James Granger
An Apology for the Brute Creation, or Abuse of Animals Censured; in A Sermon
「1772」James Granger An Apology for the Brute Creation, or Abuse of Animals Censured; in A Sermon 「Google Books」 on Proverbs xii. vo. Preached in the Parish Church of Shiplake, in Oxfordshire, October 18, 1772, 3rd ed. (London, 1774).
This discourse is not only intended for such as have the Care of Horse, and other useful Beasts; but also for Children, and those that are concerned in forming their Hearts.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.. By a “righteous man,” in this place, is man a man of a kind and merciful disposition: in which sense the expression is used in the 37th psalm, and in several other places of Scripture. Such a man does not confine his good offices to his relations, his friends, his neighbours, and his fellow-creatures, who stand in need of his aid; but like his great Creator, he extends his benevolence to the brute creation; to which he thinks himself allied, as well as to the higher orders of being, well knowing, that as he can say to an angel, Thou art my brother, so he can say to the worm, Thou art my sister.—It is strange that beasts, especially those of the most useful kind, that do so much for, and suffer so much from man, have never, a least to my knowledge, had an advocate form the pulpit, though they have so just and urgent a claim to it, and cannot speak for themselves.
Let us be careful to preserve the honest instinct and tender feelings of our nature. Let us also imitate the extensive care and benevolence of the Divine Providence, that Providence without which not a sparrow falleth to the ground; by shewing our kindness ot every living creature under our eve, and beneath our rood; particularly to those beast to whose labour we owe so much in cultivating the earth; And may we treat our poor servants and labourers in these times of dearth and scarcity, and especially when they are advanced in years, and worn out with drudgery, with still greater kindness that we treat our dogs and horses.
May the cruel and unrelenting wretch, whatever species of God’s creatures be the subjects of his cruelty, believe and tremble at the words of the apostle: “He shall have judgment without mercy, who hath shewed no mercy.”
