or extremely obftinate, hardhearted, and ungrateful.

To vindicate and support this affertion, as well as to illuftrate and confirm what has been before advanced on the Principles of Nature, I shall now appeal to the authoritative Word of the Great GOD the Benevolent Creator, and to the Gospel of the Bleffed JESUS the Merciful Redeemer of the World. And if it shall appear from the Teftimonies and Examples, and from the Precepts and Promises contained in Holy Scripture, that MERCY to Brutes is a DUTY commanded, and that CRUELTY to them is a SIN forbidden; Then, let all Objections vanish; Let all the Earth

keep

keep filence before GOD. And though * there are many Devices in a Man's heart, nevertheless the Counfel of the LORD, that shall Stand; and every Device and Attempt to invalidate the Duty of Mercy, or to exculpate the Sin of Cruelty, (befide its repugnance to Reafon and Common Senfe,) must be confidered in a religious view, as taking its rife, either from Blindness of Heart, or from Pride, Vain-Glory and Hypocrify; or from Envy, Hatred, and Malice, and all Uncharitableness; or from Hardness of Heart, and CONTEMPT OF GOD'S WORD AND COMMANDMENT.

Prov. xix. 21.

THE

THE

HE firft account of Brute Animals in Holy Scripture is in the History of the Creation recorded by MOSES in the first chapter of the Book intituled GENESIS or Generation. (ver. 20. and 24.) GOD SAID, Let the WATERS bring forth abundantly the MOVING CREATURE that bath LIFE, (or as it is in the Hebrew, and in the Margin of our Bible, The Moving Creature that hath SOUL,) and FOWL that may fly above. the Earth in the open firmament of heaven. - And GOD SAID, Let the EARTH bring forth the LIVING CREATURE after his (or it's) kind, CATTLE and CREEP

CREEPING THING, and BEAST of the Earth after his and it was fo.

kind;

There is a peculiar * fublimitý of Stile throughout this chapter in which the facred Hiftorian represents the WORD or Mandate of the Almighty as preceding every Event of Creation. GOD SAID, LET BE. Expreffion this, which cannot fail

to

A Form of

engage the attention of the Reader; and it seems intended to denote that it was as easy to the Supreme Being to DO as SPEAK, yet not fo as to exclude the idea of the actual Exertion of

to

Vide Dionyfium Longinum Пp T↓us. Pearcei Edit. 8vo. pa. 50. G

the

the Divine POWER mediately or

immediately.

LIGHT or Fire, FIRMAMENT or Air, WATER, and EARTH, were Elements of immediate Creation, or Effects of which the divine Power was the Sole and Immediate Cause.

The SUN and STARS, the SEA and VEGETABLES were mediate Effects, or Formations produced by the confluence and configurations of the Elements which were before created.

But ANIMALS, or Beings with Life and Senfe, are to be confidered both as Productions and Creations; Productions as to