158 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



the title of "The Curse of Cruelty." After giving 

 out his text, "Thou, Lord, shalt save both man 

 and beast" (Ps. xxxvi. 6), his introductory words 

 were: "It seems to me hardly possible that any 

 one could be cruel to a dumb animal if he believed 

 in the future existence of that creature after death. 

 It is most likely that very few persons of those here 

 present have ever thought of such a thing. The 

 idea of it is now put before you, and I imagine that 

 many would be at first disposed to deny the pos- 

 sibility, and many more the probability, of it. But 

 it is certainly not impossible. On the contrary, it 

 is probable, and there is good reason to believe 

 that it is so." Such were his thoughts on this 

 interesting though difficult question. 



It was, however, against the practice of vivisection 

 that this sermon was mainly directed, and to this 

 reference is made elsewhere in these pages. There 

 can be no doubt that the idea in his mind of the 

 possibility, if not the probability, of their future 

 existence added to the extraordinary kindliness and 

 gentleness of his feelings towards all dumb animals, 

 and caused him to regard them from a higher 

 standpoint than he might otherwise have done. 

 When so many subjects engrossed his attention, it 

 was hard to say at times what was uppermost in his 

 thoughts ; certainly those which concerned him as 

 a clergyman were never allowed to suffer. 



During 1860 he found opportunities for editing a 

 small work differing in character from those already 

 referred to. This was a collection of hymns for 



