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the great and merciful Creator. They are all recorded in his Book ; and it is He that cloaths, and feeds, and preserves them. And well it is for most of them, that they are in GOD's keeping, and not in Our's; for we fhew too plainly by our treatment of those animals, that are in our power, and are committed to our care and management, what would be the unhappy fate of all the rest, if they were left to our difpofal. Not that the Supreme Being is the lefs concerned for fome than for others; for they are all of them parts of his great Family upon earth, though some of them are more immediate objects of his care and protection than others.

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Creatures at large GOD claims as his own peculiar property. *All the Beasts of the Foreft are Mine, faith the Mighty GOD, and fo are the CATTLE upon a thousand Hills; I know all the FOWLS upon the Mountains, and the Wild BEASTS of the Field are in My Sight. With regard to thefe Creatures, He requires not our care or attention. He does not expect that we should concern or trouble ourselves about them. The Duty of Men concerning Animals that are wild by nature, lies in a very narrow compals - Let them alone. Being GOD's property, and in his fight, GOD will provide for them. And it is enough for us, that we invade

* Pfà. 1. 10, II.

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not their province, but leave them unmolested and at liberty to perform the tasks, and answer the ends, for which GOD was pleased to create them.

Our principal Duty and Bufiness it is to consider the Creatures of the tame and domeftic kind; such as come frequently in cur way, or are daily before our eyes, or are appointed to the special Ufe and Service of Men, and are assigned over to our care, management, and protection. Which Animals, if I might be permitted to give them a particular name to distinguish them from Brutes of ferocity, I would denominate Brutes of humanity, because they have not that Enmity or natural

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Averfion to Mankind, which iş difcernible in the reft of Brutes.

It is an inftance of the Wisdom and Goodness of GOD, that the Brutes fhould be animals Irrational, and Dumb. As to Brutes of ferocity, it is certain, that if, befide their Strength, Swiftnefs, and Sharpnefs of Tooth or Talon, they were endued with the powers of Reafon and Speech; Men, who are animals naturally defencelefs, and comparatively flow of motion, would live in perpetual fear and dread of them. And with regard to Brutes of humanity, particularly the large and laborious kind, were they capable of Reason, the reflection upon their fubordinate and fervile Condition would render

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them very unhappy in themselves; and perhaps lefs tractable, and confequently lefs useful to Us. And if, to the power of Reason, we suppose them likewife endued with the power of Speech, the inconvenience to Men would be much greater. For thefe Brutes, by the united faculties of Reafon and Speech, would be able to enter into combinations and confpiracies against mankind. Nor need we doubt but that this in fact would frequently be the cafe. By their conftant intercourse with Men, they would foon difcover our natural weakness, and their own ftature and strength; and the Sense of their hard flavery, and of the injurious treatment they meet with from us, would probably awaken

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