with fcorn; and claim kindred

with heaven.

Well; be it fo.

be it fo. Man is the moft noble, the most excellent, the most perfect of all terreftrial Beings. But what then? He is fill but a Creature; and, with all his perfections and excellencies, he is a dependent and accountable creature; yea, accountable for thefe very perfections and excellencies, whether or no he has behaved in a manner becoming a creature fo eminently distinguished and exalted. And if found deficient in this grand inquifition, That wherein he now glories will be the burthen of his difgrace. The more talents are intrusted with any man, the more he stands accountable for: and if not rightly employed

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employed, or misapplied, it had been better for him not to have poffeffed them.

Every Excellence in a man is furcharged with a Duty, from which the Superiority of his ftation cannot exempt him. Nay, his fuperior station urges the demand; and his Noncompliance may be justly deemed ftubbornness and ingratitude. And where Superiority of station, and Excellence of nature, do both concur in one fubject, (as is fometimes but not always the cafe amongst men,) there the duty required is greater, and the obligation is ftronger. But however it may be between Man and Man; this is certain, that, when we compare Man and Brute, we find both Ex

cellence

cellence and Superiority to center in Man. The Excellence of the nature of a man to that of a brute, no one will queftion; and the advantages which the loweft of men derive from their tation as men, give them a Superiority which deferves their gratitude and attention. This granted: I believe it will be found not diffonant from reason, if we were to affirm from the above principle, that the cruelty of Men to Brutes is more heinous (in point of injuftice) than the cruelty of Men unto Men. I will call the former brutal cruelty, and the latter human cruelty.

In the cafe of human cruelty, the oppreffed Man has a tongue

that can plead his own cause, and a finger to point out the aggreffor: All Men that hear of it shudder with horror; and, by applying the cafe to themselves, pronounce it cruelty with the common Voice of Humanity, and unanimoufly join in demanding the punishment of the offender, and brand him with infamy. But in the cafe of brutal cruelty, the dumb Beaft can neither utter his complaints to his own kind, nor defcribe the author of his wrong; nor, if he could, have they it in their power to redrefs and avenge him.

In the case of human cruelty, there are Courts and Laws of Juftice in every civilized Society, to

which the injured Man may make his Appeal; the affair is canvaffed, and punishment inflicted in proportion to the offence. But alas! with fhame to man, and forrow for brute, I ask the question, What Laws are now in force? or what Court of judicature does now exift, in which the suffering Brute may bring his action against the wanton cruelty of barbarous man? The laws of Triptolemus are long fince buried in oblivion, for Triptolemus was but a heathen. No friend, no advocate, not one is to be found amongst the

calves of the people to

bulls nor prefer an

indictment on behalf of the brute. The Prieft paffeth by on one fide, and the Levite on the other fide;

Pfalm lxviii. 30.

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the