THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. 



the happiness of the intelligent system, is laid 

 down in the Scriptures, with a plainness and per 

 spicuity, which render them level to the meanest 

 understanding ? And what shall we say of those 

 moralists who teach us, that &quot; modesty, humility, 

 and forgiveness of injuries,&quot; belong to the class 

 of vices ;* and, by consequence, that pride, 

 imprudence, and revenge, are to be ranked 

 among the virtues ! Such virtue, alas! has too 

 long prevailed in our degenerate world ; but were 

 it universally to prevail, it would transform crea 

 tion into a chaos, and banish happiness from the 

 universe. What beneficial practical effects have 

 ever yet been produced by all the systems of ethics 

 which have hitherto been published to the world ? 

 Let us look back on the nations of antiquity, on 

 the schools of Plato, Socrates, Epicurus, and 

 Zeno ; let us survey the conduct of our modern 

 skeptical philosophers, and the practices of our 

 youths who attend courses of ethical lectures in 

 our universities and academies, and say, whether 

 the general depravity of human nature has been 

 counteracted, and a spirit of universal benevo 

 lence has been cherished and promoted by such 

 instructions. I venture to affirm, that we are 

 far more indebted to our Saviour s sermon on 

 the mount, and to the practical writings of the 

 apostle Paul, for that portion of morality which 

 has given a polish to the manners of modern 

 socieiy, than to all the systems of ethics, detached 

 from Christianity, which have ever been published 

 by the philosophers either of Greece or Rome, 

 or of the British empire : arid that it is only 

 by following out the instructions of these divine 

 teachers that we can expect to see the world 

 regenerated, and vice and iniquity banished from 

 our streets. 



In throwing out the preceding hints, I have 

 confined my attention chiefly to the intelligent 

 creation. But it is evident, that where a prin 

 ciple of genuine love actuates the mind, it will 

 extend its benevolent regards even to the lower 

 orders of animated existence. Towards them 

 the Creator has displayed his benevolence, as 

 well as towards man. He has framed their bo 

 dies in as curious and admirable a manner, as 

 the bodies of mankind. He has bestowed upon 

 them organs of sensation exactly adapted to the 

 situations they occupy, and to their various modes 

 of subsistence. He has formed them with in 

 stincts which enable them to construct their habi 

 tations, to select their food, to protect themselves 

 from danger, and to choose the fittest places for 

 bringing forth their young. He has provided, 

 in the different departments of nature, all that 

 variety of food which is requisite to supply the 

 wants of the whole of that immense assemblage 

 of living beings which traverse the air, the waters, 

 and the earth. &quot; These all wait upon Him, 

 and he giveth them their meat indue season.&quot; 



* This sentiment is taught by Mr. Hume, and his 

 followers. 



Their sportive motions, their varied movement^ 

 and the delight with which they seem to exer 

 cise their faculties, testify, that they are the 

 objects of the beneficence of their Almighty 

 though unknown Maker. So that God noL only 

 takes care of men, but of the fishes of Hie sea, 

 the creeping insects, and the fowls of heaven, 

 for &quot;a sparrow cannot fall to the ground&quot; with 

 out his providential permission. 



This benevolent care of the Creator, which 

 extends to the lowest order of his creatures, in 

 structs us, that our benevolence also should be 

 displayed towards the inferior ranks of sensitive 

 existence that we should not only abstain from 

 vexing, and torturing, and unnecessarily depriv 

 ing them of existence ; but should endeavour to 

 promote their comfort and enjoyment. It was 

 the object of several of the laws delivered to the 

 Jews, to inculcate compassion and humanity 

 towards their domestic animals : and Solomon 

 lays it down as a moral maxim, that &quot; the right 

 eous man regardeth the life of his beast.&quot; Be 

 nevolence will display itself, in the shape of 

 tenderness and humanity towards every crea 

 ture that is endowed with feeling and sensation ; 

 but it cannot be supposed to have a powerful 

 influence over that man who can wantonly tor 

 ture a poor fly, lash a feeble old horse, wound a 

 bird or a hare for mere sport, twirl a cockchaffer 

 on a crooked pin, or even intentionally trample 

 under foot a snail or a worm, that is doing him 

 no injury. The benevolent man rejoices in the 

 happiness of all creation around him ; and, were 

 this disposition universally prevalent, not only 

 should we see cock-fighting, dog-fighting, bull- 

 baiting, and other cruel and degrading sports 

 for ever abolished, but should form a more de 

 lightful intercourse with many of the lower ani 

 mals than we have ever yet enjoyed. The 

 Arabians never beat their horses ; they never 

 cut their tails; they treat them gently; they 

 speak to them, and seem to hold a discourse ; 

 they use them as friends ; they never attempt 

 to increase their speed by the whip, nor spur 

 them but in cases of great necessity. They never 

 fix them to a stake in the fields, but suffer them 

 to pasture at large around their habitations ; and 

 they come running the moment they hear the 

 sound of their master s voice. In consequence 

 of such treatment, these animals become docile 

 and tractable in the highest degree. They re 

 sort at night to their tents, and lie down in the 

 midst of the children, without ever hurting then) 

 in the slightest degree. The little boys and girl? 

 are often seen upon the body or the neck of the 

 mare, while the beasts continue inoffensive and 

 harmless, permitling them to play with and 

 caress them without injury. Several species 

 of birds have a natural attachment to the habita 

 tions of man ; but his malevolence orevents 

 them from entering into any intimate and friendly 

 association ; for they seem to be fully aware of 



