THE CHRISTIAN ERA $7 



suits of human genius. I am inclined to believe 

 that the minds of the inferior animals are essentially 

 of the same nature with that of the human race." 



Eev. John Wesley's conclusion as to the nature of 

 the living soul imparted to Adam was that " God 

 gave him such life as other animals enjoy." The 

 inspired writer makes it plain when he says, " Yea, 

 they have all one breath so that a man hath no 

 preeminence above a beast." 



When I reflect upon the marred, blackened, sin- 

 ful disorder of the moral world, and attempt to an- 

 swer the question as to why innocent animals have 

 to suffer agonizing pain and the tortures of death 

 for the comfort and amusement of man ; or why, 

 because of man's sinful disobedience, one animal has 

 to die to furnish food for another, I can only har- 

 monize the matter upon the hypothesis that the in- 

 finite goodness and justice of the All- Wise Creator 

 will somewhere and sometime provide a home of 

 eternal rest and happiness for animals. It seems 

 to me Nature teaches this, and justice and mercy 

 demand it. 



Whether it is a question as to animals having im- 

 mortal souls or not, I prefer to stand firm, now and 

 forever, on this question of justice and mercy. 



