awaken their refentment to a general infurrection, if not to the total throwing off the human Yoke. It is therefore a peculiar advantage to Men, that the Brutes have not the faculties of Reason and Speech.

4

It is a further proof of the Goodness and Providence of GOD, that the large Brutes of humanity, whofe great ftrength and stature we are fo much indebted to for labour and draught, fhould be fo remarkably Tractable and Tame. For if with their strength and ftature they had that favageness and ferocity of heart, or 'that averfion or enmity to mankind, which many other large brutes have, they would be too formidable for

our

our ufe; and we fhould as fubmiffively bow down before their magnanimity and power, as we now infult over their timidity and inoffenfiveness. l'a

:bus .WON NO :

For our fervice, GOD has been pleased to create these useful Animals large, and ftrong; and for our fecurity it is, that they are timid, irrational, and dumb. But certainly it does not become us to take a cruel advantage of any of their incapacities or defects, which are only intended as the reins by which we are to guide and controul them. They are tendered to us with ftrength fufficient for labour; but with hearts humbled, and mollified; and willing to fubmit to the delightful and noble fervice

5

our care.

fervice of being useful unto Men. And happy are they, when they find we accept their willing obedience, by our kind and tender ufage of them. They are entirely in our power, and committed to And it is not improbable that GOD has affigned his own Providence over them to Us, that they may be the more tractable, the more they find themfelves dependent upon us. But then it is our duty to confider that, their service to us, and dependance upon us, and their own natural incapacities, lay a kind of claim and demand upon our attention and tenderness, There is a condition and restriction implied in the compact. And as all delegated Dominion is founded on general

5

neral Utility, the Power granted unto Men to rule over the Brutes, cannot be a Power to abuse or opprefs them.

It is the Perfection of a wife and good Government (not to take away the neceffary diftinctions of its fubjects, nor to put them all upon an equality) but to confult and provide for the happiness of every individual according to his respective station. Therefore the wife and good Lawgiver of the Universe, the King of every Creature, extends his care and concern to every subject in his vaft Dominion. To the fervice of Men he tenders Animals of various kinds, to help our weakneffes, and to supply our wants.

And

to

to preserve due fubordination, He has thought it good to deny to thefe Animals thofe faculties of Reafon and Speech, with which he has been pleased to blefs and diftinguish Mankind. Yet ungrateful Man, with all his Reason unreafonable, deaf to the voice of Justice, and obdurate to the feelings of Compaflion, abuses his Power and Dominion over these poor creatures; because, for his fake, they are defenceless, irrational, and dumb; because they are unable to refift us, and have neither Argument to convince us of our injustice, nor Speech to utter their complaints..

But, though MAN be cruel and unjust, The LORD is righteous

and