelves about

them . The Duty of Men con-

cerning Animals that are wild by

nature, lies in a very narrow com-

pals - Let them alone. Being

GOD's property, and in his fight,

GOD will provide for them . And

it is enough for us, that we invade

* Pfà . 1. 10 , II .

not
 [ 15 ]

not their province , but leave them

unmoleſted and at liberty to per-

form the tasks, and anſwer the

ends , for which GOD was pleaſed

to create them.

Our principal Duty and Bu-

fineſs it is to conſider the Crea-

tures of the tame and domeftic

kind ; ſuch as come frequently in

cur way, or are daily before our

eyes , or are appointed to the ſpe-

cial Ufe and Service of Men , and

are aſſigned over to our care , ma-

nagement , and protection . Which

Animals , if I might be permitted

to give them a particular name to

diſtinguiſh them from Brutes of

ferocity, I would denominate

Brutes of humanity, becauſe they

have not that Enmity or natural

Averfion
K 4
 [ 136 ]

Averfion to Mankind, which iş

difcernible in the reft of Brutes .

It is an inftance of the Wiſdom

and Goodness of GOD, that the

Brutes fhould be animals Irratio-

nal, and Dumb . As to Brutes of

ferocity, it is certain , that if, befide

their Strength, Swiftnefs, and

Sharpnefs of Tooth or Talon, they

were endued with the powers of

Reafon and Speech ; Men , who are

animals naturally defencelefs , and

comparatively flow of motion ,

would live in perpetual fear and

dread of them. And with regard

to Brutes of humanity, particularly

the large and laborious kind , were

they capable of Reaſon, the re-

flection upon their fubordinate

and fervile Condition would render

them
 [ 137 ]

them very unhappy in themſelves ;

and perhaps lefs tractable, and

confequently lefs uſeful to Us.

And if, to the power of Reaſon , we

ſuppoſe them likewife endued

with the power of Speech, the

inconvenience to Men would be

much greater. For thefe Brutes,

by the united faculties of Reafon

and Speech , would be able to en-

ter into combinations and confpi-

racies againſt mankind . Nor need

we doubt but that this in fact

would frequently be the cafe. By

their conftant intercourſe with

Men, they would foon difcover

our natural weakneſs, and their

own ftature and ſtrength ; and the

Senſe of their hard flavery, and of

the injurious treatment they meet

with from us, would probably

awaken
 [ 138 ]

awaken their refentment to a ge-

neral infurrection , if not to the

total throwing off the human

Yoke. It is therefore a peculiar

advantage to Men , that the Brutes

have not the faculties of Reaſon

and Speech.

It is a further proof of the

Goodneſs and Providence of GOD,

that the large Brutes of humanity,

4
whofe great ftrength and ſtature

we are fo much indebted to for

labour and draught, fhould be fo

remarkably Tractable and Tame.

For if with their ſtrength and fta-

ture they had that favageneſs and

ferocity of heart, or ' that averfion

or enmity to mankind, which

many other large brutes have,

they would be too formidable for

our
 [ 139 ]

our ufe ; and we fhould as fub-

miffively bow down before their

magnanimity and power, as we

now infult over their timidity and

inoffenfiveneſs . l'a

: bus .WON NO :

For our fervice, GOD has been

pleaſed to create theſe uſeful Ani-

mals large, and ftrong ; and for

our fecurity it is, that they are

timid, irrational, and dumb. But

certainly it does not become us to

take a cruel advantage of any of

their incapacities or defects, which

are only intended as the reins by

which we are to guide and con-

troul them. They are tendered

to us with ftrength fufficient for

labour ; but with hearts humbled,

and mollified ; and willing to fub-

mit to the delightful and noble

fervice
5
 [ 140 ]

fervice of being uſeful unto Men .

And happy are they, when they

find we accept their willing obe-

dience, by our kind and tender

ufage of them. They are entirely

in our power, and committed to

our care. And it is not impro-

bable that GOD has affigned his

own Providence over them to Us,

that they may be the more tract-

able, the more they find them-

felves dependent upon us. But

then it is our duty to confider that ,

their ſervice to us, and depend-

ance upon us, and their own natu-

ral incapacities, lay a kind of claim

and demand upon our attention

and tenderneſs , There is a con-

dition and reſtriction implied in

the compact. And as all dele-

gated Dominion is founded on ge-

5 neral
 [ 141 ]

neral Utility, the Power granted

unto Men to rule over the Brutes ,

cannot be a Power to abuſe or

opprefs them.

It is the Perfection of a wife

and good Government (not to

take away the neceffary diftinc-

tions of its fubjects, nor to put

them all upon an equality) but to

confult and provide for the hap-

pineſs of every individual accord-

ing to his reſpective ſtation .

Therefore the wife and good Law-

giver of the Univerſe, the King

of every Creature, extends his care

and concern to every ſubject in his

vaft Dominion . To the fervice of

Men he tenders Animals of various

kinds, to help our weakneffes,

and to ſupply our wants. And

to
 [ 142 ]

to preſerve due fubordination , He

has thought it good to deny to

thefe Animals thofe faculties of

Reafon and Speech, with which

he has been pleaſed to blefs

and diftinguiſh Mankind . Yet

ungrateful Man , with all his

Reaſon unreafonable, deaf to the

voice of Juſtice , and obdurate to

the feelings of Compaflion , abuſes

his Power and Dominion over

theſe poor creatures ; becauſe, for

his fake, they are defenceless , ir-

rational , and dumb ; becauſe they

are unable to refift us, and have

neither Argument to convince us

of our injuſtice , nor Speech to

utter their complaints ..

But, though MAN be cruel and

unjuſt , The LORD is righteous

and
 [ 143 ]

and merciful. The defects and

neceffities of Brutes of humanity

plead hard for pity and fupport.

And the leſs they are able to vin-

dicate themſelves againſt the abuſe

of human power , the more they

ftand in need of fuperior Interpo+

fition on their behalf. Though

beneath the notice of Men, they

are not beneath the notice of the

GOD that made them. His Mer-

cies are over all :

his Works . To

check the fwellings of our pride ,

to prevent the abuſe of our

power, and to curb the impetuofity

of our paffion and malice, He

gracioufly condeſcends to reafon

and to ſpeak for thofe , who can-

not reafon and fpeak for them-

felves . He not only pleads the

cauſe of all his creatures in ge-

neral ,
 [ 144 ]

neral, by the teftimonies of his

own Goodneſs and Mercy towards

all , obfervable by the light of

Nature, or recorded in his Holy

Word ; but he has likewife been

pleaſed to give particular Laws,

by Precept or by Example, for

the regulation of our conduct to-

wards thoſe Brutes, who are more

immediately within our power ;

and therefore are moft liable to

fuffer by the abuſe of it. What

theſe particular Laws are, I pur-

pofe now to confider. But I fhall

firſt beg leave to make a ſhort ob-

ſervation, which I recommend

to, and hope is not unworthy of

the notice of Chriftians , as it is

a proof that the God of the Chrif-

tians is a GOD that delighteth in

Mercy. Bleed be GOD, even

the
 [ 45 ]

the Father of our Lord Jefus

Chrift, the Father of Mercies, and

the God of all Comfort. 2 Cor. i. 3.

It has been the opinion of fome

Chriftians , that the Law of MO-

SES was fuperfeded by the Goſpel

of JESUS. It is not my deſign

here to enquire whether or how

far this is true . But it is with

fingular pleaſure that I obferve as

to the fubject of Mercy , and par-

ticularly of Mercy to Brutes, that

however GOD may have been

pleaſed to vary in his difpenfations

towards Mankind , by obliterating

an old Covenant to eſtabliſh a new

one, yet his Covenant for Brutes

is invariably the fame. He leaveth

them not without witnefs . Whe-

ther God of the Jew, or God of

L the
 [ 146 ]

the Gentile, He ceaſeth not to be

the Father of Mercies, and the

God of all comfort. The Laws

of Mercy and Tenderneſs towards

the Brutes, cnjoined in the Old

Teftament, he tranfcribeth into

the New Teftament, ( as I fhall

fhew in my procedure) and hath

thereby inftructed us, ―That not-

withſtanding we are the adopted

Sons of God by Grace , we are not

to forget that by Nature we are

of the Duft of the Ground, as well

as the Brutes ; That the Virtues

of Juftice, Mercy, and Humility,

are ftill as effential to a Chriſtian ,

as they were formerly to a Jew ;

and-That the Privileges of Chrif-

tianity are not intended to cancel

the Duties of Humanity .

THERE
 [ 47 ]

THERE are Three Inftances of

Regard, which the Creatures ,

who are intrufted to our care , in

confideration of their fervice, and

dependance upon us, have an un-

doubted right to , and which on

the principles of natural Religion

they may juſtly demand of us ;

and theſe are FOOD, REST, and

TENDER USAGE . Thefe three

demands of Food , Reft, and Ten-

der Ufage, the Goodness of the

great GOD their Creator has been

pleaſed to covenant for on their

behalf, and to enjoin and ratify in

his written Law.

I. As to the duty of giving them

FOOD in due feafon , It is thus

commanded in the fifth Book

of Mofes, intituled Deuteronomy,

L 2 or
 [ 148 ]

or the Repetition of the Law.

(Ch. xxv . 4. ) Thou shalt not muzzle

when he the OX that treadeth out the corn.

This is a precept of juſtice and

mercy. The Cattle are upon the

whole, the cheapeſt ſervants that

we keep . They want neither our

Money nor our Cloaths . Gold

and Silver are of no more account

with them, than the ftones of the

ftreet. And as to Cloaths , they

are provided by Nature with better

and more durable garments than

all the Art of Man can furniſh

them with . In this they have the

advantage of us and if they were

as capable of pride as Men are,

they would put this endowment

and array of nature into the ba-

lance, as more than a counter-

poife to Solomon in all his Glory.

For
 [ 149 ]

For let a man be ever fo well

dreffed, his cloaths are but the

covering of his fhame, and arti-

ficial fupplies for natural defects .

Every ornament he wears to grace

his perfon, is a tacit acknowlege-

ment that without that ornament

he would be lefs beautiful and

amiable ; and that in himſelf he

is fo imperfect, that he ſtands in

need of invented ornaments to fet

him off. And even his neceffary

cloaths are either taken from the

ground which the cattle tread

under their feet, or elfe are bor-

rowed fkins, borrowed feathers , or

borrowed hair. The creatures ,

which we defpife, wore them, be-

fore we had them , and could call

them their own ; whilft we are

glad to be their heirs , and to wear

L 3 them
 { 150 ]

them at fecond hand, when they

have left them off : nor even then

can we apply them to our uſe and

fervice, without much contrivance

and preparation . But to the

Brutes their cloaths are fuitable to

their wants ; they are the endow-

ments of Nature, and the gifts of

GOD . And well for them it is ,

that Nature has in this inftance

been fo bountiful and indulgent

towards them ; for if many of the

cattle were as ill cloathed , as they

are too often ill fed and hard

wrought, they would be wretched

creatures indeed .

FOOD is all the Wages, which

the laboring Brutes expect or de-

fire, for all their toil and drudgery

in the fervice of Man ; and to

deny
 [ 151 ]

deny them Food is not only im-

prudent in the Maſter on his own

account, but it is barbarous,

wicked, and unjuft. They afk

only the Grass of your field, I

mean the graſs of the field ; for

You have no property in nature .

We are only temporary tenants,

with leave to take to our uſe the

fruits of the earth . The foil is

the property of GOD, the Lord

Paramount of the Manor, who

hath made the graſs to grow for the

CATTLE. The grafs of the

field therefore is no gift of your's

to them ; it is their right ; their

property ; itwas provided for

*
them , and given to them , be-

* And GOD faid - To every BEAST of the

Earth - I have given every green Herb for
Meat. Gen. i . 30.
L4 fore
 [ 152 ]

fore MAN was created . And as

Man cannot eat grafs, and the

Beaſt aſks for that only, which

man cannot eat, to withhold or

forbid it , is a robbery and a ſin.

Therefore if to gratify thine ap-

1
petite or avarice, thou ploweft up
one field , and to fave the fweat

of thine own brow, inftead of

digging it with a ſpade, makeſt

ufe of the labor and ftrength of

thy cattle to plow it for thee ; in

the name of gratitude and juftice,

forget not thy benefactors, but

allow them another field , or fome-

thing equivalent to it, in lieu of

that which you have taken from

them. Muzzle not the Oxen, that

tread out thy corn. Confider well ,

if the corn you fow and reap is

thy corn, not their corn ; the

3 grafs
 [ 153 ]

grafs you dig up is their grafs , not

your grafs. And when God ap-

pointed you to be maſter of the

beaſt, and tenant of the field ,

he gave you no right to deprive

your beaft of that food which God

hath ordained for him ; but as

Lord of the Manor he demands of

you a quit- rent for the uſe of the

beaſt that plows and labors for

thee .

I know indeed it is unnecef-

fary, and might ſeem like trifling,

to endeavour to perfuade, or con-

vince a man of the reaſonableness,

expediency, or advantage accruing

to himſelf, in feeding his Horſe

or his Ox ; the Owner's intereſt

will prompt him to it , without

advice. The moft cruel Mafter

will
 [ 154 ]

will not ftarve the Slave by whom

he gets his bread ; nay, perhaps ,

will give him Food enough to go

through his work ; but this is

not all that is required in the di-

vine precept, Muzzle not the OX

that treadeth out the corn. For if

food and barely food enough to

fupport life is all that is meant by

it, I prefume it would not have

been delivered as a facred com-

mand . Not to MUZZLE the

OX, implies fomething elfe than

not to farve him. To ftarve him

to death is fuch a mixture of Folly

and Cruelty, that no man of com-

mon fenfe or common humanity

can ever be ſuppoſed to be guilty

of it. But to muzzle him whilft

treading out the corn , or laboring

for the food of Man , is not un-

ufual
 [ 155 ]

ufual even with thofe who would

be efteemed Merciful . The pre-

cept therefore enjoins the Care

and Attention of the Mafter, to

the Eafe and Happinefs of his

Beaft ; and that he ought not to

fuffer the poor creature to be tan-

talized with the fight of what is

agreeable to him, or would be a

refreſhment to him , and refuſe to

indulge his longing appetite . His

labor deferves wages ; and his

particular labor, at the time of

*
treading corn for the appetite

of man , fhould remind us that the

beaft has his appetite likewife .

* The OX is not to be muzzled, when be

treads out the Corn ; for it would be unreason-
able to deny any Thing a part of the fruit of its
can Labours. JOSEPHUS, Jewish Antiq.
Book iv. Ch. 6 ,

The
 [ 156 ]

The circumftance of the work it

felf fhould then make us more at-

tentive to his wants ; and the

harder his task is, the more it be-

hoves the maſter to alleviate his

fatigue by frequent indulgencies

and refreſhment. To fuffer a

-
beaft therefore, who is laboring

for the ſupport of our nature, and

who is as fenfible of hunger as we'

are, and yet harneffed and re-

ſtrained from indulging his appe-

tite , whilft we can gratify our

own whenever we pleaſe ; to fuf-

fer this uſeful Beaft to pine for his

meat, is putting a muzzle to the

Ox that treadeth out the corn ; and

though this may not be called an

abſolute act of cruelty , yet in my

opinion it has a tendency to un-

mercifulneſs and injuſtice.

And
 [ 57 ]

And, if fo, no leſs unmerciful

and unjuft is it to withhold from

the laboring Beaft his due quantity

of Drink, which is as neceffary to

his fupport and refreſhment as

Meat, and is part of his food as

well as grafs or ftraw . - The

Lord covereth the heaven with

CLOUDS, and prepareth RAIN

for the earth ; -To give to the

BEAST his Food. Pfa. cxlvii . 8 , 9 .

And He fendeth the SPRINGS

into the Valleys which run among

the Hills ; To give DRINK to

every BEAST of the Field ; and

the Wild ASSES quench their

Thirst. Pfa. civ . 10, 11 ..

II The

Wild ASSES and Brutes at large,

T can quench their thirst at every

call of Nature . But the Tame

ASS, the Beafts of the Field,

Horfes
 [ 158 ]

Horfes and Oxen , for whoſe fake,

likewife, the Springs were fent

into the vallies , being harneffed ,

yoked, bridled, or muzzled , muſt

wait their Maſter's pleaſure . Yet

no pretence of trouble or incon-

venience, no lame excufe of bu-

finefs , hurry, or forgetfulneſs can

exempt the mafter from his

bounden duty to give food to the

hungry, and drink to the thirsty.

Even Religion itſelf muft yield to

the Laws of Mercy : and the moſt

facred Seafons are profaned and

mifemployed by the man who ne-

glects to attend to the wants of

his Cattle . When our Bleffed

Saviour reproved the ruler of the

Synagogue for his fuperftitious no-

tions concerning the Sabbath, as

if JESUS had broken the com-

mand-
3
 [ 159 ]

mandment by healing a diſeaſed

woman on the Sabbath Day, He

1
puts this queſtion to him ; -Doth

not each one of you on the Sabbath

loofe his OX or his ASS from the

Stall, and lead him away to WA-

TERING?(Lu . xiii . 15. ) In which

queſtion , our Lord takes it for

granted that it was their duty to

lead away their Cattle to Water-

ing even on the Sabbath Day, the

Day in which the Cattle were to

do no manner of work. Now if to

looſe them from the Stall , and to

lead them away to Watering was a

duty on the Sabbath Day, or Day

of Reft, it must be an indifpenf-

able duty to give them the re-

freſhment of Water in the Days of

Work, and toil , and fweat. And

to borrow a text from the prophet

Ifaiah ,
 [ 160 ]

Ifaiah, (taking the words as I find

them , without examining into

their occafion or connexion , ) a

Bleffing attends this particular in-

ftance of duty in leading them to

the watering, whether to quench

their thirſt, or to cool their parch-

ed feet : BLESSED are Ye that

Jow befide all WATERS, that

fend forth thither the feet of the

OX and the ASS. Ifa . xxxii . 20 .

It is recorded of REBECCA,

the Sifter of Laban , ( Gen. xxiv.)

when she went to the well to fill

her pitcher, and faw the Camels

of Abraham , though the knew

not whoſe Camels they were, fhe

faid unto the fervant, that was

with them , I will draw WATER

for thy CAMELS until they have

done
 [ 161 ]

done drinking. A very laborious.

taſk for a young woman to under-

take, (confidering that Camels are

very large beafts that drink water

in great abundance , which is to

ferve them for long travel in dry

deferts ; and here were no fewer

than ten of theſe great thirſty

beafts to fatisfy ; ) nevertheleſs fhe

faid, I will draw for the CA-

MELS until they have done drink-

ing, that is, till they have drank

their fill. And fhe was as good

as her word, for it is faid ,

(ver. 20. ) he hafted and emptied

her pitcher into the trough, and

ran again unto the well to draw

WATER, and drew for ALL

his CAMELS * . And when her

M brother

* What a contraſt to the tenderneſs of Re-

becca is the hardheartedneſs of our Sporting

females,
 [ 162 ]

brother LABAN had invited the

fervant to come to his houfe ; be-

fore he gave any thing to the men

to eat, it is expreffively faid

(ver. 32. ) that he UNGIRDED

the CAMELS, andgave STRAW

and PROVENDER for the CA-

MELS. A circumftance this of

fmall importance, were it not an

example written for our admoni-

nition , and worthy our imitation .

females, who can teftify their delight in the

piercing groans of the dying and more delicate
STAG. In minds fo abominably callous, Re-
ligion can have no place. Elfe I am perfuaded,
that the pious ejaculation of the King of Ifrael
muft make fome impreffion upon them, and
cauſe them to relent, when the innocent and
injured Brute is Taking to Soil, through the
favage cruelty of thofe, in whofe fex Tender-
----
nefs fhould be Nature As the HART pant-
eth after the Water Brooks, So panteth my Soul
after Thee, O GOD. Pfa. xlii. 1 .

The
 [ 163 ]

The Camels, though faint and fa-

tigued, might not have periſhed,

if the men had eaten and refreſhed

themſelves before notice taken of

the Cattle. But Compaffion urged

him to take the firft care of thoſe

Creatures, who could not take

care of themſelves ; he had re-

gard to their happineſs . Rebecca

had given drink to ALL the Ca-

mels ; and the next buſineſs was

to ungird and relieve them from

their burthens ; and then to give

them provender to eat, and ſtraw

to lie down and reft themfelves

upon ; Therefore he ungirded the

Camels, and gave ſtraw and pro-

vender for the Camels, before any

refreſhment was offered to the

Men. The neceffities of the cat-

tle engaged his first attention ;

M 2 and
 [ 164 ]

and the more fpeedy the relief,

the more confpicuous was the hu-

manity of it. Suffer not the beaſt

then, that has carried you or your

baggage, and for your fake has

borne the burthen and heat of the

day, to wait long for his neceffary

refreſhment, but allow it him in

good time. For his daily labor

give him his daily wages, and re-

freſh him as oft and as foon as

he is weary.

Mofes gives this Law with re-

gard to Day Servants (Lev. xix .

13. ) Thou shalt not defraud thy

Neighbour neither rob him ; the

Wages of him that is hired, fhall

not abide with thee all night until

the morning and again (Deut.

xxiv. 15. ) At his Day thou shalt

5 give
 [ 165 ]

give him his Hire, neither ſhall the

fun go down upon it, for he is poor

and fetteth his heart upon it ; left

he cry against thee unto the Lord,

and it be fin unto thee. To with-

hold daily wages from them to

whom it is daily due , who want

it, and ſet their heart upon it, is

in the account of Mofes a Fraud,

a Robbery, a Sin, and a crying

Sin.
And St. James denounces

the judgments of GOD againſt

thoſe that defraud the laborer of

his hire : (Ch . v. 1-4 . ) Go to now,

ye rich men, weep and howl for

your miferies, that ſhall come upon

you . Behold, the Hire of the La-

borers, which have reaped down

your fields, which is of you kept

back by fraud, crieth : and the

cries of them, which have reaped,

M 3 are
 [ 166 ]

are entered into the ears of the

Lord of Sabaoth. Now, if it is a

fraud, a robbery, a fin , and a

crying fin to withhold and keep

back the wages of the Hireling ;

it muſt be a fin to withhold and

keep back food and refreſhment ,

which is the hire and wages of the

Cattle ; for they both alike want

it, and ſet their hearts upon it.

The reafon and rule of justice is

the fame in both cafes. The Ox

that draws the plow, is as necef-

fary a Servant as the Laborer who

guides it ; and they have equally

a claim to indulgence and tender-

nefs . The fame Law provides for

both . The cries of the defrauded

Beaft, as well as of the defrauded

Laborer will enter into the ears of

the Lord of Hofts ; for He that

faid,
5
 [ 167 ]

faid, Defraud not the LABORER,

faid alfo, Muzzle not the OX.

St. PAUL was fo fenfible of

the cloſe connexion of theſe two

important Precepts, enjoined by

the fame Authority , and grounded

upon the fame Principle of Juf-

tice and Humanity, that (in his

firft Epiftle to Timothy) he claffes

them together in ſuch a manner,

that it is plain he underſtood them

both to be of equal weight and

obligation , and he quotes them

both as texts of holy Scripture :

( 1 Tim. v. 18. ) The Scripturefaith,

Thou shalt not MUZZLE the

OX, that treadeth out the corn ;

And, the LABORER is worthy of

bis reward. The former precept

the Apoſtle likewiſe quotes in his

M 4 firſt
 [ 168 ]

firft epiftle to the Corinthians ,

and introduces it by declaring that

the precept was more than human ,

it was of divine authority : Say I

theſe things as a Man ? Or faith

not the Law the fame alfo ? For it

is written in the Law of Mofes,

Thou shalt not MUZZLE the

mouth of the OX, that treadeth

out the corn . I Cor. ix. 8 , 9 .

From the queſtion immediately

following theſe words, -Doth God

take care for Oxen ? Some might

infer, that the Apoſtle meant to

fet aſide or weaken the precept ;

or that it is only to be interpreted

in a figurative or typical fenfe.

To me it appears in another light,

and that the inference of the

Apoſtle is an eſtabliſhment of the

command-
 [ 169 ]

commandment. It was the fcope

of St. Paul , to prove that the Mi-

nifters of the Goſpel have a right

to a maintenance, becauſe they

labor in the word and doctrine * :

and to this purpoſe he might have

laid the ſtreſs of his reafoning

upon the almoft fimilar cafe of

the Maintenance of the Priefts

under the Jewish Law, (which in-

deed he notices in ver. 13. ) but he

begins with an argument of greater

force and more extenfive obliga-

tion , which the change of the

Priesthood did not, and could not

cancel ; an argument, which,

though enjoined by the Law of

Mofes, was founded on the Law

of Nature, and acknowleged by

heathens and infidels, viz . that

I Tim. v. 17.

the
 [ 170 ]

the laboring Beaſt had a right to

fupport and if the voice of na-

ture, and of the God of nature

require and command that the

Cattle fhall have the wages of

their work, it is but reafonable

that They which wait at the altar ,

fhould be partakers with the altar * ;

and for the fame reaſon , the Lord

had ſo ordained that they which

preach the gospel, ſhould live of the

gofpel +. This then was the force

of the Apoftle's argument, not to

infringe the duties of humanity

and tenderneſs to the brutes, but

to confirm them , and thereupon

to build an argument of fimilar

nature. To fuppofe otherwife, is

to accufe the Apoſtle of weak

reaſoning. It is to ſuppoſe him

* 1 Cor. ix. 13. + Ver. 14.

to
 [ 171 ]

to lay a foundation , and then to

dig it up as foon as he begins to

erect his building, which would

*
be no great credit to a wife

mafter builder.

Upon the equity of the Maxim,

acknowleged by all men , that the

Laborer is worthy of his reward ;

and upon the poſitive Precept of

the Law, that the Laboring OX

fhould not be muzzled ; St. Paul

grounds his proof, that the claim

of the Miniſtry to a maintenance

is both juſt and legal . He thought

his argument fo ftrong and evident

upon this foundation , that he

fcruples not to compare the cafe

of himſelf and his brethren to

that of Oxen plowing in the field.

I Cor. iii, ro,

* 1

Nor
 [ 172 ]

Nor did he do any difcredit to his

minifterial character by the pa-

rallel , or produce an inftance un-

becoming the dignity of his fub-

ject. For his bleffed Maſter upon

a matter of more extenfive im-

portance, than the maintenance of

the miniſtry, deſcends much lower

than St. Paul has done in this in-

ftance. Our Lord JESUS, to

teach his difciples the duty and

fecurity of trusting in GOD for

protection or deliverance from

trouble, might have carried their

thoughts to reflect upon the inter-

pofing and overruling providence

of GOD in the affairs and revolu-

tions of ſtates and empires ; or

might have drawn his argument

from the general view of nature

directed by his wiſdom and love ;

but
 [ 173 ]

but instead of this, he reminds them

to confider the Sparrows : * Are

not Two SPARROWS fold for

a farthing, and one of them fhall

not fall on the ground without your

Father? Fear ye not therefore, Ye

are of more value than many Spar-

rows. What then, are Sparrows

of no value at all ? The compa-

rifon itſelf, on which the argu-

ment is founded, fhews that they

are of fome, though ſmall value.

And if the fimilar queftion of St.

Paul fhould here occur , -Doth

GOD take care for Sparrows ?

Yes furely, as certainly as he takes

care for men, if our Saviour, who

had + the words of eternal Life,

fpake fo as to be underſtood . We

have here then it ſeems the judg-

* Matt . x. 29 , 31. † John vi. 68.

ment
 [ 174 ]

ment of JESUS, whoſe authority

alone is fufficient, and the judg-

ment of Paul on the authority of

Mofes, that Sparrows and Oxen

are objects of the care and pro-

vidence of GOD : but with this

difference, that whilft GOD fhews

his care for Oxen mediately, by

recommending them to the care of

men ; he takes care for Sparrows

immediately, by providing for

them himſelf. The meannefs or

apparent infignificancy of the crea

ture, how deſpicable foever in the

judgment of Men , is no obftruc-

tion to the love of GOD towards

it ; and upon the debaſement of

the fubject, Chrift and his Apoſtle

thought most to exalt the divine

Goodness, and thereby to prove

the Love of GOD unto Men.

Shew
 [ 175 ]

Shew me then the Chriftian who

denies the providence of GOD

over the Birds of the Air, and I

fhould doubt whether his faith.

were fufficient to ſupport him in

the day of trial . Or fhew me the

Miniſter of Chrift, who imagines .

that GOD doth not take care for

Oxen, and I ſhould think he de-

ferves to be muzzled, till he hath

better learned CHRIST. But as

our Saviour in the one cafe proves

the Providence of GOD over Men.

from his Providence over the Birds.

of the Air ; fo doth the Apoftle

evince the reaſonableneſs and juf-

tice of the Maintenance of the

Miniſtry from his Commandment

of juſtice and mercy to the labor-

ing Man and Beaft of the Field ;

For the Scripture faith, Thou shalt

not
 [ 176 ]

not muzzle the OX that treadeth

out the corn : and, The LA-

BOURER is worthy of his re-

ward *. And again , Who plant-

eth a vineyard, and eateth not of

the fruit thereof? or Who feedeth

a flock, and eateth not of the milk

of the flock ? Say I thefe things as

a Man ? or faith not the Law

the fame alfo ? For it is written in

the Law of Mofes, Thou shalt not

muzzle the mouth of the OX that

treadeth out the corn † . The

cafes being fimilar, the rule of

equity

I Tim. v. 18.
* 1

+ 1 Cor. ix. 7, 8, 9.

The Similarity of thefe cafes explain to

us the reaſon why men, who are cruel to their
Cattle, do generally bear hardeft upon their
Minifters ; and why they, who make no
fcruple to defraud their Minifters of their juft
and
 [ £ 77 ]

equity is the fame. And the

conclufion is this ; that, fince it is

the merciful Sanction of both

Teftaments , that the Ox that la-

bours for the Service of man fhall

not be muzzled ; the laborious

Beaft of every kind , whether Ox,

or Horſe , or Aſs , has a juft right

to every refreſhment of nature .

And though he may not always

be at work, yet, as his whole life

and ſtrength is devoted to the fer-

vice of his maſter, and awaits his

pleaſure to work or not to work

at his command , the Maſter's care

and legal maintenance, are generally moſt cruel

to their Cattle. The Precept of the Apoſtle
ſeems to contain a Prophecy, that Cruelty and
Sacrilege are fins that will go hand in hand
together. I beg to recommend this obfer-
vation to the ferious confideration of the
Clergy .

N and
 [ 178 ]

and attention to him ought never

to ceafe . Whether at work or

not at work, he is his Mafter's

fervant and dependent ; and the

maſter by the compact and inden-

ture of the great Law of natural

juſtice is bound to fupport him.

And if the Beaſt cannot help him-

A
felf to what he wants, it is the

Mafter's duty to fupply him with

it.

Be it thy Care and Duty there-

fore, if thou art the Mafter of a

laboring Brute, to obferve the

foregoing precepts and examples

in the article of Food and Refreſh-

ment. When thy Beaft is at

work for thee, * MUZZLE HIM

* Deut. XXV. 4.

NOT.
 [ 179 ]

NOT. When he hath carried

thee or thy burthen , Eafe him,

+ UNGIRD him, and give him

STRAW and PROVENDER.

And when tied to the full crib,

if it be too much trouble to thee

to empty thy pitcher into the

trough, and to DRAW WATER

for him, yet at leaſt remember to

loofe him from the fall, and either

§fend him forth, or || lead him

away to WATERING.

But to proceed .

II. To give the Cattle FOOD,

and food in due ſeaſon , is but a part

of our duty towards them ; or but

+ Gen. xxiv. 32. Gen. xxiv. 20.

§ Ifa. xxxii . 20. Luke xiii. 15.

N 2 one
 [ 180 ]

one duty amongst others. A man

may feed his beaft till he fwells

with fatneſs, and yet be cruel to

him , if he works him above his

ftrength, or gives him not fuffi-

cient REST . And here again

the Goodneſs of GOD their Crea-

tor condefcends to interfere on

their behalf. For it is thus writ-

ten in the firft table of the Ten

Commandments , eſtabliſhed as the

great Rule of Practice throughout

the Jewiſh and the Chriftian

World :-Remember the * Sabbath

Day

By the Sabbath DAY, I mean every

Seventh DAY fet apart as a day of Reft and
Devotion according to the ufage of different
nations and it appears to me of little mo-
ment what day of the week is fet apart to this
end, provided the order offix and the ſeventh
is
 [ 181 ]

Day to keep it holy. In it thou

fhalt not do any work, Thou, nor

thy

is obferved. If the Chriftian Church had

appointed Saturday to have been continued as

the Sabbath, and the State had confirmed that
appointment, it would have been our duty to
have obferved the Saturday, and not the Sun-
day. The very change of the day by buman
authority (for no one will fay that our Lord
Jefus Chrift appointed the change) fhews that
one day is not intrinfically more holy than
another, and yet that the obfervance of a fe-
venth-day Sabbath, or of a ſabbath every fe-
venth day is abfolutely neceffary for the fake
of man and beaft, and conformable to the di-
vine commandment . I mention this, to pre-

clude any Chriſtian from endeavoring to evade

the force of my enfuing argument taken from
the Jewish Law, under pretence that the day
being changed, the defign of the command-
ment is in part changed likewife ; and that
the Letter of the Law of Mofes is not bind-

ing upon Chriftians. I grant that the letter

of the Law as to the particular day is not bind-

ing, but the fpirit of the Law, being a Law

N3 of
 [ 182 ]

thy Son, nor thy Daughter, thy

man Servant, nor thy maid Ser-

vant, nor thy CATTLE, nor thy

Stranger that is within thy gates

( Exod . xx. 8, 10. ) This com-

mandment is addreffed to Maſters

and Fathers of families, as is evi-

dent from the pronouns, thy fon,

thy daughter, thy fervant, thy cat-

tle. The tranfgreffion therefore

against it, whether by Child, Ser-

vant, or Beaft, is the fin of the

Father or Mafter ; and the moſt

punctual obfervation of it on the

of Mercy, is ftill binding, notwithſtanding

our Chriſtian Liberty. For I cannot believe
that our Lord Jefus, who came to fulfil all
Righteoufnefs, ever meant, in any thing he
faid or did, to cancel one fingle duty of Juf-
tice or Mercy.

* Matt. iii. 15. V. 17.

Mafter's
 [ 183 ]

Mafter's part is not enough, unleſs

the defign of it extends to all

under his care . It is likewife a

Commandment of Mercy, as ex-

plained by our Lord Jefus Chrift :

(Mark ii. 27. ) The Sabbath was

made for Man, and not Man for

the Sabbath. That is to fay, The

Ordinances of Religion are in-

tended for the Benefit of thoſe to

whom they are injoined. The

Supreme Being ſtands not in need

of the fervice of Men , nor can

any of our Acts of Devotion * pro-

fit him at all. It is for our fake,

and for the fake of general good

to his creatures, that they are in-

ftituted. The Sabbath, which is

* Can a Man be profitable unto GOD, as

be that is wife may be profitable unto himself?
Job xxii. 2.

N 4 an
 [ 184 ]

an Ordinance of Religion , is a

merciful diſpenſation to all that are

included in the commandment

And unleſs the Sabbath be fancti-

fied by Works of Mercy and Be-

nevolence, at leaſt , if they are

neglected when opportunity for

them offers, the intent of it is

fruftrated . For thefe are the

weightier Matters of the Law,

which must be done, and which

men of employment have more

leifure to do on the Sabbath Day,

than on other days . When there-

fore the ruler of the fynagogue

faid unto the people with indig-

nation, becauſe JESUS had done

a Work of Mercy to a difeafed

woman on that day, (Luke xiii .

14.) There are fix days in which

men ought to work ; in them there-

fore
 [ 185 ]

fore come and be healed, and not

on the Sabbath Day ; Our Lord

vouchfafes him no better a name

than Hypocrite for his nice dif-

tinction ; and inſtead of recurring

to the refinements of School Di-

vinity, he appeals to the plain and

more certain and eafy dictates of

nature and common fenfe , and

demonſtrates the duty of mercy

on that day from a known prac-

tice amongſt themſelves ; Doth not

each one ofyou on the Sabbath loofe

his OX or his ASS from the ftall,

and lead him away to watering ?

In which queſtion he infers one

duty from another ; and is fo far

from blaming them for this work

of mercy to an Ox or an Afs , that

hẹ highly approves it by making

it the groundwork of his own

apology.
 [ 186 ~ ]

apology and the inference and

argument was fo humane, fo ex-

cellent, and ſtriking, that it is

faid (ver. 17. ) all his adverfaries

were ashamed, or confounded.

Again, when he healed a man

that had the dropfy, and the Pha-

rifees watched him, becauſe it was

the Sabbath Day, and Jefus put this

queſtion to them , (Luke xiv. 5.)

Which ofyou shall have an ASS,

or an OX fallen into a pit, and

will not straightway pull him out

on the Sabbath Day? it follows

immediately, (ver. 6. ) and they

could not anfwer him again to thefe

things ; or, they tacitly fubmitted

to the force of his reafoning,

And at another time, when there

was a man in the fynagogue, which

bad his hand withered, and they

afked
 [ 187 ]

afked Jefus, faying, (Matt. xii. 10,

11.) Is it lawful to heal on the

Sabbath Days ? He faid unto them,

What man fball there be among you,

that shall have one SHEEP, and

if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath

Day, will be not lay hold on it and

lift it out ? (ver. 12. ) Wherefore it

is lawful to do well on the Sabbath

Day. It is lawful, that is, it is

fo far from being an infringement

of the commandment, that the

Omiflion of an act of Mercy even

to an Ox, or an Afs, or a Sheep,

that may ftand in need of it ,

would be a tranfgreffion againſt

the benevolent Defign of it. For

as he obferves before in this chap-

ter, (ver. 7. ) God will have Mercy

and not Sacrifice, or he preferreth

mercy to facrifice ; and he adds

(ver.
 [ 188 ]

(ver. 8.) The Son of man is Lord

even of the Sabbath Day ; as much

as to fay, Every man is fo far a

Lord of the Sabbath, that though

Mercy and Sacrifice are both re-

quired, yet when it ſo happens ,

that the one cannot be performed

but at the omiffion of the other,

a Man is juſtified as LORD of the

Sabbath, and beft fulfils the mind

of the Inftitutor , to give Mercy

the preference. That by Son of

man he means Mankind in gene-

ral, is evident from the parallel

place to this in the Goſpel of St.

Mark, (ch. ii . 27. ) in which the

laft quoted fentence is introduced

thus, -The Sabbath was made for

Man, and not Man for the Sab-

bath, i. e. Man was not created

for the fake of keeping a Sabbath ;

3 but
 [ 189 ]

but the Sabbath , after man was

created, was inftituted for the

fake of MAN : and according to

Our Saviour's comment in the paſ-

fages above mentioned, for the

fake of BEAST likewife.

Remember the Sabbath Day, is

but another phrafe for Remember

Mercy ; or, Remember that the

Sabbath was ordained principally

for the rest and refreshment of all

concerned and mentioned in the

commandment, whether child, or

fervant, or beaft . That this was the

principal defign of the inſtitution ,

is further evident from the com-

ment of the Lawgiver himſelf ;

(Exod.xxiii. 12. ) On thefeventh day

Thou shalt reft ; that thine OXand

thine ASS may REST ; (here they

are
 [ 190 ]

are named first) ; and theſon of thÿj

handmaid and the Stranger may be

refreshed. And in the repetition

of the Law, ( Deut . v. 14. ) it is

thus written in fuller terms with

a Memento fubjoined ; Thou shalt

not do any work, thou, nor thy ſon,

nor thy daughter, nor thy man fer-

vant, nor thy maid fervant, nor

thine OX, nor thine ASS, nor any

of thy CATTLE, nor thy and

Stranger

that is within thy gates RE-

MEMBER that thou waft a fer-

vant in the land of Egypt ; i. e.

Let the Recollection of thy former

hard fervitude under the yoke of

Egypt, teach thee the duty and

reaſonableness of compaffion and

tenderneſs to ALL that labor on

thy account, whether they be thy

Children , thy Servants , thy CAT-

TLE ,
 [ 191 ]

TLE, the OX that plows for thee ,

the ASS that carries thee or thy

burden , or the Stranger in thy

gates .

By the Stranger that is within

thy gates, I fuppofe is meant, thy

hireling, dayman , or journeyman ,

who is not of thy family, or fo

wholly dependent upon thee, as

thy children, fervants, or cattle.

Therefore the Stranger is men-

tioned laft, becauſe if you give

him not Reft, he can leave you

when he pleaſes, and give reft to

himſelf. But thy children, fer-

vants, and cattle, being always

with thee, and under thy autho-

rity, and without redrefs , it is for

their fakes the commandment

feems principally intended ; and

3 there-
 [ 192 ]

therefore they are named before

the ſtranger, to whom you ought

to give fuch allowance for his fix

days work, that he may be able

to maintain himſelf on the Sabbath

day, without doing any manner of

work ; elſe you are inftrumental

to his breaking the fabbath .

It is faid in the beginning of

the Commandment , * Remember

the

In the Church Catechism , the Order is

changed thus, Remember that thou keep Holy
the Sabbath Day, which feems to intimate that
Holiness was the principal end of the inftitu-
tion. And again in the conclufion , inſtead of
The Lord bleed the Sabbath Day, we read in
the Catechism, The Lord bleffed the ſeventh day.
Why the Order of the words was changed in
the Beginning, or why the word Seventh was
fubftituted for the word Sabbath in the Con-

clufion,
 [ 193 ]

the Sabbath Day to keep it Ho-

LY : and it is faid in the con-

clufion of it, The Lord BLESSED

the Sabbath Day, and HALLOW-

ED it. GOD firſt gave a Blef-

fing to the laboring man and

beaſt, by ordaining a Sabbath ; and

then he Hallowed or fanctified it to

holy duties . In the divine mind

mercy precedes facrifice ; for it is

not faid , he hallowed it, and bleſſed

it, but, he bleſſed it , and hallowed it .

Again , it is faid in the Command-

ment, The Lord blessed the SAB-

.
clufion, I enquire not ; yet, in my humble
opinion, the force and benevolent defign of
the Commandment is much weakened by the
tranfpofition and miſtranſlation . For Sabba:h
doth not imply Holiness, though Holiness is4
enjoined on the Sabbath Day. Nor doth Sab-

bath denote Seventh, though the ſeventh day

is the Sabbath day.

O ВАТН
 [ 194 ]

BATH Day, or the day of REST :

for Sabbath denotes Reft : and the

Sabbath, if GOD had ſo pleaſed,

might have been every fixth or

eighth day, or without any ſpecial

Holiness. The Commandment in-

deed hath appointed the Sabbath

or Reft to be on the ſeventh day ;

and the Reft of the Seventh day

affords leiſure for fpiritual duties ;

therefore GOD hath enjoined

Sanctification as well as Reft on

that day but the firſt motive to

the appointment was Mercy to

man and beaft ; for the Sabbath

was made for man, and not man

for the Sabbath. Therefore if thou ,

who art a Mafter, workeft on

the fabbath day, you fin , becaufe

you do not Sanctify it according

to the commandment : but if you

do
 [ 195 ]

do no work thyself, and yet fet

your Servants and Cattle to work

on that day, then you fin like-

wife, becauſe you do not Bless it

according to the defign of it.

The Commandment is twofold in

its fubject, -Bleſs it, and Sanctify

it : and it is twofold in its ob-

ject,-Do no work, and Require no

work. Confequently, the moſt

fcrupulous obſervance of the fab-

bath on thine own part, though

you were to ſpend the whole day

in acts of public and private de→

votion, and yet ſpare not the la

bor of thy Servants and Cattle,

would not be keeping the Day unto

the Lord; it would be an imper→

fect and partial obfervance ; it

might be fanctifying it as to thy-

felf, but it would not be bleffing
O 2 it,
 [ 196 ]

it, according to the inftitution of

it, in mercy to the laborious man

and beaft ; I fay, man and beast,

for they are both exprefly men-

tioned in the commandment : and

the great Creator, having con-

fidered them both, and having

appointed a feventh day as a day

of Bleffing, as well as of Sanctifi-

cation , will not accept thy felf-

fanctification of the day of Sab-

bath, unleſs thine OX, and thine

ASS , and thy CATTLE, as well

as thy children and fervants par-

take of the bleſſing of it.

I know indeed there may be

cafes of neceflity, which require

the labor of the cattle on the Sab-

bath day and I am not fo pre-

cife as to fuppofe it a fin , in fuch

5 cafes ,
 [ 197 ]

cafes, to make ufe of their labor ;

for as our Savior fays, the Son of

Man is LORD of the Sabbath * . But

then it is my duty to confider

whether my beaft hath in the pre-

ceding week fulfilled his fix days

tafk of labor. If he hath not

fulfilled it, or has had fome day

or days of reft therein , I do not

fin in the ufe of him. If he hath

done his full task in the week, I

ought to ſpare him for another

beaſt that hath not fulfilled his

taſk. But, if neceffity compels me

to fet the fame beaſt to a ſeventh

day labor, who hath fulfilled his

fix days work ; then I fin , if I do

not REMEMBER , as foon as my ur-

gent bufinefs is over, to affign

him another day for his Sabbath,

in lieu of that which I have taken

* Matt. xii. 8.

03 from
 [ 198 ]

from him. For as SABBATH was

ordained for beaſt as well as man ,

though the beast is not capable

of keeping the fabbath as a day of

San&tification, he hath by the com-

mand of God a right to a Sab-

bath as a day of Reft and Bleſſing,

And as GOD in his goodneſs

hath appointed a Sabbath or day

of REST for the Cattle, and hath

thereby inftructed us in the duty

of Mercy towards them ; it necef-

farily follows, that we ought not

on any day of the week to over-

work them, or lay too hard bur-

thens upon them . For as the end

of the commandment is Charity,

and founded upon mercy ; every

inftance of unmercifulneſs is a

tranfgreffion , though not of the

letter,
 [ 199 ]

letter, yet of the intent and

1 of commandment .
extent this

Therefore if a man were to ob-

ferve and keep the legal or efta-

bliſhed fabbath ever ſo ſcrupu-

loufly, (neither doing any work

himſelf, nor ſuffering any of his

children, fervants, or cattle to do

any manner of work on that day,)

and yet on the other days of the

week put them to work above

their ftrength, or keep them too

long to work without allowing

them fufficient Reft, I would not.

ſcruple to pronounce that man to

be a daily Sabbath breaker : be-

cauſe he daily tranfgreffes that ge-

neral Law of Mercy, to promote

which a Sabbath was principally

inftituted . Nor will the pretence

that a working day is not the Sab-

04 bath
 [ 200 ]

bath Day juftify an act of un-

mercifulness, any more than it

will juſtify an act of unbolineſs ;

unleſs it can be fhewn that holi-

nefs and mercy, becauſe particu-

larly enjoined on the feventh day,

are fo limited to the feventh day,

that for fix days following a man

has leave to be as profane and as

cruel as he pleaſes . With GOD

all days are alike , as to the effen-

tial duties of religion and morality.

Holineſs and Mercy are the duties

of every day : and he that faid un-

to Ifrael ( Ifa . i . 15. ) , ' that even the

• SABBATHS were an abomina-

' tion unto him , and that when they

"Spreadforth their hands he would

hide his face from them, and

when they made many prayers he

would not hear them, Becauſe

• their
 [ 201 ]

* their hands were full of Blood and

← cruelty,' hath given us thereby to

underſtand , that he will as foon

diſpenſe with the Devotion of the

Sabbath, as with the Mercy of it.

Holiness and Mercy are enjoined

in one and the fame command-

ment of Sabbath, but with this

difference according to the inter-

pretation of Chrift and Hofea,

(Matt. ix. 13. Hof. vi . 6.) that

GOD preferreth mercy to facrifice.

And as Man and Beaft are both

included in the fame command-

ment of mercy, it follows, that

Mercy to Brutes is at all times no

lefs a duty than Mercy to Men.

I have thus far endeavored to

prove that GOD careth for the

Cattle,
 [ 202 ]

Cattle, by the rules he has prefcri-

bed for our conduct towards them,

in the articles of FOOD and

REST . But this is not all . For-

III. They have a further claim

upon us of REGARD to their

Happineſs, and TENDERNESS

in the Ufage of Them . The Good-

nefs and Providence of GOD re-

fpect not only the Being, but the

Well-being of his Creatures ; not

only their neceffary Wants, and

what is abfolutely their Demand

on the principles of ftrict Juftice,

but alfo their Eafe and Comfort,

and what they have a reaſonablę

and equitable Claim to, on the

principles of Mercy and Compaf-

fion .

A Righ-
 [ 293 ]

A Righteous Man, faith Solo-

mon (Prov. xii. 10. ) regardeth the

LIFE of his BEAST: But the

tender Mercies of the Wicked are

cruel. By Life is fometimes to

be underſtood * Defire, or Hap-

pinefs ; for what is Life without

Happiness ? Happineſs is the Salt

of Life, and in the proverb now

before us is included in the word

Life, as appears from the Anti-

thefis — that the tender Mercies of

the wicked are cruel ; or (as it is

in the Hebrew and in the Margin

of our Bible) the Bowels of the

wicked are cruel. Now as cruelty

and wickedness in the laft fen-

tence, are put in oppofition to

Life and Righteouſneſs in the for-

* Defire. So is the Hebrew word NPSh

tranflated in Ecclef. vi. 9.

mer
5
 [ 204 ]

mer fentence , it is plain that by

Life must be meant kind and

tender Ufage, as contrafted to

hardheartedneſs and cruelty .

The above proverb is of ge-

neral uſe to diſtinguiſh a righteous

man from a wicked man. It is

fo plain that it hardly needs a

comment ; and it is fo well

known , that it is frequently uſed

and applied to the correction of

Cruelty by many perfons , who

confider not that, in the applica-

tion of it, they accuſe themſelves

of Unrighteousness . For though it

confifts but of two parts in the

letter, in fpirit it defcribes three

characters, viz. a righteous man,

an unrighteous man , and a wicked

man. As to the latter part of

the
 [ 205 ]

the proverb, the character is fo

difcernible , that all further enqui-

ries are needlefs . If I know that

a man is cruel to his Beaft, I afk

no more queſtions about him . He

may be a noble man, or a rich

man, or a polite man , or a fen-

fible man , or a learned man, or

an orthodox man, or a church

man , or a puritan , or any thing

elfe, it matters not ; this I know ,

on the facred word of a wife King,

that, being cruel to his beaft, he

is a WICKED man .

But fuppofe a man is not cruel

to his Beaft, and therefore not a

wicked man ; yet according to the

proverb, he may be an UNRIGH-

TEOUS man. And under this cha-

racter I am afraid we may clafs

thouſands
 [ 206 ]

thouſands and ten thouſands, who

would on no account commit an act

of cruelty. A RIGHTEOUS man

is one that regardeth, and always

keeps his eye on the rule of right ;

and whom no cuftom, or com

pliance, or fear of ridicule can

ever pervert from his duty in mat-

ter of right. The RIGHTEOUS fhew-

eth mercy, faith David ( Pſa. xxxvii .

21 ) : he doth not cloak it up in

his breaft, or fmother it in help-

lefs pity, but he beweth it ; he

attends to its calls, and brings it

forth into action. Again, (ver. 26.)

The RIGHTEOUS is ever merciful,

(in the Hebrew, all the day mer

ciful) full of mercy at all times,

and on all occafions, and to every

object of it, whether man or

brute.

Every
 [ 207 ]

Every Act of Cruelty is Wicked-

nefs. But, cruelty apart, the Neg

left of Mercy is UNRIGHTEOUS-

NESS . A man may be very tender

and full of pity, and yet be Unmer-

ciful, or not ſhew mercy. If our

Beaſt fuffers through our Difregard

or inattention to him, we cannot

be faid to be ever or always mer-

ciful, and we do not fulfil our

duty towards him ; for it is the

+
part of a Righteous man to fhew

mercy as well as to profeſs it ; and

without this, our pretenfion of

mercy is like the unworking faith,

and the unprofitable charity de-

fcribed by St. James (ch . ii. 15 ,

16). We may fin by Omiffion as

well as Commiffion ; and though

we be not cruel to him unto

wicked-
 [ 208 ]

wickedness, we may be regardleſs

of him unto unrighteousness.

The three Characters therefore

deſcribed in the above proverb

are theſe . The Man, who fo

hardneth his Bowels to the yearn-

ings of compaffion , that, without

the leaft emotion of pity, he can

commit an act of cruelty to his

Beaft , is a WICKED man . - The

Man, who regardeth the happi-

nefs of his Beaft, who fheweth

mercy to it, by attending to all

its wants and infirmities, and who

endeavours to make it as eafy and

as happy as its nature and condi-

tion will admit, is a RIGHTEOUS

man. But the Man , who regard-

eth it NOT, who is carelefs and

indifferent about it, though he

may
 [ 209 ]

may not be hardhearted and cruel

to it, yet inaſmuch as he regard-

eth it not, he is an UNRIGHTEOUS

Man ; for, The RIGHTEOUS

Man REGARDETH the LIFE , the

Defire, and the Happinefs of his

BEAST.

If any (faith St. Paul in the

epistle to Timothy before men-

tioned , and in the fame chapter

in which he quotes from the Law

of Mofes Thou shalt not muz-

zle the OX that treadeth out the

' Corn ') If any, faith the Apoſtle,

PROVIDE not for HIS OWN , and eſpe-

cially for thofe of HIS OWN HOUSE ,

be bath denied the faith, and is

worse than an infidel. This fen-

tence deferves the particular no-

tice of Mafters of Families . All

P that
 [ 210 ]

that are committed to the care and

management of the Head of the

houfe, whether children, fervants ,

cattle, or hireling, are parts of

his family, as I fhewed before in

my obfervation on the fourth com-

mandment. They are all there-

fore of his own house : and being

fuch, it is the duty of the Head

of the Houfe to provide, that is,

to have providence over, to take

care of, and attend to every mem-

ber of the family within doors and

without doors . It is no excuſe

in the mafter, if a beaft fuffers

through the cruelty, or, through

the neglect of his fervant. For if

the beaft could ſpeak, he would

make his complaint to the mafter,

as the proper perſon to take cog-

nizance of the Injury ; but as he

cannot
3
 [ 21 ]

cannot ſpeak for himſelf, it is the

mafter's duty to ſpeak for him ;

and, unleſs he is worfe than an

infidel, he will ſpeak for him

without being ſpoken to . But if

he thinks any ONE in his fervice

.
beneath his notice , he is unworthy

of the fervice of that One. And

if he never enquires or concerns

himſelf about any of thoſe that

are committed to his care, or is

negligent as to any of them , he

cannot be faid to provide for thoſe

of his own houfe ; he is negligent

as to the great duty of Mercy on

which the Goſpel is founded ; he

therefore denieth the Faith, and is

pronounced by the Apoſtle to be

worfe than an infidel.

P 2 But
 [ 212 ]

But the RIGHTEOUS Man

REGARDETH the happineſs even of

his BEAST , and PROVIDETH for him,

as for one of his own, and of his

own houfe. It is not enough that

his Beaft looks well, he enquires

whether it fares well ; for many

times the moft cruel means are

ufed (by vain and fooliſh fervants

to pleaſe their as vain and fooliſh

maſters) to make the beaſt appear

fleek , fhining, and of graceful

carriage without, whilft the poor

creature is rotten, and fuffers un-

utterable miſery within . As he is

Righteous, he is Merciful ; and be-

ing merciful upon a righteous prin-

ciple, he is ever merciful, and ſhew-

eth mercy to him in every reſpect .

He MUZZLETH not the beast that

treadeth
 [ 213 ]

treadeth out his corn, or, that la-

bours for his profit or his pleaſure ;

He taketh care that he is UNGIRD

ED : He giveth him STRAW and

PROVENDER : He leadeth him forth

to the WATERING : He alloweth

him the Bleffing of SABBATH and

to protect him from the inclemency

of the weather, He followeth the

example of the Patriarch JACOB₂

who, when he built himſelf

an Houfe, made BOOTHS for

his CATTLE : (Gen. xxxiii . 17) .

He attends to all his Wants and

Infirmities ; and confiders well his

Age, his Stature, and his Strength.

If Young, he breaketh not the Back

of his tender colt, but waiteth

till his finews are ſtrengthened

unto perfection . He neither Nicks

P 3 him ,
 [ 214 ]

him , nor Docks him, but takes

him fuch as GOD made him. If

Aged, he galleth not his feeble

Sides, nor addeth one weight ex-

traordinary to the weight of his

years ; but, with a ſenſe of grati-

tude, he rewardeth his paft and

faithful fervices with renewed at-

tention , forbearance , and indul-

gence . He faith within himſelf

.____
.

This Beaſt by toil and ſweat hath

adminiftred to my pleaſure or to

my profit for many years paft ;

and now that he is no longer able

to perform my work , Shall I dif-

mifs him as a creature not worthy

* of my future protection ? Shall I

fubject him to the caprice, or

abuſe, or unexperienced fervitude

of a new, and, it may be, of a

cruel and mercenary Maſter ? If

{ he
 [ 215 ]

he is not fit for my work, he is

not fit for any work. And fhall

I curfe the age of my Beaft, be-

cauſe he hath worne himſelf out

in my fervice ? Or the gain ,

' which I have acquired by his la-

bor, fhall I corrode it by the

PRICE of his blood ? NO . If I

<
chop not his Hay ; if I grind not

his Corn ; if I affift not the de-

cay and unevennefs of his Teeth

by conducting him to the longeſt,

mildeft, and tendereft Grafs in

my Paſture ; I will yet teſtify my

Approbation of his former fer-

' vice, by putting an inſtant pe-

riod to all his Pain .'

Whether Young or Old , whe-

ther Strong or Weak, whether

Sound or Maimed , the RIGHTEOUS

man proportions the Work to the

P4
Ability
 [ 216 ]

Ability of the Brute, and balances

them both in the juft Scale of

Equity. As he regardeth the Hap-

pinefs of his Beaft, ſo he provideth

for the EASE of it. And however

this may appear a Circumftance of

very fmall moment ; yet, to guard

us againſt greater inftances of In-

juſtice, and to
1 ſhew how extremely
cautious we fhould be in offend-

ing againſt the Brutes, who are en-

tirely in our power, and have no

means of redrefs, we find to this

purpoſe, the following precept in

the facred Law of Moses ; -

Thou shalt not plow with an OX

and an ASS together : (Deut. xxii .

10) . Some have thought that St.

Paul alludes to this precept in

* Be ye not unequally yoked together with un-

believers, 2 Cor. vi. 14.

2 Cor.
 [ 217 ]

2 Cor. vi. 14. If the Apoſtle had

it in view, it is a mere allufion to

it, and not an interpretation of it.

It may confirm it, but does not

fuperfede it. And even if we

were to admit that St. Paul's fup-

pofed allufion to it was intended

as the true and proper interpreta-

tion and defign of the precept,

ftill it exhibits to us the wiſdom

and benevolence of the Lawgiver ,

in delivering a Civil Law in words,

which fhould at the fame time con-

vey the idea of Mercy to Brutes .

But Aben Ezra, a Spanish Jew

Commentator, by making this ob-

fervation on the paffage before us,

viz. that the ftrength of an ASS

is not as the strength of an OX,

intimates that he and his nation

underſtood it in the literal fenfe,

and
 [ 218 ]

and that it was intended as a ge-

neral rule of mercy, to adapt the

work and the burthen to the

frength of the Laborer * . The

prohibition therefore , Thou shalt

not plow with an OX and an ASS

together, implies thus much at

leaft, that we fhall not fet a weak

beaft to keep pace with , nor to

do the work of a ftrong beaft ;

nor put him to any work which

he is incapable of performing.

Such ufage is difregard , neglect,

or non- attention to their ſtrength

and ability. It is both fooliſh and

* To the fame purpoſe faith the learned .

and ingenious Cardinal Cajetan . - Hoc præ-
ceptum metaphorice intelligendum eft, ut dif-
pares vires hominum non æque graventur,
nec exigantur æqua ab imparibus : optime
enim fub hac metaphora præceptum hoc mo-
rale memoriæ commendatur. CAFETAN in
Loco.

unjuft ;
 [ 219 ]

unjuſt ; and , in the ftricteſt ſenſe,

it is an abuſe of them . And if

the abuſe of the Cattle by putting

them to improper work, or ſub-

jugating them to unequal yokes ,

is a trangreffion againſt the divine

law , and every tranfgreffion is

SIN ; to add cruelty to abuſe, or

to ill treat, and torment them with

barbarity and unbridled fury, muft

be a SIN of a heinous nature in-

deed . And of this we have an in-

ſtance and proof in the caſe of

BALAAM , who was fent for by

BALAK King of Moab to curſe

the people of Ifrael . ( Num . xxii . )

AS BALAAM was riding upon his

ASS, (the ufual manner of tra-

velling in his country, ) and two

Servants with him, the Afs faw an

Appa-
 [ 220 ]

Apparition , which the rider did

not fee ; and the timorous beaft

turned afide out of the path into

a field ; upon which Balaam in a

paffion fmote the Afs , and turned

her into the road again . As he

proceeded further, they came to

a road between two walls . The

Afs faw the Apparition again, and ,

ftarting afide, cruſhed her mafter's

foot againſt one of the walls ; and

Balaam fmote the Afs a ſecond

time. At laft they came to a very

narrow place , where there was no

way to turn , either to the right

hand, or to the left : and the Afs, fee-

ing the Apparition the third time ,

was fo exceedingly terrified, that

all her ftrength forfook her, and

ſhe fell down to the ground under

Balaam . Her mafter, inftead of

reflecting
 [ 221 ]

reflecting with himſelf that there

muſt be ſomething extraordinary

in this cafe, (as the Afs was not

wont to ſtart or to ftumble, ) and

inſtead of aſking the two Servants

that were with him, if they ſaw

any thing uncommon , or could

account for the fhynefs of the

beaft , was fo overcome with paf-

fion and rage, that he unmerci-

fully beats the poor creature with

.
a Staff The fallen beaft, fenfible

of her own pain and of her maf-

ter's cruelty and injuftice, had the

been endued with ſpeech and rea-

fon, would probably have expof-

tulated with him on her hard

treatment the firft and the fecond

time : but alas ! fhe was dumb,

and could not open her mouth .

But now, at the third time, when

Balaam's
 [ 222 j

Balaam's anger was kindled into ǎ

flame, and afcended to its height,

the LORD himſelf was pleafed

to interpofe in behalf of the abuſed

animal, by opening the mouth of

the ASS ; and fhe faid unto Ba-

laam, What have I done unto thees

that thou haft fmitten me thefe three

times ? Behold a miracle : the

dumb Afs fpeaks . Behold a great-

er miracle : the Rider was not

ftruck dumb with amazement at

the voice of the beaft . Infatuated

even unto madneſs , he confiders

not the overruling power of GOD

herein, but being as blind as he

was cruel, he replies to the com-

plaint of the Afs ; -Becauſe thou

baft mocked me ; I would there were

afword in my hand, for now would

I kill thee. Cruelty is the laſt ſtep

to
 [ 223 ]

to Murder. He first beat the Afs

cruelly, and then becauſe fhe

complained and reproved him, he

would have killed her. But the

LORD, obferving the malicious

rage of the man , blinded with

fury, and hardened in his wicked-

neſs , inſtead of being reformed

by the miracle , was pleafed at

length , as he had before opened

the mouth of the Afs, now to

open the eyes of Balaam , who fees

an ANGEL of the Lord ftand-

ing in the way. He had wifhed

for a fword in his own hand to

kill the Afs, and now he beholds

the Angel of the Lord with a

drawn fword in his hand ready to

kill him. He called for a fword ,

and a ſword immediately appears .

And the man, who had cruelly

treated
 [ 224 ]

treated his beaſt for ſtarting and

ftumbling to avoid the fword of

the avenger, now boweth down his

own head, and falls flat on his

face. The cafe of the man and

the brute is now the fame in point

of fear the appearance of the

Angel was no leſs terrifying to the

mafter, than to the Beaſt that car-

ried him ; and juftly might the

Angel have requited Balaam in

kind for his cruelty. But as

GOD is more merciful to finful

men, than men are to unfinning

brutes ; the Angel of the Lord

was pleaſed to fheath his fword :

and though he came to Balaam

with a meffage from the LORD

.

of very great importance, yet he

poftpones the delivery of his er-

rand, till he had first reproved

and
3
 [ 225 ]

and convinced Balaam of his

wickedness and cruelty in ſmiting

the Afs, which was a SIN deferv-

ing his notice and reproof. And

that the reproof might be more

ftriking to Balaam , the Angel

makes uſe of the very words which

the Afs had ſpoken before : What

have I done unto thee, faid the

Afs, that thou hast SMITTEN me

THESE THREE TIMES ? and the

Angel faid unto Balaam, Where-

fore haft thou SMITTEN thine ASS

THESE THREE TIMES ? To the

queſtion of the Afs Balaam had

replied , Becauſe thou hast mocked

me, and, I would there were a

fword in my hand, for now would

I kill thee. But when the Angel

afked him the very fame queſtion ,

his tone was changed ; and we

е hear
 [ 226 ]

hear not a word about mocking, or

wishing for a fword to kill her ;

but a confeffion of fin, and an

apology of ignorance . His ftout

and ftubborn heart trembled ; the

confcioufnefs of his guilt, and the

fenfe of his folly and injuſtice in

fmiting the innocent Beaſt , touch-

ed him to the quick ; and, in

fpite of his pride, paffion , and

cruelty, extorted from him this

frank confeffion , I HAVE SINNed .

(ver. 34.) and Balaam ſaid unto

the Angel of the Lord, I HAVE

SINNED .

But perhaps it will be objected ,

that this confeffion , I have finned,

alludes to his going on the wicked

defign to curſe the Ifraelites, un-

leſs reſtrained by the overruling

power
 [ 227 ]

power of GOD . I grant that

Curfing and Cruelty are kindred

fins. Experience tells us they fre-

quently go together . And I ac-

knowlege that the firſt intent of

Balaam to undertake this journey

was wicked and finful , though he

had a permiffion to go ; and he

might well ſay on that account, I

have finned. But it does not ap-

pear to me, that he had that in

view, when he made this confef-

fion . His Sin confifted in fmiting

the Afs ; for the confeffion is the

refponſe to the Angel's queftion.

The Angel did not fay, Why doft

thou proceed in thy curfed defign ?

but, Why haft thou fmitten thine

ASS theſe three times ? It was to

this queſtion that Balaam replied,

I have finned. And though the

Angel
 [ 228 ]

Angel told him , that it was he

that ſtood in the way, and occa-

fioned the Afs to turn afide ; yet

Balaam does not look upon his

own ignorance of this circum-

ftance as a juftification of his

cruelty. It might alleviate his

guilt in fome meaſure , but did not

clear it. And though he apolo-

gizes for his conduct, by ſaying, I

knew not that thou ftoodeft in the

way, (which fhews that the fin re-

ferred to, was fmiting the Afs)

yet the action itſelf being cruel,

and the effect of paffion , he in-

troduces his apology with the con-

feffion of guilt ; and it amounts

to this, -Though I knew not that

thou ftoodeft in the way against me,

yet I HAVE SINNED, in fmiting the

ASS.

I with
 [ 229 ]

I wiſh this part of the facred

hiſtory were more duly and gravely

attended to , than I fear it is. It

has been treated with contempt

and ridicule ; as abfurd in itſelf ;

and unworthy a place in holy

writ. But, for my own part, I can

fee nothing abfurd or ridiculous

in fuppofing that the great Creator,

with whom all things are poffible,

and who thought it not beneath

him to create the various orders

of animals from the higheſt to the

łoweft, fhould care for the mean-

eft of them. We Men, indeed, to

ſhew how unworthy we are of

our own dignity, are apt to de-

fpife and infult the inferior ani-

mals , as below our notice or re-

gard, nay, as objects of our con-

tempt and malicioufnefs . But the

Q3 great
 [ 230 ]

great GOD feeth not as man

feeth ; with Him nothing is con-

temptible. He faw every thing

that he had made, and behold it

was very good *. And as GOD IS

LOVE †, the extent of his Love is

the perfection of his Goodneſs .

Where is the abſurdity then, that

a Meffenger from heaven , who

was fent for reproof or direction

to an obftinate and paffionate man ,

obferving him to offend againſt

the law of mercy, fhould check

and reprove him for his cruelty ?

The angel's Silence as to this par-

ticular, would indeed have been

a matter of wonder ; and we

fhould from thence have inferred ,

that Cruelty to Brutes is no SIN,

becauſe an angel of mercy took

* Gen. i. 31 . † 1 John iv. 8, 16.

no
 [ 231 ]

no notice of it in Balaam. But as

the angel's errand was a meffage

of love and mercy unto Ifrael in

the firſt defign of it, it was highly

confiftent with the character of a

meffenger of love and mercy, to

keep them in view in his whole

tranſaction , of which his gentle

expoftulation to Balaam , as well

as his forbearance in fparing him,

are illuftrious proofs. I do not

fay, that the Angel was fent on

purpoſe to rebuke Balaam for this

fin ; it is plain he was not : for

the Angel was prefent, and the

Afs faw him , before her maſter

fmote her the first time ; but it

difpleaſed the Angel fo much,

that he withdrew himſelf for a

feafon . He would have appeared

the fecond time, but the fame

Q4 caufe
 [ 232 ]

cauſe produced the fame effect.

But now at the third time, the

juft indignation of the heavenly

meffenger was kindled at the

fooliſh paſſion and cruelty of Ba-

laam . He could no longer con-

tain and yet, as if he deemed the

man unworthy to hear his voice,

he opens the mouth of the in-

jured Afs, that ſhe might plead

her own cauſe with buman voice ;

and by the ſtrangeness of the mi-

racle convince her mafter of his

folly and injuftice *. But when

the miracle had no effect upon the

infatuated man , then did the

Angel exhibit himſelf in the pof-

It pleafed GOD to open the mouth of the-4

ASS in a complaint of the injuftice of her Maf-
ter, to beat her for not going forward. JosE-
PHUS. Jew. Antiq. Book iv. ch. 5.

ture
 [ 233 ]

ture of vengeance ; and waves his

important meffage, till he had firſt

corrected Balaam for his Cruelty.

And as this hiftory was to be

handed down to us in record, he

would not let flip this opportunity

of teaching mankind by divine in-

terpofition the Duty of Mercy,

and the Sin of Cruelty to Brute

Animals. And the more miracu-

lous this hiftory is, it is the more

ſtriking, and deferving our notice

and remembrance.

If it fhould be faid, it is im-

poffible an Afs could * SPEAK . I

anfwer in few words ; -It is blaf-

* See an ingenious vindication of this piece

of Scripture Hiftory, in the learned Biſhop
NEWTON'S Differtations on the Prophecies,
Vol. I.

5 phemy
 [ 234 ]

phemy to determine the power of

the great GOD of Nature . But

whether the Afs really fpoke ; or

whether it was the voice of the

Angel thrown fo, as to feem to

Balaam to proceed from the mouth

of the Afs ; or whether it was a

created voice ; or an impreffion

upon the ear of Balaam ; ftill it

was a divine Interpofition , not

unbecoming an Angel , in favor

of fuffering innocence . Or even ,

if we were to admit, that there

was neither ſpeech nor hearing on

any part ; but that it was only a vi-

fion, or a fancy of the imagination ;

or, that the whole narration is but

a parable ; ftill, it has its uſe , and

anfwers the purpoſe of the facred

writer to reprefent to us the fin

and injuftice of Cruelty . But I

defire
 [ 235 ]

defire it may be obſerved , that this

Narration has the fanction of an

important Truth ſtamped upon

it by St. Peter in his fecond epiſtle ,

in which he tells us , that Balaam

was rebuked for his iniquity, and

that the dumb ASS, Speaking with

man's voice, forbad the Madness

of the Prophet. 2 Pet. ii. 16 .

It ſeems then, that this ridi-

culed piece of facred hiſtory has

the authority of both the Old and

New Teftament for its fupport.

And it deferves the more to be

*
noticed by us, and I have dwelt

the longer upon it, becauſe this

particular inftance of paffion and

cruelty is, I believe , more com-

mon than any other ; and that

too in men otherwife compaffio-

nate
 [ 236 ]

nate enough. For, fay ; Did You

never whip, or fpur, or ill - treat

your horſe, when at any time he

has farted or ftumbled ? Was your

paſſion never excited thereby ? and

did you not almoſt wish there had

been a fword in your hand to kill

him ? Pardon me, reader, for

putting the queftion home to you.

I hope you can anſwer in the ne-

gative ; but it is an inftance com-

mon every day. If You are inno-

cent as to this point, Well for

Thee ; and I turn myſelf to another

that will plead Guilty. And to the

former queftion , I ask him fur-

ther ; Did you, when your paf-

flion was over, lay your hand

upon your breaſt, and ſay in the

words of Balaam , I HAVE SINNED ?

I fear not. Then give me leave

to
 [ 237 ]

to tell you ; You have fo many

SINS ftill unrepented of : You

have erred with Balaam , but not

repented with him ; and the fword

of the Angel is ftill drawn againſt

thee. But repent in time, that he'

may ſheath it. And whenever it

fo happens for the future , that

your horfe either ftumbles, or

ftarts, I intreat thee to call this

to mind. Know , that your beaft

is not to blame . He no more

loves to be affrighted, than You

do. It is no more agreeable to

Him to make a falſe ſtep, than it

is to Yourfelf. He feels the pain

of the jarr, as well as You. There-

fore SMITE HIM NOT . But Re-

member this hiſtory, and add not

fin unto fin. The Angel of the

Lord is with you, though you ſee

him
 [ 238 ]

him not ; and, in this cafe, fome-

times withstands thee. Say not,

my horfe STUMBLES , and therefore

I fmite him : but confider that ,

whilſt You ride , your Horſe goes

a -foot : and a fixed ftone or hil-

lock , a fharp flint, or a pinched

and uneafy fhoe might cauſe even

Yourſelf to ſtumble if you were

to travel on foot ; and you would

think it hard to be chaftifed for

an involuntary or forced trip. Do

not then unto others as you would

be unwilling ſhould be done unto

you . Say not, my horſe STARTS ,

and therefore I fmite him ; and I

correct him , becauſe he is timo-

rous but confider that You have

your paffions , as well as your

Horfe . Elfe, why the blood in thy

face ? or, why thy paleneſs of coun-

5 tenance
 [ 239 ]

tenance on thefe occafions ? The

paffion of anger, or the paflion of

fear, do then predominate in thy-

felf. Learn firft to fubdue the

fudden emotions of thine own

paffions, and then endeavor to

correct his fears. I will grant, if

you pleaſe, that his paffion of

fear may be foolish ; but fo is

your paffion of anger : and your

folly is greater than his , if what

-
you ſometimes fay is true, that a
Man has more Reaſon than a Horſe.

You have reaſon , and uſe it not ;

your Horſe has no reaſon , there-

fore he cannot uſe it. Your Horſe

has not reaſon to conquer his

fears, whilft You have both reaſon

and power to fubdue your own

paflion . Your horſe offends and

cannot help it ; You offend , and

may
 [ 240 ]

| may help it. I leave it to your

own judgment to determine , whe-

ther You or your Horſe deſerves

moft to be corrected . In short,

to fmite your horſe becauſe he

ftumbles or ſtarts , is irrationality

and weakneſs . And, if you will

not allow your boafted reaſon to

correct the fear of your horfe by

gentleness , forbearance , or ſkilful

management ; but think to over-

come his fears by whip, fpur, and

barbarity, you expoſe yourſelf to

the juft and ſevere correction of

the Angel , who withstands thee,

becauſe thy way is perverfe before

him *. And inftances are not un-

common, when his juft anger is fo

provoked at the cruelty of Man in

this cafe, that though he doth not

* Num . xxii . 32 .

open
 [ 241 ]

open the mouth of the beaft to

reprove his rider , (as he once did,

and which there is no occafion to

do a fecond time), yet he appoints

the injured beaft to plead his own

cauſe another way, in being the

inftrument of puniſhment, and

fometimes the executioner of

death, without allowing a mo-

ment's leifure to make the ſhort

confeffion of Balaam , I HAVE

SINNED . The inference is ob-

vious , that to lofe life by the

prancing or unrulincfs of a horſe,

excited thereto by barbarity, be-

cauſe he may have ftarted or

ftumbled, is to die in an ACT OF

SIN .

We are told by the prophet

MICAH, that when Balaam , who

R had
 [ 242 ]

had finned , in thus paffionately

fmiting the Afs, was afterwards

confulted by Balak the King of

Moab (at whoſe requeſt he had

undertaken this journey) how he

might know the righteouſneſs of the

LORD ; that is , how he might re-

commend himſelf to, and beſt

pleaſe JEHOVAH the God of Ifrael ,

whoſe power he was now fenfible

of, and whofe favor he defired to

obtain ; Balaam gives this inftruc-

tion unto the King, -He hath

fhewed thee, O Man, what is Good;

and what doth the LORD require

of thee, but to do justly, and to

love mercy, and to walk humbly

with thy God. Micah vi. 8 .

In this advice to the King,

Balaam feems to allude to the

three great duties of Juftice ,

Mercy,
 [ 243 ]

Mercy, and Humility, againſt

which he himſelf had fo noto-

riouſly tranfgreffed in fmiting his

Afs three times. To ftrike the

beaſt, that never before fince fhe

was his unto that day was wont

to ſtumble or ſtart *, becauſe now

fhe ftarted for the first time,

was INJUSTICE . To ftrike her a

ſecond time ; and the third time

to beat her with a Staff, and

to wifh for a fword in his hand

to kill her, was CRUELTY . And to

fuppofe, becauſe the Afs was his

own, that he had an abfolute and

unaccountable power over her to

uſe her as unjuſtly and as cruelly

as he pleafed, was taking too

much human nature ; it
upon

was contemptuouſly ill treating

* Num . xxii . 30 .

R 2 one
 [ 244 ]

one of GOD's creatures , a uſeful

and an innocent creature, and a

beaſt whoſe fimplicity and natural

ftupidity, (peculiar to the Afs ,

that it may go through its drud-

gery with leſs reluctance), ſhould

have recommended her to her

maſter's mercy and forbearance :

it was overvaluing Himſelf ; it was

under-rating his Beaſt ; and in

fhort, it was PRIDE . Balaam there-

fore neither did Juftly, nor loved

Mercy, nor walked Humbly. But

no fooner was he brought to a

fenfe of his crime, than he con-

feffed , I HAVE SINNED : and , as if

that were not enough, at the

hazard and expence of all his

hopes of preferment, he moreover

preaches in the Court of Moab

the great duties of Juftice, Mercy,

and
 [ 245 ]

and Humility. Haft thou finned

then with Balaam ? with him

confefs that Thou haft finned. Per-

fect thy confeflion , and fulfil thy

repentance, by taking every op-

portunity affiduouſly to inculcate

into others theſe great and necef-

fary duties. You will thereby

give a more ſure proof of thy re-

pentance , and better pleaſe the

Lord, than with thouſands of rams ,

or ten thouſands of rivers of oil :

for, the Lord defireth Mercy and

not Sacrifice, and the Knowledge

of GOD more than Burnt Offer-

ings *. If thou wert to give thy

first born for thy tranfgreffion, or

the fruit of thy body for the fin of

thy foul , it would avail thee no-

thing ; it would be worſe than

* Hofea vi. 6 . + Micah vi. 7.

R 3 nothing ;
 [ 246 ]

nothing ; it would be adding one

fin to another : But the Lord hath

fbewed thee, O man, what is Good,

what in this cafe thou ought to

do , and what he will accept and

require of thee ; viz. to do JUSTLY,

and to love MERCY, and to walk

HUMBLY with thy GOD .

Are Juftice, Mercy, and Hu-

mility, the criterions of righteouſ-

nefs ? Then , Injustice , Unmerci-

fulneſs , and Pride, which fre-

quently go together, and point

to each other, and are all com-

prehended in the idea of Cruelty

to Brutes, muft be fure tokens c

fin and wickednefs . And in pa :

ticular is the Love of M

Mean whereby to kno

teousness ofthe I
 [ 247 ]

which the Lord will require of

thee, and according to which thou

wilt be accepted ? Then , as you

would avoid the imputation of

unrighteouſneſs , and as you deſire

to fecure the favor of thy God,

let Mercy be fhewn in the treat-

ment of thy beaft . But it is not the

counſel of Balaam only ; it is like-

wife, as was before obferved, the

judgment of the wife King of

Ifrael , that Mercy and Cruelty are

the figns whereby to diſtinguiſh a

righteous man, and a wicked man .

(Prov. xii. 10. ) A Righteous man

regardeth the Life or HAPPINESS of

his BEAST ; but the tender Mer-

cies or BowELS of the wicked are

cruel. If a man is cruel to his Beaſt,

he muſt be a Wicked man . If he is

not cruel to him, yet if he regard-

R 4 eth
 [ 248 ]

eth him not, he is not a Righteous

man ; that is, he is an Unrighteous

man . And as Unrighteoufnels is

a footſtep to Cruelty ; well might

DAVID clafs wickedness , unrigh-

teousness, and cruelty together in

one and the fame Deprecation-

Deliver me, O my GOD, out of

the hand of the WICKED , out of the

hand of the UNRIGHTEOUS and

CRUEL Man. Pfa . lxxi . 4 .

I have hitherto confined myſelf

to thoſe particular paffages in Scrip-

ture, which contain and enjoin

our duties towards the CATTLE,

that are more efpecially under our

OWN care, in the articles of Food,

Reft, Forbearance, and Tender

Ufage ; becaufe in fome of theſe

inftances we are very apt to of

fend,
 [ 249 ]

1
fend. And here we cannot but

admire the wiſdom and goodneſs

of GOD , who, in his mercy to

the brutes, has given us Rules for

our conduct towards them, in

ALL thefe inftances ; and has

been gracioufly pleaſed to tran-

fcribe them from the Old into the

New Teftament, to teach us that

Mercy to the Cattle is a virtue as

indifpenfably requifite under the

Goſpel of Chrift, as under the

Law of Mofes . Examine yourſelf

then by theſe rules and precepts

of mercy, and apply theſe caſes to

your own conduct , and you will

plainly perceive that ;-When you

withhold from your beaft his due

quantity and proportion of Meat or

Drink ; you MUZZLE the OX that

treadeth out your Corn : When

you

Th
 [ 250 ]

you overwork him , or give him

not his proper Reft ; you do not

REMEMBER the SABBATH to keep it,

according to the intent of the Com-

mandment : -When you abuſe,

or unequally yoke him, or put

him to a work, which he is in-

capable of performing ; you may

be faid to PLOW with an OX and

an ASS together :-When you re-

gard him not ; you are an UNRIGH-

TEOUS man : -When you are cruel

to him ; you are a WICKED man :

and , When you beat him for ftum-

bling or ftarting, or ſuffer your paf-

fion of anger to be excited by his

untowardness or ftupidity ; you

partake in the SIN OF BALAAM , and

your way is PERVERSE before GOD .

In all , or any of theſe, or any other

inftances of cruelty, you forfeit

the
 [ 251 ]

the name of a Righteous Man,

whoſe diſtinguiſhing character is

this , that be regardeth the life and

happineſs of his BEAST ; you know

not the righteousness of the Lord ;

you confider not what is GOOD,

nor what it is that he requireth of

thee ; and, in fhort, you neither

DO JUSTLY, nor LOVE MERCY, nor

WALK HUMBLY before thy God.

THUS far we have confidered

the Duties, particularly enjoined

in holy Scripture with regard to

our own CATTLE . But let it not

be inferred from hence, that

Mercy is a limited Virtue : Caſes

may and often do occur , in which

the exerciſe of it is to be practifed

and extended beyond our own

Province. To neglect, or abuſe,

or
3
 [ 252 ]

or ill treat our own Cattle , is

cruelty of a heinous nature ; be-

cauſe They have a right to our

Care and Tenderneſs : and if any

man PROVIDES not for HIS OWN,

and efpecially for thoſe of his own

houfe, he hath denied the Faith,

and is worſe than an Infidel. But

our Mercy and Regard is not to

reft there. It is further our duty

to be always ready to relieve and

fuccour the Miferable , whether

known or unknown to us. Any

Beaft in diftrefs , be it Ox , or

Ass , or SHEEP, or other Animal ,

has a claim upon us of Aſſiſtance .

For in the Law of Moses we find

-
it thus written ;

Thou shalt not fee thy Brother's

OX or his SHEEP go ASTRAY ,

and
 [ 253 ]

and hide thyself from Them, Thou

fhalt in any cafe bring them again

unto thy Brother : and if thy Bro-

ther be not NIGH thee, or if thou

KNOW HIM NOT , (i . e . if it is the

beaſt of a ſtranger, ) then Thou shalt

bring it unto thine own houfe, and

it fhall be with thee, until thy Bro-

ther feek after it ; and thou shalt *

reftore it to him again. (Deut. xxii .

1 , 2) . The ſcope of this precept

doth not confift merely in the rule

of Juſtice to reſtore the loft Beaſt

to thy Brother or Neighbour, but

in the rule of Mercy and Compaf-

fion to the Beaft itſelf : elfe it .

might have been enough to drive

* The Owner paying the charges of keeping

it, from the time it was brought to the house,
till it's being restored. Patrick .

it
 [ 254 ]

it to a Pound, or to tye it to a

Gate, till the Owner fhould come

to enquire after it . But the Law

faith ; -Thou shalt bring it unto

thine own Houfe, and it shall be

with Thee. As the Finder, thou

art the temporary Poffeffor of it

in Truft for the right Owner ;

and thou shalt take as much care

of the loft Beaft, as if it were

thine own, till the Owner re-

covers it again.

And as the Law has thus pro-

vided for the Beaſt that is going

aftray ; fo no lefs indulgent is it

to the Beaſt, that hath met with

an accident . For in the fourth

verfe of this chapter, we have

another Commandment of Mercy

reſpecting the Cattle that are not

our
 [ 255 ]

our own property ; —Thou shalt not

fee thy brother's ASS or his Ox

FALL DOWN by the way, and bide

thyfelf from Them ; Thou shalt

Surely help him to lift them up

again. This Law feems exprefly

enjoined for the fake of the Beaſt :

for it can hardly be ſuppoſed that,

if you were to fee thy Brother, or

thy Neighbor, in any kind of dif-

ficulty or diſtreſs , you would for-

bear to help HIM. Brotherhood

and Neighborhood have this de-

mand upon thee without a Law.

It is not faid therefore , Thou shalt

not hide thyself from HIM ; but,

thou shalt not hide thyfelf from

THEM, that is , from the Ass or

the Ox that are fallen down .

Thou shalt not HIDE thyfelf, or

draw back, as if afhamed or un-

willing
 [ 256 ]

willing to do an act of charity to

diftreffed becauſe brutal inno-

cence ; but thou shalt SURELY , or

at the peril of a breach of a di-

vine commandment, help him to

lift Them up again, and afford all

the fuccour to them that thou art

able to give .

But what if the Brute that is go-

ing aftray, or fallen down, is noť

my Brother's, nor my Neighbor's ?

What if I know it to belong to

a man , who hath done me re-

peated injuries ; an open ENEMY ;

a man that HATETH me ; who re-

joiceth at my adverfity ; and who,

if he was to fee my beaft going

aftray or fallen down , would let

him go, or keep him down ra-

ther than help him ? Am I to

3 provide
 [ 257 ]

provide for, or to regard the Beaſt

of fuch an Enemy, and of the

man that hateth me ? To this I

might reply in the words of the

*,. Love
meek and merciful Jesus *

thine ENEMY, and Do good to

him that HATETH thee * . But as

the queſtion ſuppoſeth that thou

haft not yet attained unto this

high degree of chriftian Perfec-

tion , let us return back to the

LAW, which is a Schoolmaster to

bring us unto Chrift †, and let us

enquire what that fays as to this

point. But I fhall firſt beg leave

to aſk thee a queſtion or two. Is

the BEAST of thine Enemy an

Enemy unto Thee ? Doth the

Beaft hate Thee ? Did the Beaft

ever willingly and defignedly do

* Luke vi. 27 . + Gal. iii. 24.

Thee
S
 [ 258 ]

Thee an Injury ? Doth the Beaft

retain any grudge againſt Thee ?

Did the dumb Beaft ever flander

or bely Thee ? or, Did the irra-

tional Beaft ever contrive any plot

or device againſt Thee ? I believe

thou wilt anfwer, NO . Then,

what is it to Thee, with regard

to the Brute, that his Mafter is

thine Enemy ? A Creature endued

with a ſenſe of feeling, who never

did thee an injury, is in diftrefs

or pain : You have it in your

power to help him : but he hap-

peneth to be the property of å

man that hateth Thee : therefore

this diftreffed but innocent brute

muſt continue to fuffer pain, be-

caufe, without any choice of his

own, he belongs to thine Enemy.

Is this good reaſoning ? or, is it at

all
 [ 259 ]

all confiftent with the rule of juf-

tice or equity, that the innocent

fhould fuffer for the guilty ; or

that the Mafter's Enmity to Thee

fhould cancel thy duty of compaf-

fion and relief to the diftreffed

and unoffending Brute ? I think

not. But as this is only human

reaſoning ; let us refer for direc-

tion to the pofitive and written

Law of GOD . And bleffed be his

Goodneſs and Mercy, that he hath

been pleaſed to give us therein a

Commandment full and clear as to

both theſe points ; whether we fee

our Enemies Beaft going aftray, or

fallen down under his burthen.

1. If thou meet thine ENEMIES

OX or bis ASS going ASTRAY ,

Thou shalt furely bring it back to

S 2 him
 [ 260 ]

him again, (Exod . xxiii . 4.) . We

may obſerve above in the cafe of a

Beaft going aftray ; if it be the

Beaft of thy brother, or neigh-

bour, you are required to fend

it to him again ; but if it be the

beaft of a ſtranger, then to take

it to your own house and to keep

it, till you hear of the Owner,

and he fends for it. But, in the

preſent cafe, the Owner is thine

Enemy ; as fuch, you know him,

and moſt likely where he lives :

you are not required therefore to

take this loft Beaft to your own

houſe, and keep it till the Owner

comes to enquire after it ; for, as

the Owner is your Enemy, You

or your Servants might be tempted,

on that account, to neglect or

mifufe it ; but you are to fend it

back
 [ 261 ]

back to your Enemy, or at leaft

to give him immediate notice that

you have found it : -If thou meet

thine Enemies OX or his ASS go-

ing aftray, Thou shalt ſurely bring

it back to him again. And this

you may do, without having any

intercourſe with thine Enemy.

You may fend the Beaft home to

him , without feeing the Man .

You may do an act of kindneſs to
1

the Brute, and yet avoid the dif-

agreeable circumſtance of a parley .

But

2. Suppoſe you ſhould ſee the

Beaſt fallen down under his bur-

then, and the Mafter with him .

The man is thine Enemy and

bateth thee ; and we will fuppofe

too that you do not much love

S 3 him ;
 [ 262 ]

him ; at leaft, that you have faid ,

you will have no connection at all

with him ; you will not even be

feen in his company ; much leſs

will you undertake any work for

him, or co -operate with him in

any reſpect. Yet what faith the Law

to this ? If Thou fee the ASS

of him that HATETH Thee, lying

under bis Burthen, and wouldf

forbear to help him ; Thou shalt

furely help with him , (Exod . xxiii ,

5.). The Law maketh not the leaſt

allowance in the duty of Mercy

•
to an innocent Brute. The Beaft

is in a ſtate of painful fuffering ;

he is fallen down , and requires

inftant relief. All animofity apart ,

and no difpenfation granted, Thou

art commanded to lend an help-

ing hand to the man that hateth

thee,
5
 [ 263 ]

thee, how difagreeable foever the

taſk may be : and though you

would forbear to help the man him-

felf out of difficulty, becauſe he

is thine enemy and hateth thee,

yet for the fake of the poor crea-

ture, thou shalt furely help with

bim to lift him up . The ASS is

not to bear his Maſter's tranfgref-

fion . The Beaſt is innocent,

though the maſter is guilty : and

to refuſe to the wretched brute

thy attention and affiſtance, be-

cauſe the mafter hateth thee, is a

weak , a cruel, and a miſplaced

revenge .

If any Brute, then , be in diſtreſs ,

and we know it, and are able to

relieve him, it is our Duty, and we

are COMMANDED to do it, whether

S. 4 the
 [ 264 ]

the Owner be known or unknown

to us ; and whether he be our

friend or our foe. And, if we are

required to fhew mercy to the

Cattle of Strangers and Enemies,

it is felf-evident that we ought to

abound in mercy to our Own

Cattle, whether OXEN, or ASSES ,

or HORSES , or any other kind.

HORSES indeed are not mentioned

in any of the foregoing precepts

and examples, becauſe they were

not in common uſe amongſt the

Jews, who plowed with OXEN,

and rode and carried burthens upon

ASSES ; yet the rule of Equity ex-

tends the Commandment to ALL

the Creatures intrufted to our

care , and included under the ge-

neral denomination of CATTLE,

which we are neither to MuzZLE ,

nor

1
 [ 265 ]

nor to OVERWORK , nor to OVER-

LOAD, nor to ILL TREAT , nor in

any wife to NEGLECT OF ABUSe .

I cannot entirely quit this fubject

concerning the Creatures which

are appointed for our ſervice, with-

out taking notice of one remark-

able inftance of the compaffion

of GOD towards them, recorded

in the Sacred Writings . Our Do-

minion over the CATTLE is apt

to fuggeft to us the notion , that as

they are fo much inferior to Men,

and made, as it were , dependent

upon us for their daily bread, they

are removed at too great a dif-

tance to be the objects of the Di-

vine Love. Yet there was a day,

when theſe very Brutes were the

Mediators between the Vengeance

of
 [ 266 ]

of an offended GOD , and the

Provocations of finful MEN ; when

they ſtood in the gap , between

the Sentence of Judgment de-

nounced, and the Execution of

it. For, when the hand of the

Almighty was lifted up to deſtroy

the great city of NINEVEH for

the wickedneſs of them that dwelt

therein, the Innocence of the

CATTLE, as well as the Innocence

of the Little Children, averted

for a time the wrath of indignant

heaven. Shall I not Spare Ni-

neveh, faid the Lord unto JONAH,

Shall I not fpare Nineveh, that

great City, wherein are more than

fix fcore thoufand perfons, that

cannot difcern between their right

band and their left hand, and alſo

MUCH CATTLE? Jonah iv . 11 ,

EX-
 [ 267 ]

EXTENSIVE no lefs than

compaffionate is the fublime and

benevolent Precept of our bleſſed

Savior, Be Ye MERCIFUL , as your

FATHER alfo is MERCIFUL (Luke vi .

36 ) . With what views or into

what narrow compaſs , the pride

or ſelfiſhneſs of men may have

contracted this heavenly precept,

I afk not but the inference I

would draw from it is this, -That

if GOD hath diſplayed his Good-

nefs and Mercy towards the Brutes

in his CREATION of them , in his

PROVIDENCE Over them , and in

his gracious INTERPOSITION on

their behalf in prefcribing RULES

in his written word for our con-

duct towards them, then it be-

comes
 [ 268 ]

comes an indifpenfable duty on

the part of Men , in conformity

to the divine Goodnefs, to be

Merciful to them likewife ; elfe

we limit the extent of this divine

and important commandment, and

are NOT merciful as our Father is

Merciful. But let it be further

noted, that the heavenly pattern

and precept of Mercy is moreover

ftrengthened and ſecured with the

Bleffing and Promiſe of Mercy.

BLESSED are the MERCIFUL ,

faith JESUS , the Son of THE BLES-

SED , for They shall obtain MERCY,

(Matt. v. 7.) . And fimilar hereunto

was the Exhortation of JESUS the

Son of SIRACH - Make wayfor every

work of MERCY ; for every Man

fball find according to his Works.

(Ecclus . xvi . 14. ) . The obvious

meaning
 [ 269 ]

meaning of both theſe ſentences

is the fame : - Be Thou Merciful ,

and GOD will be Merciful unto

Thee : -Be thou Cruel, and GOD

will requite thy Cruelty according

to its work.

To be Merciful as our Father

is Merciful, and, To make way for

every work of Mercy, neceffarily

imply that it is our duty to ex-

tend or fhew mercy to every ob-

ject of it. No Creature is fo in-

fignificant, but whilft it has LIFE ,

it has a Right to Happinefs . To

deprive it of Happineſs is Injuf-

tice ; and to put it to unneceſſary

Pain is Cruelty. It is very un-

reaſonable therefore , if not fooliſh

in men, to eſtimate the degree of

the fin of cruelty to any creature

by
 [ 270 ]

by the value we ſet upon the

creature itſelf ; or to ſuppoſe that

difference of fize , or difference

of beauty, are foundations of real

difference as to the feelings of

Brutes. A Fly has feeling as well

as an Ox ; and a Toad has as

much right to happineſs as a Ca-

nary Bird : for the fame GOD

made the Ox , and the Fly, and

the Toad, and the Bird . It is

true, we have an averfion to fome

creatures, and we are better af-

fected towards fome than to

others : but we ought not to put

any of them to pain , if we can

avoid it ; for Cruelty to a Brute is

odious and abominable, whether

it be to a Beaft, or a Bird, or a

Fish, or a Worm. Be the crea-

ture never fo infignificant in our

eftima-
 [ 271 ]

eftimation , we cannot put it to

any degree of pain without a vio-

lation of the Laws of Nature ;

becauſe every living creature is the

work of the GOD of Nature.

According to the divine Law,

MERCY is a Duty of that univerfal

extent, that it will not be dif-

penſed with even in the accidental ,

and yet not uncommon circum-

ftance, of finding a BIRD's NEST.

If a BIRD's NEST chance to be

before thee in the way in any tree,

or on the ground, whether they be

Young Ones or Eggs, and the

DAM fitting upon the Young, or

upon the Eggs ; Thou shalt not take

the DAM with the Young, but

thou shalt in any wife let the DAM

go ; -That it may be well with Thee,

and
 [ 272 ]

and that Thou mayst prolong thy

Days. (Deut. xxii. 6. ) . Were there

no other text throughout the

Bible, from which to prove the

Duty of Mercy to Brute Animals,

but this only ; this alone is enough

to reft it upon . The Goodneſs

and Condefcenfion of the great

Creator in this feemingly trifling

inftance of a BIRD's NEST is fo

remarkably diſplayed ; and our

attention to the Law, and our

compaffion to the diftreffed Bird,

is enforced with the promiſe of a

bleffing of fo extraordinary a kind,

for fo fmall a fervice ; that to re-

flect upon it at all , one would

think it fufficient to mollify the

hardeſt heart, and to confound

the pride of the greateſt man upon

Earth . Indeed it is a precept fo

ftriking,
 [ 273 ] .

ftriking, fo important, and fo

abundant in Love, that I cannot

avoid repeating it over again : -If

a BIRD's NEST chance to be be-

fore thee in the way in any tree, or

on the ground, whether they be

Young Ones or Eggs, and the

DAM fitting upon the Young, or

upon the Eggs ; Thou shalt not take

the DAM with the Young ; but

Thou shalt in any wife let the DAM

go ; —that it may be well with thee,

and that thou mayst prolong thy

Days.

I am forry there ſhould be any

occafion , (though when I con-

fider the remifsnefs of many Pa-

rents in not inſtructing their Chil-

dren in the duty of mercy to

BIRDS, I find myſelf neceffitated )

T to
 [ 274 ]

to remind them , that the Bleffing

annexed in this Commandment

to this inftance of compaflion to

the BIRD , is the very fame as the

Bleffing fubjoined to the Fifth

Commandment of the Decalogue ,

in which Parents are fo deeply in-

tereſted . Honour thy Father and

thy Mother, faith the Law of

Sinai, that THY DAYS may be

LONG in the land (Exod . xx. 12 ) ;

or, as more fully expreffed

it is
-
in the Repetition of the Law,

that THY DAYS may be PROLONGED ,

and that IT MAY GO WELL WITH

THEE . (Deut . v. 16. ) The words

are fimilar to the words in the

precept before us ; -Thou shalt

in any wife let the Dam go, - that

IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE , and

that Thou mayft PROLONG THY

DAYS.
 [ 275 ]

DAYS . Length of Days, attainable

by all men, is in the RIGHT hand

of WISDOM : Riches and Honor,

which can be the portion of but a

few, are only the ornaments of

her LEFT hand *. But it is her

right hand gift, the moſt noble

and venerable gift , which wiſdom

can beftow, that is promifed as

the reward of Reverence to Pa-

rents, and yet not deemed mif-

placed nor thrown away upon the

Merciful and Compaffionate .

Thoushalt not take the DAM with

the Young, fays the precept ; but

thou shalt in any wife let the DAM

go. This may mean that , thou ſhalt

take neither Dam nor Young, un-

leſs you find the NEST upon the

Ground, in which cafe the Young.

Prov. iii. 16 .

T 2 Ones
 [ 276 ]

Ones may be bruifed or hurt by

the fall, or trodden under foot ;

and then it is a kindnefs to take

them away , and diſpatch them .

But,whether you take the Young or

not, Thou shalt in any wife let the

DAM go. Thou shalt not add

one affliction to another . The

tender mother is bereaved of her

children , and is not this forrow

fufficient ? but wilt thou cruelly

deprive her of her liberty likewife ,

and of the pleaſure or poffibility

of having other young in their

ftead ? No.- Thou shalt not take

the DAM with the Young ; but

thou shalt in any wife LET THE

DAM GO ; that it may be well with

thee , and that thou mayst prolong

thy days. Oh , that all Parents

would duly and ſeriouſly reflect

5 upon
 "
[ 277 1

upon this important precept, in

which their own Honor as well as

their children's Happinefs is fo

much at ftake ! The fooliſh Mo-

ther may think ſhe is fecuring to

herfelf the love and affection of

her favorite child , 1 when he is

pleafing him with the fight of the

BIRD fluttering in the CAGE ;

and may affectedly laugh at the

impertinence and novel correction

of any one that attempts to re-

prove her Folly or convince her of

her Miftake ; for like as a PAR-

TRIDGE taken and kept in a

CAGE ,fo is the Heart of the Proud;

( Ecclus. xi . 30. ) The proud heart

of the mother is as unwilling to

bear reproof, as the partridge to be

confined in a cage. But, for my

own part, I think , that both the

T 3 mother
 [ 278 ]

mother and the child are real ob-

jects of pity for the parent knows

not what ſhe is doing, and that

fhe is teaching her child the rudi-

ments of undutifulneſs to herſelf,

and diſhonor to The Family ; and

as the CAGE is full of BIRDS, fo

is her Houfe full of Deceit. Jerem .

v . 27 .

St. Paul obferves ( Eph . vi. 2. )

that the commandment, HONOUR

THY FATHER AND MOTHER is the

FIRST commandment with PROMISE .

He thought the Promiſe of Profpe-

rity and Length of Days was the

beſt ſecurity to the obſervance of it.

And ſurely the bleffing can lofe

nothing of its excellence , becauſe

annexed to the Precept Let the

Dam go, which after the apoſtle,

I may
 [ 279 ]

I may call the SECOND command-

ment with PROMISE . What GOD

hath been pleaſed to join together

with the very fame promife, let

not the folly or cruelty of man put

afunder. Oh Mother ! think upon

this golden chain of innumerable

links of days of profperity ; for

thy own, and thy child's fake,

preſerve it inviolable. If you truly

love your child , inftruct him in

the love of MERCY, and fear of

GOD. The two commandments,

Honor thy Parents and Let the

Dam go, are more cloſely con-

nected than you perhaps are wil-

ling to fuppofe. But revolve, I

pray you, in your mind, the cafe

of fome family of your acquaint-

ance, where the peace of it has

been diſturbed by the undutiful-

Ꭲ 4 nefs
 [ 280 ]

nefs and obftinacy of the children ;

and I believe you will find , that

the Parents have not a little con-

tributed thereto , by not timely

reſtraining their children from acts

of ſportive Cruelty to BIRDS and

INSECTS. Poffibly they will not

acknowledge that this was the

cauſe of it. Few parents will

confefs themſelves to have been in

the wrong. The blame is gene-

rally laid upon the perverſ diſpo-

e
fition of the children , when yet

that very perverfe

nefs is frequently
chargea
ble to the parent's account .
The minds of childre
n are natu-

rally tender , and fufcepti of

ble
foft and benevole impreffi
ons ;
n t
and if fome are of a rougher caft

than others , they are ftill capable

of being inftruc in their duty ,

t ed
and
 [ 281 ]

and reduced to order by the prin-

ciples of Religion , the fear of

GOD , and truft in his Promiſes.

On the ground of Religion , and

of Nature, Parents may lay a fure

foundation of reverential honor

and filial love to themſelves. But,

if you fuffer your child to com-

mit any acts of cruelty, you harden

him againſt fear and every foft

impreffion you overthrow the

foundation , and marr all the ma-

terials of thy family ftructure .

For how can you think your child

will fear and honor God, when

you teach him to difregard the

promifes of GOD ? or how can

you think that he will fear and

honor you, when you teach him

neither to fear nor honor GOD ?

You have diſcharged him from all

obedience
 [ 282 ]

obedience to thyſelf by permitting

him to tranfgrefs a Command-

ment, enjoined by the fame Au-

thority, and recommended with

the very fame Bleffing, as the

Commandment of Reverence to

Parents. You have taught him

to trifle and quibble with the Pro-

mife, that links the two com-

mandments together. How then

can you expect that your Child

fhould obey you on the religious

principle, that GOD has promiſed

life and profperity to fuch obedi-

ence, when you teach him to

make light of this very promiſe in

the other inftance ? And if your

Child regards you not from a re-

ligious principle ; What is there

left ? Love and affection he can

have none . For by your indulg-

ing
 [ 283 ]

ing him in wantonly catching of

BIRDS , tormenting of FLIES , fpin-

ning of BEETLES , & c . you have ren-

dered his once tender heart obdu-

rate to the delicate feelings of pity

and compaffion . And you can

hardly fuppofe that he will have

any concern about your pretended

affection towards him, or your

mournful complaints that he nei-

ther loves you, nor cares for you.

No. It is You that have done this

cruel work for thyfelf. You have

nipped every bud of love. You

have quenched every ſpark of af-

fection. You have made him deaf

to the voice of nature, by deafning

his ears to the cries of the crea-

tures. And at laft you will find ,

as others have experienced before,

that your fooliſh indulgence has

taught
 [ 284 ]

taught him to be as infenfible to

your own pains and tears , as you

have taught him to be infenfible

to the pains and miſery of tor-

mented BIRDS and INSECTS .

The Child, that can with in-

difference pull off the leg or wing

of a FLY, will in time with the

fame indifference and hardhearted-

nefs pull off the leg or wing of a

BIRD, or the tail of a CAT . He

may indeed love his favorite DOG

more than he loves his mother ;

and no great wonder if he does :

but he will throw ftones at a

neighbor's HORSE , or cut off the

teats of a Cow . It availeth not

that the Bleffed JESUS made his

folemn Entry into Jerufalem meek

and lowly, and riding upon an

ASS;
 [ 285 ]

ASS * ; for , as oft as the cruel

wretch fhall meet with this hum-

ble and inoffenfive Brute, he will

be fure to give a teftimony of his

own infidelity by repeated mock-

eries and infults . Nor fhall the

BIRD of Repentance be lefs the ob-

ject of his malice than the BEAST

of Humility ; and that too (as if

in deſpite of the eſtabliſhed Reli-

gion) in the very ſeaſon ſet apart

by the Church for the purpoſes of

humiliation and penance . St. Pe-

ter denied his Mafter, the Cock

awakened him unto repentance :

but Repentance is an irkfome

tafk ; therefore fhall the Cock be

tied by the leg to a ſtake, and

thrown at with cudgels till every

bone in his body is broken : or to

Zech. ix . 9. Matt . xxi . 5.

make
 [ 286 ]

make him a compleat Cock of the

Game, his ftately creft muſt be

cut off, and his fpurs pared away

for weapons of ſteel, and public no-

tice given, that the very abjects

and beafts of the people, who de-

light in blood , may gather them-

felves together and rejoice in his

adverfity*. But if there be ſuch

a thing as relative holineſs , or if

there be any two animals more

facred than others, I would fay

they are this BIRD of Repentance,

and the beforementioned BEAST of

Humility : or, if there be any bar-

barous fport that is a particular

ſcandal or diſgrace to Christianity,

I would fay it is COCK - THROWING :

but Woe be to them through whom

the offence cometh t. Yet it is by

Pfa. xxxv. 15. + Matt. xviii . 7.

thefe
5
 [ 287 ]

theſe unreftrained practices that

the heart of youth is hardened ;

and from the wing of a FLY to the

teat of a Cow, we may trace his

procedure from one degree of

cruelty to another, till at length

HUMANITY itſelf muft bear the

weight of his oppreffion and ty-

ranny ; and regardleſs of the cries

of nature, or the ties of blood , he

verifies the obſervation of the wife

king of Ifrael , that> as He that is

MERCIFUL doeth good to his own

Soul, fo He that is CRUEL troubleth

his own FLESH. Prov. xi. 17.

Cruelty, then like other fins has its

progrefs and ſtages ; but being the

devil's Darling, it ſtands at the

head of the black catalogue of

fins. It is the very firſt fin that

we
 [ 288 ]

we read of in Scripture after the

fall of man ; and , though the

overt acts may be fuppreffed, yet

whilft it lurks in the heart, it lays

the foundation of every act of

mifchief and injuſtice . A man

that violates nature by any act of

wanton cruelty, how trifling fo-

ever the object, can have no fear

of GOD, no true principle of

juſtice or honor. He can neither

do justly, nor love mercy, nor walk

humbly with GOD . Even in the

fmalleft inftances of it, he diſcovers

a malevolence of heart dangerous

to Society. When DOMITIAN was

firft advanced to the Imperial

Throne of ROME, he amufed

himſelf in killing and tormenting

of FLIES . We might elfe wonder

how it was poffible for a man to

be
 [ 289 ]

be guilty of the barbarities , which

he practifed on his own fubjects ;

but the wonder ceafes, when we

are told, that Domitian was cruel

to a Fly. The object was changed ,

but the fubject was the fame .

It does not become any man to

dictate to his fuperiors, but I cannot

help fometimes fuppofing, that, if

all the barbarous cuſtoms and prac-

tices ſtill fubfifting amongſt us ,

were decreed to be as illegal as

they are finful, we ſhould not hear

of fo many ſhocking Murders and

acts of Inhumanity , as we now

do . There have been Govern-

ments ( not the lefs wife I prefume

for this reafon ) that deemed

Cruelty to Brutes a crime un-

worthy of men, and cognizable

U
by
 [ 290 ]

by Law. It was one of the Laws

of Triptolemus , HURT NO LIVING

*
CREATURE Hiſtory tells us

' of a wife and polite nation , that

rejected a perfon of the firft qua-

lity, who ftood for a judicatory

office, only becauſe he had been

' obferved in his youth to take

pleaſure in Tearing and Murder-

ing of BIRDS ; and of another

that expelled a Man out of the

Senate, for Daſhing a BIRD

(
against the Ground , which had

taken fhelter in his Bofom .

Every one knows how remarkable

the Turks are for their humanity

in this kind +.' And I have

fomewhere read, that the pious

* Archæol . Græc. B. i. Ch. 26.

† Guardian, Nº. 61 .

Mufful-
 [ 291 ],

Muffulmans eſteem it a duty of

religion to purchaſe captive BIRDS

out of the cages of the Chriftians ,

that they may fet them at liberty.

Thefe bowels of mercies in hea-

then and infidel nations, ought

furely to make Chriftians blufh ,

when we compare their humanity

and tendernefs with our own .

But we have fo long accuftomed

ourſelves to brutal Cruelty, that

our very nature feems transformed

through vicious habit : the di-

vine image, after which we were

created, is effaced : our hearts are

grown callous ; and our judgment

is as perverſe as our heart .

BUT, whatever may be the de-

pravity or perverſeneſs of the hu-

man heart, we read in the Pro-

U 2 phecy
 [ 292 ]

phecy of ISAIAH, that when the

Branch fhall grow out of the root

of Feffe ; The WOLF fall dwell

with the LAMB, and the LEO-

PARD fhall lie down with the

KID ; and the CALF, and the

young LION, and the FAT-

LING together, and a little

Child fhall lead them . And the

COW and the BEAR fball feed,

and their Young ones fhall lie down

together ; and the LION ſhall eat

Straw like the OX ; andthe fucking

Child fball play with the ASP ;

and the weaned Child fhall put his

hand on the COCKATRICE or

Adder's den : They shall not hurt

nor deftroy. (Ifaiah xi . 6-9) . Some

interpret this prophecy in the

literal fenfe ; and others have

thought it is to be underſtood in

a figu-
 [ 293 ]

a figurative ſenſe, to denote that

by the preaching of the Goſpel of

CHRIST , the minds and tempers of

Men would be reformed, and the

moſt untoward difpofitions would

become meek and gentle. But,

whether this prophecy is to be

interpreted in a literal , or in a

figurative fenfe ; whether it is to

be applied to the natural or to

the moral world ; if it is a good

method to judge of the time of

the accompliſhment of a prophecy

by the coincidence of the event ,

we fhall find it hard to determine

how this has as yet been fulfilled .

For favage Brutes continue to be

favage ; and Men are not much

better. Either then, we have

miſtaken the day of his coming ;

or, (as the Jews tell us ,) he would

U 3 have
 [ 294 ]

have appeared at the appointed

time, but the fins of Men with-

held him ; or, (and which as a

Chriftian I conclude to be the

cafe, ) he hath appeared, the root

hath long fince fhot forth the

Branch , and the bleffed event

would long fince have taken place,

both literally and figuratively, in the

natural world as well as in the mo-

ral world , if men would permit the

Branch to grow ; that is, if Chrif

tians would become Chriftians in-

deed, and by their good example

engage all the kingdoms of this

world to become the kingdoms ofour

Lord, and of his Chrift. Rev. xi .

15. But natural Evil is fo cloſely

connected with moral evil, that

until fin be taken away, the effect

of fin muft continue . If men

3 would
 [ 295 ]

would learn to fear GOD, and to

obferve his laws ; if the Earth were

full of the Knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the Seas *, Na-

ture herſelf would wear another

face . All would be peace , harmony ,

and love . Men would become

merciful ; Savage Brutes would be-

come tame ; and the tame Brutes

would no more groan under the

laſh, and bear the weight of the

fins of Men ; but all , both Men

and Brutes would experience the

bleffing of the renovating change .

When the LION fall eat straw

like the OX, as he once did +, the

Lion will be as tame as the Ox ;

* Ifaiah xi. 9.

† And God faid - To EVERY BEAST of

the Earth- I have given every green Herb for
Meat . Gen. i. 30 .

U 4 but
 [ 296 ]

but fo long as there is a difobe-

dient Prophet in Bethel * , fo long

muft the Lion retain his fiercenefs

as a terror and executioner of

GOD's judgment ; and fo long

muft his fiercenefs be fupported

and fed with the invigorating blood

of the flain.

But thefe SHEEP what have

they done ? Why fhould inno-

cent CATTLE fuffer becauſe of

the fins of Men ? I anfwer, by a

fimilar queftion ; Why fhould in-

nocent Children fuffer for the fins

of wicked parents ? When the

Houſe is overthrown , the whole

family muft perish . For though

GOD may ſpare Nineveh for a

while for the fake of the innocent

1 Kings xiii. 24.

Children

3
 [ 297 ]

Children and Cattle ; yet, if Ni-

neveh will not repent, the inno-

cent CATTLE muſt fall in the ge-

neral ruin, but as guiltleſs as the

innocent Children which cannot

difcern between their right hand

and their left hand. Jonah. iv. 11 ,

Till we are able to " account

why innocent Children fhould

fuffer for the fins of others, let it

not be particularly alledged as an

objection to the Mercy of GOD

towards the Brutes, that the Brutes

fhould fuffer likewife. His Mercy

ought no more to be called in

queſtion in the one cafe, than in

the other ; nor to a confiderate

mind will it be queſtioned in either

cafe. For, indeed, it can hardly

be avoided in public diftreſs ,

but
 [ 298 ]

but that the Children muſt ſome

way or other feel the effect of it ;

and for the fame reaſon , we are

}
not to wonder that the Brutes of

humanity , who are connected with

us, and dependent upon us, and

who live as it were under our

roof, are many times unhappily

involved in the calamities which

befal Mankind . And if this be

an Evil, to the fcore of finful .

Men be it charged ; and not to

any wrath or diſpleaſure in GOD

towards the innocent and unfin-

ning BRUTES , any more than to

the innocent and unfinning BABES ;

for Shall not the Judge of all the

Earth do right ? Gen. xviii . 25 .

Be this then , the general an-

fwer to all objections of this

kind ,
 [ 299 ]

kind . Yet fee the perverfeneſs

and unreaſonablenefs of finful

Men. We first call down the

Vengeance of Heaven , by our fins,

to confume us in his wrath , and

then we arraign the Mercy of

GOD , becauſe thoſe that are con-

nected with us, periſh in the flame

which our own follies have kin-

dled . But if it be true , that the

Innocent muft fuffer with the

Guilty, it maketh Sin to be more

exceeding finful ; and this con-

fideration ought to make us more

careful how we offend, becauſe

when we fall , we fall not alone,

for in our ſkirts is found the blood

of the fouls of the poor innocents * ;

and we aggravate our own fins,

by the miferies which we know

* Jerem . ii. 34.

the
 [ 300 ]

the juſt puniſhment thereof muſt

bring upon others.

And yet the Mercy of GOD

towards the innocent may fome-

times be traced even in his judg-

ments upon the wicked . For

though the idea of Death may be

terrible to the Living , yet, in it-

felf, it hath no Sting but for the

Sinner ; nor hath the Law any

Strength but for the Tranfgreffor.

In the hands of GOD alone are

the iffues of Life and of Death,

of Bleffing and of Curfing ; and

he knows beft how long he ſhall

continue to any creature the bleſ-

fing of Life. But, when the day of

the LORD is near, or the voice of the

day of the LORD, a day of wrath, a

day of trouble and diftrefs, a day of

wafteness
 [ 301 ]

wafteness and defolation ; when be

willbringdiftrefs upon men, —becauſe

they havefinned against the LORD ; -

and when the whole land fhall be

devoured by the fire of his jea-

loufy * ; it is in his Mercy that by

the medium of inftant death , he

taketh away the Innocent from

the evil to come : or if fome In-

nocents ſhould be reſerved , to pro-

craftinate the day of vengeance

for a time (as in the cafe of Ni-:

neveh) , and at laft to fall in the

general wreck, to make the cala-

mity the more exemplary and

more affecting to others ; yet,

though they fall with the guilty,

they fall not as the victims of

Vengeance. To the unfinning

BEAST, to the fpotlefs BABE , and

Zeph . i. 14-17.

to
 [ 302 ]

to the righteous MAN , Death is no

further an Evil , than as it is the

Period of Life ; and when Life

would become a Burthen, Death

becomes a Bleffing to all but to

the Sinner.

Suppoſe we now the day of

diftrefs at hand, and the Blef-

fing of Death decreed . The un-

offending BRUTE muft die : and

what matters it to him, whether

in the earthquake, or in a deluge,

or in a flaughter-houfe ? The

helpless CHILD muft die : for

fhould it furvive the fall of its

parents, it would be expofed to

all the miſeries of cold and fa-

mine ; the tongue of the fucking

child would cleave to the roof of its

mouth for thirst ; and the young

children
 [ 303 ]

children would ask bread, and no

man to break it unto them *

but God is pleaſed to take them

away by the ſudden point of

the fword, not more painful

than the tedious cutting of the

teeth . The Righteous MAN too

muft die, and be feemeth to die

in pain : In the fight of the un-

wife, bis departure is taken for mi-

fery ; and his going away to be

utter deftruction ; yet he is in

peace : and though he may feem

to be punished in the fight of men,

yet is his hope full of immortality ::

and having been a little chaftifed,

he fhall be greatly rewarded. Wif-

dom iii. 2 , 3 , 4.

* Lam. iv. 4..

Accord-
 [ 304 ]

*
According to the foregoing fup-

pofition, in the day of public cala-

mity, the fame event of untimely

death befalls the righteous MAN , 4

the helpless BABE , and the unoffend-

ing BRUTE. Now, if the Man and

the Babe are not exempted , I pre-

fume there is no occafion for me to

endeavor to prove, that more favor

ought to be fhewn to the innocent

Brute, than to the innocent Man .

If it is in his Mercy that GOD

taketh away the Man ; it can be no

impeachment of his Mercy that

the Brute dieth likewife. But fup

pofe it were in Wrath ; whatever

evil may enſue, to the account

of wicked men be placed all the

difmal charge. For, as the GoD

of Nature is the God of Grace , and

as the fame GOD who was the

Creator
 [ 305 ]

Creator of the world is the moral

Governor of it, I am emboldened

to ſay, on the principles of divine

revelation , that Nature would

never have groaned , if Man had

not finned . If the Brutes,then,fuffer

through our fins , upon ourfelves

be their miſery ; we are the occa-

fion of it all : for, when the Land

mourneth, and the herbs of every

field wither, for the wickedness

of them that dwell therein, the

BEASTS and the BIRDS are

confumed. Jerem. xii . 4.

See here the dire effect of Sin .

The Land mourneth, the Herbs

wither, the Brutes perifh ; and

why ? for the WICKEDNESS of them

that dwell in the Land. Say not,

then that GOD is unmerciful to

X the
 [ 306 ]

the Brutes ; but ſay, rather, that

the unmercifulneſs and cruelty is

in MAN, who provoketh the Al-

mighty to curfe the land, which

would otherwiſe produce food fuf-

ficient for all the inhabitants there-

of; and what little is referved for

the BEAST or the BIRD , is devour-

ed by the Men through whom the

calamity cometh .

In this manner might we in

fome meaſure account for the

miferies which befal the inno-

cent. It is their misfortune to

be connected with the guilty : but

the general Mercy of GOD to-

wards all his creatures is no more

to be called in queftion for this,

than the Juftice of a wife Legifla

ture is to be arraigned, becauſe,

5 in
 [ 307 ]

in the puniſhment of a criminal ,

the effect of his crime may extend

to his innocent family . The Law

doth not punish the innocent ;

but if the innocent ſuffer for the

guilty, charge that fuffering to the

account of the Criminal. And

yet, after all that has been faid,

I firmly believe, that no evil

which the innocent Brutes fuffer

from the hand of GOD on the ac-

count of Men, is in any refpect

equal to the pains and miferies they

endure from the Cruelties of

Men . For GOD is merciful even

when provoked to Judgment, but

MAN is cruel without any provo-

cation at all. Let me fall, faith

David, into the hands ofthe LORD,

(
for his Mercies are great), and
1
X 2 let
 [ 308 ]

let me not fall into the hand of

MAN. 2 Sam. xxiv. 14.

When the wickednefs of Men

was fo great in the earth , that

GOD was determined to deſtroy

the whole race of mankind , ( the

incloſed in the Ark only excepted,)

His Mercy was confpicuous even

in his Judgment. For the fake of

the few MEN that were to be fav-

ed, it feemed expedient that the

BRUTES ſhould periſh ; for had they

all been fpared, the difproportion of

numbers between Men and Brutes

in the new world, would probably

have occafioned various inconve-

niencies. The multitude of the

favage Beafts would have been à

continual terror to the new race

of men , and the multitude of the

5 tamer
 [ 309 ]

tamer kind would have been as

ftraggling fheep without a fhep-

herd . Born to die once , their

term of life indeed was fhortened :

but the manner of their death by

Water, was, upon the whole, more

eafy to many of them, and more

expeditious than if the tame brutes

had been devoured by the fierce,

and the fierce had perifhed by

lingering Famine. Had it been

by general Fire, it would have

confumed the Fiſhes of the Sea, as

well as the Creatures of the Earth ;

and it would have made a greater

havock in the creation , than was

neceffary to accomplish the end

propoſed ; nor would the Ark it-

felf have been fpared . But as

GOD was not angry with the

Brutes, WATER was the merciful

X 3 expe-
 [ 310 ]

expedient to fave no less than to

deftroy. The Waters prevailed, and

every Living Subftance was de-

Atroyed which was upon the face of

the ground, both Man and Cattle,

and the Creeping Things, and the

Fowl of the heaven ; and they

were deftroyed from the earth.

Gen. vii . 23 .

But GOD remembered NOAH,

and Every LIVING THING,

and all the CATTLE that was

with him in the Ark. (Gen. viii. 1.) .

GOD REMEMBERED the BRUTES

that were ſhut up, as well as the

MEN ; and made a wind to pafs

over the Earth, and the Waters

affwaged. And the LORD fent

forth his Spirit, and renewed the

face of the Earth * . He looked

* Pfa. civ. 30. upon

 [ 31 ]

upon the Defolation , and it ſeemed

to have repented him, that the

Brutes had perished ; and that

which had been the MOTIVE of

Judgment, he now declares fhall

never move him again to blot the

innocent Brutes out of his creation ,

for the fins of guilty Men. Read ;

and adore his Love ; and fee

how his Mercy rejoiceth againft

Judgment :-The LORD faid in his

beart, I will not again curfe the

Ground any more for MAN's fake,

though the imagination of MAN's

heart is evil from his Youth ; nei-

ther will I again fmite any more

EVERY LIVING THING, as

I HAVE DONE . Gen. viii . 21.

Nor was it enough that the LORD

faid it in his heart, but he gra-

X4
cioufly
 [ 312 ]

cioufly condefcends to bind him-

felf by a COVENANT ; by an

EVERLASTING COVENANT , not con-

fined to any family, to any nation , to

any church, no nor to human kind ;

but a Covenant as Extenfive as it

is Eternal, as Merciful as it is

Magnificent, and as Sublime in

the Form of it, as it is aftoniſh-

ingly Beautiful in the Seal and

Signature. And to convince Noah

and all future Generations, that

the Mercy of the Lord is over all his

works ; and that EVERY LIVING

CREATURE , of the FowL, of

the CATTLE , and of every BEAST of

the Earth , is as much , in its kind ,

the object of his Loving- kindneſs

as Man, yea more than finful

Man 5 and that it was not in his

wrath to the unfinning Brutes

which
 [ 313 ]

which had perifhed , that he had

ſwept them away in the general

flood ; he is moreover moft gra-

ciouſly pleaſed to take in the Sur-

viving BRUTES for themſelves , and

for their Pofterities, as Parties

jointly intereſted with Men , and

exprefly named together with them

in the fame EVERLASTING COVE-

NANT, written in Heaven, and

SEALED with the RAINBOW.

BEHOLD the FORM of

THE COVENANT,

and bear witneſs unto

THE TOKEN

vifible to all men

even unto this day.

THE
 THE COVENANT.

GOD fpake unto NOAH,

and to his Sons with him, faying,

AND I, BEHOLD I ESTABLISH

MY COVENANT

WITH YOU, AND

WITH YOUR SEED AFTER YOU,

AND WITH EVERY

LIVING CREATURE

THAT IS WITH YOU, OF THE

FOWL, OF THE CATTLE,

AND OF EVERY BEAST OF THE EARTH

WITH YOU ,

FROM ALL THAT GO OUT OF THE ARK,

TO EVERY BEAST OF THE EARTH.

AND

I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT , WITH YOU ;

NEITHER SHALL ALL FLESH BE CUT OFF

ANY MORE BY THE WATERS OF A FLOOD :

NEITHER SHALL THERE ANY MORE BE A FLOOD

TO DESTROY THE EARTH .

 THE TOKEN.

And GOD faid,

This is the TOKEN of the Covenant

which I make between Me and You,

and every LIVING CREATURE that is with you,

for perpetual generations :

I DO SET MY BOW IN THE CLOUD ,

and it fhall be for a TOKEN of a Covenant

between Me and the Earth.

And it fhall come to paſs,

when I bring a cloud over the earth, that

THE BOW SHALL BE SEEN IN THE CLOUD :

And I will remember my Covenant

which is between Me, and You,

and every LIVING CREATURE of all fleſh ;

and the waters fhall no more become a flood
to deſtroy all flesh .

AND THE BOW SHALL BE IN THE CLOUD ;

and I will look upon it, that I may remember
THE EVERLASTING COVENANT
BETWEEN GOD AND EVERY LIVING CREATURE
of all flesh, that is upon the Earth.

And GOD faid unto Noah,

THIS IS THE

TOKEN OF THE COVENANT,

WHICH I HAVE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN ME
AND ALL FLESH THAT IS UPON THE EARTH.

Gen. ix. 8-17 .

 [ 316 ]

Look upon the RAINBOW,

and praife him that made it *

and, Let that beautiful and re-

fplendent ARCH of Heaven be the

vifible MEMORIAL of the LORD

throughout all Generations, that

HIS MERCY IS OVER ALL HIS WORKS.

I prefume it is now unneceffary

that I fhould add any more Argu-

ments or Teftimonies to thoſe

which have been already advanced

and produced . For what ? Shall

GOD ESTABLISH his COVE-

NANT, his EVERLASTING COVE-

NANT with EVERY LIVING

CREATURE of the FowL, of the

CATTLE , and of every BEAST of

the Earth, as well as with MAN ?

and fhall we deſpiſe thoſe Crea-

• Ecclus. xliii. 11.

tures,
 [ 317 ]

tures , which are no lefs than Our-

felves in COVENANT with GOD?

Shall GOD SPARE a wicked City

for the fake of BEAST, as well as

BABE and fhall we abuſe thoſe

Creatures, for whoſe fake (per-

haps) our City, and our Land is

SPARED ? Shall GOD difplay the

riches of his Goodneſs in his

CREATION of, and in his PRO-

VIDENTIAL CARE over the

BEASTS of the Earth, and over the

FOWLS of the Air, and over the

FISHES of the Sea, and over Every

LIVING CREATURE that moveth

upon the Earth, which his Wifdom

and Goodneſs hath created and

made ? Shall he confirm the com-

mon dictates of HUMANITY and

NATURAL RELIGION, by the exprefs

DECLARATIONS of his holy Word ,

by
 [ 318 ]

by PROMISES, by THREATEN-

INGS, by PRECEPTS, and by

EXAMPLES, recorded in Scrip-

ture for our Learning ? and fhall

any man dare to ſay or prefume to

fuppofe that GOD regardeth them

not ? NO, faith the Wiſdom of

Solomon : Thou loveft all the Things

that are, and abborreft nothing

that Thou haft made ; for never

wouldst thou have made any thing

if thou hadst hated it ; And how

.

could any thing have endured,

if it had not been thy Will ? Or

been preferved, if not called by

Thee. Wifd . xi . 24. Thy Power

is the Beginning of Righteousness ;

and becaufe thou art the LORD of

ALL, it maketh thee to be GRACIOUS

unto ALL. Ch . xii. 16 .

As
 [ 319 ]

As I have juft now quoted an

Apocryphal Writing , I will take

up my Song of Praife with ANA-

NIAS, AZARIAS , and MISAEL

57. O Ye WHALES, and

ALL that move in the Waters ,

Bless Ye the LORD ; Praife and

exalt him above all for ever.

58. O all Ye FOWLS of the

Air, Blefs Ye the LORD ; Praife

.

and exalt him above all for ever.

59. O all Ye BEASTS and

CATTLE ; Bless Ye the LORD ;

Praife and exalt him above all for

ever.

60. 0 Ye Children of Men,

Bless Ye the LORD ; Praife and

exalt him above all for ever.

65. O Te Holy and Humble

Men of heart, Blefs Ye the LORD ;

Praiſe
 [ 320 ]

Praiſe and exalt him above all for

ever.

67. O Give Thanks unto the

LORD, becauſe he is Gracious ; for

his MERCY endureth for ever.

AND now upon a candid Re-

view of the numerous Paffages

of holy Scripture , which I have

collected into this treatiſe , and on

fome of which I have enlarged ,

(not with any defign to fatigue or

miſlead my reader , but only to

imprint them the more deeply in

his mind ), give me leave to aſk if

it is poffible , that any man , who

acknowledges the authority of the

facred Writings , and duly confiders

the gracious and merciful intent

and force of theſe paffages , can be

infen-
 [ 321 ]

infenfible either ofthe GOODNESS OF

GOD, or of the DUTY OF MERCY ,

or the SIN OF CRUELTY, towards

the Brute Animals . To me, I freely

own, they appear ſo ſtrong and irre-

fiftible, that I cannot but think that

he who profeffes to be a Chriſtian ,

and yet is negligent as to this im-

portant duty of MERCY , muſt be

either very ignorant of the ge-

nuine Principles of the Gofpel ,

which is the utmoſt perfection of

the Law, or muſt have an heart

hardened to an uncommon de-

gree.

. We may pretend to what RE-

LIGION we pleaſe , but Cruelty

is ATHEISM . We may make our

boaft of CHRISTIANITY ; but Cruel-

ty is INFIDELITY . We may truft to

Y Our
 [ 322 ]

Our ORTHODOXY ; but Cruelty is

the worst of HERESTES . The Re-

ligion of Chrift Jefus originated

in the MERCY of GOD ; and it

was the gracious defign of it to

promote Peace to every creature

UPON Earth, and to create a ſpirit

of univerfal Benevolence or Good-

will IN * Men. And as it hath

pleafed GOD therein to diſplay

the riches of his own Goodneſs

and Mercy towards Us ; and the

Revealer of his bleffed Will , the

Author and Finiſher of our Faith ,

hath commanded us to be Merci-

ful as our FATHER alfo is Merci-

ful, the obligation upon Chrifti-

ans becomes the ſtronger ; and it is

our bounden duty, in an eſpecial

* ΕΠΙ γης Ειρηνη , ΕΝ ανθρωποις Ευδοκια .

Luke ii. 14.

manner,
 [ 323 ]

manner , and above all other peo-

ple, to extend the precept of Mer-

cy to every object of it. For, in-

deed, a Cruel Chriftian is a Mon-

fter of Ingratitude , a Scandal to

his Profeffion , and beareth the

Name of Chrift in vain : and in

vain will he plead the Mercies of

GOD in Chrift Jefus , when he

appeareth before the GOD of uni-

verfal Nature . As is the Majefty

of the LORD fo is his Mercy * -unto

Merciful Men, whofe Righteousness

Shall not be forgotten † . But, as his

Mercy is great, fo is his Correction

alfo ; for he judgeth a Man accord-

ing to his Works ‡ . Cruelty will

debar MERCY even in the FATHER

of Mercies, and cut off all HOPE

even in the GOD of all Comfort .

* Ecclus . ii. 18.

+ xliv . 10 . xvi . 12 .

Y 2 He
 [ 324 ]

He that hath fhewed no Mercy,

Shall have Judgment without Mer-

cy :*and, in the righteous judgment

of GOD , he will at length be forced

to confefs with Adonibezek ; -As

I have DONE , fo God hath REQUIT-

ED me. Judges i. 7 .

Let me intreat thee , then , O

courteous Chriftian Reader, by

all that is amiable, juſt, and

good ; let me intreat thee for

GOD's fake, for CHRIST's fake , for

MAN's fake, for BEASTS' fake, yea,

and for thine own fake, Put on

(as an Elect of GOD, holy and

beloved) Bowels of MERCIES , Kind-

nefs, Humbleness of Mind, Meek-

ness . Make it your buſineſs,

efteem it your duty, believe it to

* James ii. 13. + Col. iii. 12.

be
 [ 325 ]

be the ground of your hope, and

know that it is that which the

Lord doth require of thee -To DO

JUSTLY, AND TO LOVE MERCY , AND

TO WALK HUMBLY WITH THY GOD .

See that no BRUTE of any kind ,

whether intrufted to thy care, or

coming in thy way, fuffer through

thy neglect or abuſe . Let no views

of profit, no compliance with

cuftom , and no fear of the ridi-

cule of the world , ever tempt thee,

to the leaft act of Cruelty or In-

juſtice to any Creature whatſoever ,

But let this be your invariable

Rule, every where, and at all

times, to Do UNTO OTHERS AS , in

their condition , YOU WOULD BE

DONE UNTQ .

After this general Precept, all

further Rules for thy conduct are

unnecef-
 [ 326 ]

unneceffary. I fhall therefore add

no more than to exhort thee, to

BE MERCIFUL AS GOD IS MER-

CIFUL ; to BE MERCIFUL AS YOU

HOPE FOR MERCY ; and to receive

with Reverence and Attention

THE BLESSING OF THE LORD

JESUS CHRIST ,

BLESSED

ARE THE MERCIFUL ,

FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN

MERCY.

L.D.
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