fecuted, with torture even unto death, unhappy wretches, whofe misfortune it was to suppose their fouls were their own; or whose only crime it was to * have more understanding than all their teachers. Now is it poffible, that Compaffion to brutes could find place in a breast that withheld and denied the Mercy of GOD unto Men? Or, are we to wonder that Cruelty to brutes made no Article of Self-examination, when mercy itself was deemed herefy? Even in prior and purer times, it was affirmed, that it is + Abfurd and

* Pf. cxix. 99.

* Abfurdum eft ad hoc Dei deducere Majeftatem, ut fciat per momenta fingula quot nafcantur culices, quotve moriantur; quæ ci

and a difparagement to the Majefty of GOD to fuppofe Him to KNOW how many infects there are in the world, or how many fishes in the Sea; yea, that such an idea of Ball the Omniscience of GOD would be foolish Flattery to HIM, and an Injury to OURSELVES, Now, if GOD knows them not, he cannot regard them; and if He regards them not, why should We? Why should we thus flatter GOD, and injure our own Pride?

micum et pulicum et mufcarum fit in terra multitudo; quanti pifces in aqua natent, et qui de minoribus majorum prædæ cedere debeant. Non fimus tam fatui Adulatores Dei, ut dum potentiam ejus etiam ad ima detrahimus in nos ipfos injuriofi fimus. HIERONYMI Comment. in Abac. Lib. 1. Edit. Bafil. Tom. vi. P. 187.

But

But let not these mistaken notions be imputed to the fpirit of the Gospel of JESUS. Love and benevolence are the genuine characteristics of his Religion, which originated in the Mercy of GOD, and is perfected in the Love of Man. True Chriftian humility abominates these fwellings of fpiritual pride, and the enlarged Soul of a Chriftian cannot find room in the narrow heart of a bigot. I mean not to give offence to any one; but if any take offence, they befpeak the error I mean to correct. Chrif tian love is without partiality, and without hypocrify and all that I mean, is this,-Let not our love be evil spoken of; let us examine ourselves well, and if we find that

:

we

we hold any doctrine or tenet that explicitly or confequentially represents the Supreme Being as partial or injurious to any of his creatures, fuch doctrine is a contracted mifrepresentation of the divine Goodness, and must have a natural tendency to crafe from the human mind all ideas of Juftice and Mercy to creatures of inferior orders.

I faid above that Pride, Prejudice, Averfion to fingularity, and contracted Misreprefentations of GOD and Religion, do all contribute to harden the heart against the natural impreffions and foft feelings of compaffion. But perhaps I may be mistaken as to the three last particulars; at leaft, there are very

few

few perfons, who will ingenuously confefs themselves the dupes of Prejudice, or the fools of Affectation; and as to mistakes in points of Religion, they are scarce ever acknowledged; hard to be rectified; and hardly to be touched upon, though with the utmost tenderness, without exciting the flame, which it is the scope of true religion to quench and fupprefs. But as to Pride, which arifes from the fond conceit of our own dignity and fuperior excellence above the brutes; though the name is odious, and we difclaim the imputation of it; yet, we cherish it with pleasure, and dote upon it with admiration. We blush at the thought of a Comparison; we fire with refentment; we tofs up our heads