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THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. 



the one half of the conversation of civilized men, 

 when strictly analyzed, will be found to consist 

 of malignant insinuations, and of tales of scan 

 dal and detraction, the one half of which is des 

 titute of any solid foundation. How comes it to 

 pass, that the slightest deviation from propriety 

 or rectitude, in the case of one of a generally 

 respectable character, is dsvelt upon with a fiend- 

 like pleasure, and aggravated beyond measure, 

 while all his good qualities are overlooked 

 and thrown completely into the shade ? What 

 is the reason why we are not as anxious to 

 bring forward the good qualities and actions of 

 our fellow-men, and to bestow upon them their 

 due tribute of praise, as we are to blaze abroad 

 their errors and infirmities ? How often does it 

 happen, that a single evil action committed by an 

 individual, contrary to the general tenor of his 

 life, will be trumpeted about by the tongue of 

 malice, even to the end of his life, while all his 

 virtuous deeds and praiseworthy actions will be 

 overlooked and forgotten, and attempted to be bu 

 ried in oblivion ! If benevolence were the pre 

 vailing characteristic of mankind, such disposi 

 tions would seldom be displayed in the intercour 

 ses of human beings. If benevolence per 

 vaded every heart, we would rejoice to expatiate 

 on the excellences of others ; these would form 

 the chief topics of conversation in our personal 

 remarks on others ; we would endeavour to 

 throw a veil over the infirmities of our brethren, 

 and would be always disposed to exercise that 

 candour and charity &quot; which covers a multitude 

 of sins.&quot; 



If we now turn our eyes for a moment, to the 

 amusements of civilized society, we shall find 

 many of them distinguished by a malignant cha 

 racter and tendency. What an appropriate ex 

 hibition for rational and immortal beings do the 

 scenes of a cockpit display ! to behold a motley 

 group of bipeds, of all sorts and sizes, from the 

 peer to the chimney-sweep, and from the man of 

 hoary hairs to the lisping infant, betting, bluster 

 ing, swearing, and feasting their eyes with a 

 savage delight on the sufferings of their fel 

 low-bipeds, whom they have taught to wound, to 

 torment, and to destroy each other! There is 

 scarcely any thing that appears so congenial to 

 the spirit which pervades the infernal regions, as 

 the attempt to inspire the lower animals with the 

 same malignant dispositions which characterize 

 the most degraded of the human species. That 

 such a cruel and disgusting practice still prevails 

 in England, and that it formed, until lately, a 

 part of the amusements of almost all the schools 

 in Scotland, is a reproach to the civilization, the 

 humanity, and the Christianity of our country. 

 And what a fine spectacle to a humane and civili 

 zed mind is the amusement of bull-baiting ! an 

 amusement in which the strength and courage 

 of this animal are made the means of torturing 

 jiiu with the most exquisite agonies ! Can be 



nevolence, can even the common feelings of hu 

 manity, reside in the breast of that man who 

 can find enjoyment in encouraging and in witness 

 ing such barbarous sports? And what a dig 

 nified amusement is the horserace ! where crowds 

 of the nobility, gentry, and of the most polished 

 classes of society, as well as the ignob e rabble, 

 assemble from all quarters, to behold two noble 

 animals panting, and heaving, and endeavourin 

 to outstrip each other on the course! What 

 scene of bullying, and jockeying, and betting 

 and cheating, and cursing, and swearing, an 

 fighting, is generally presented on such occa 

 sions ! What a wonderful degree of importance 

 is attached, by the most dignified rank of soci 

 ety, to the issue of the race ; as if the fate of an 

 empire, or the salvation of an immortal spirit, 

 were depending on the circumstance of one horse 

 getting a start of another ! I do not mean to de 

 cry, indiscriminately, public amusements ; nor 

 to call in question the propriety of improving the 

 locomotive powers of the horse ; but, surely, it 

 would require no great stretch of invention, to 

 devise spectacles and entertainments, much more 

 dignified and congenial to the noble powers, and 

 to the high destination of the human mind, and 

 which might be exhibited with as little expense 

 either of time or of money. 



And what shall we say of lion fights, and dog 

 Rights, and boxing matches between animals in 

 the shape of men, which have been lately adver 

 tised in the public prints with so much impu 

 dence and effrontery ? Are the patrons of such 

 revolting exhibitions, and the crowds which re 

 sort to them, to be considered as patterns of taste, 

 of humanity, and of refined benevolence ? And 

 what shall we think of the amusements of one hal! 

 of our gentry, country squires, gentlemen farmers, 

 and the whole tribe of the sporting community, 

 who derive more exquisite enjoyment in maim 

 ing a hare, a partridge, or a moorfowl, than in 

 relieving the wants of the friendless poor, in me 

 liorating the condition of their dependants, or in 

 patronising the diffusion of useful knowledge ? 

 If one of our best moral poets declared, that &quot; he 

 would not enter, on his list of friends, though 

 graced with polished manners and fine sensa, 

 the man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm,&quot; 

 what would be his estimate of the man who de 

 rived one of his chief gratifications, day after 

 day, from making havoc among the feathered 

 tribes, and from lacerating and maiming a timid 

 hare, for the sole purpose of indulging a sporting 

 humour, and proving himself an excellent marks 

 man ? Can we suppose that the benevolent Crea 

 tor so curiously organized the beasts of the earth 

 and the fowls of heaven, and endowed them with 

 exquisite feelings and sensibility, merely that ty 

 rannical man might torture and destroy them for 

 his amusement ? For the persons io whom I al 

 lude cannot plead necessity for such conduct, as 

 if they were dependant for subsistence on then 



