178 THE IMMORTALITY OF ANIMALS 



timents when he reflects that life, in all creatures, 

 is a precious possession, and that He who made man 

 made every other living being, and He cannot en- 

 tertain a mean opinion of any creature without some 

 reproach of the wisdom which conceived it. If it 

 was not beneath the dignity of heaven to create the 

 most diminutive animal it cannot be unbecoming 

 in the same power to continue its existence. 



If inferiority is a sufficient reason for excluding 

 animals from an interest in futurity, it will prove 

 as much with respect to man who is far inferior to 

 the heavenly hierarchy. 



Take the Fuegean and Hottentot who live in 

 caves go naked, and eat lizards, and snakes, and 

 what do they know or care about a New Jerusalem, 

 a city of many mansions, with streets paved with 

 gold ? Now if God made a provision for animals 

 when they were first created, and endowed them 

 with happiness, and if He restores the lowest fallen 

 man to mansions and gold-paved streets, why shall 

 He not restore lower animals to green fields, run- 

 ning brooks and shady groves ? 



The teaching of religious philosophy has been 

 hampered by creeds and dogmas and the fear 

 of public criticism. We should not be jealous of 



