The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-09-18

en- is merciful' duke vi. 36). Christian
love toward COP will feel mercifully and
kindly toward all his creatures. The mani
festation of a kind and merciful spirit is an
evidence of Christian character and dispo-
sition. The kindness that is truly Christian
will be shown in the treatment of animals, as
well as of men. The piety that is genuine is
in no wise selfish, but when devoutly exer-
cised, embraces all men and things. "a
righteous man regardeth the life of his
beasts"
HE prayetb well who loveth well
Both man, and bird. and beast,
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear GoD who loveth US,
He made and loveth ALL"
2 The manifestation of kindness to ami
mails ia also benefcent discipline of life.
''The merciful man doeth good to his own
soul" Proverbs xi. ~. The man that treats
his animals kindly and mercifully will almost
invariably prove good neighbor and true
friend, as well as loving husband and ia
Their, while the cruel man is sure to prove un-
worthy in any of the higher and affectionate
| relations of life and society. The children
that are taught to habitually treat animals
kindly will MI st surely be found to be kind
to each other, and to grow up to be good and
benevolent men and women. 1t is good for
| the animal to receive kind treatment from
its owner or master, but it is indeed better
| for the man and child to show kindness and
be merciful. The great and good DIR. Chan
ming testifes that from a child he was kindly
disposed toward all creatures; and we may
reasonably conclude that the active exercise
of this disposition did much toward making
him the good and benevolent man that he
was.
Thanks to my stars, l can say 1 never
| killed bird. l would not crush the meanest
insect that crawls upon the ground. They
| have the same right to life that 1 have, they
received it from the same Father, and will
not mar the works of GoD by wanton cruelty.
| -ChaRning's Memoirs.
In European schools it had long been es-
| tablished that teaching kindness to lower
creatures made children more merciful in
| all their relations to human beings as well as
dumb brutes. "Of about seven thou
sand children carefully taught kindness to
animals in one English school, not one has
ever been charged with a criminal offense."
| George T. Angel. Address before Mass.
| State Teachers Association.
would not enter on my list of Friends
| Though graced with polished manners and
fine sense,
Yet wanting sensibility) the man
Who needlessly sets foot upon worm.
An inadvertent step may crush the snail
That crawls at evening in the public path;
But he that has humanity, forewarned.
Will step aside and let the reptile live.
The sum is this: If mans convenience. health
Or safety interfere, his rights and claims
Are paramount, and must extinguish theirs. 81
Else they are all-the meanest things that are
AS free to live and to enjoy that life,
AS COP was free to form them at the FIRST.
Who in His sovereign wisdom made them all.
Ye therefore who love mercy, teach your sons
To love it too."-Cosrper.
"To love mercy" appears to be one of
the specific Divine requirements. 1.-THE love
COP shed abroad in the heart" will be
| manifested in goodwill and kindness to men
and animals. An important work of the
| Sunday school is to teach and enforce the
Divine requirements revealed in the Script
| ures, and to cultivate the Christian graces
and virtues. Since COP loves and cares for
all, it is proper to teach his children to be
kind and merciful to all. And since it is
probable that the so-called domestic animals
are ones which. on the whole, suffer the most
cruel treatment at the hands of selfish, I'M
disciplined, hard-hearted men, children may
| properly be encouraged to treat with famil-
iarity and affection all creatures with which
they are brought in contact about their
| homes.
There is yet good deal of lingering saw
| agery in our most refined humanity. What
an amount of the most thoughtless cruelty is
represented in our refined sports, and taste
for the beautiful in personal adornment and
home decorations? What a slaughter of
harmless and useful birds has been required
to minister to this taste within the past few
| years? "Fifty thousand birds in one year to
| New York milliners." Zone woman filled
an order for Paris milliner for forty thou
sand American birds" It is possible to
teach the children of Christian families con-
corning these beautiful creatures that Con
has made and loves to make happy, that this
savage fashion will never again revive in any
Christian society. What wanton butchery OF
animals, and birds, and insects and fishes
for mere pleasure and diversion is each year
exultingly reported to their friends by refined
Christian gentiemeni May not the boys OF
our Sunday schools be SO instructed in the
proper use of their God-given dominion over
creation and so trained in their feelings that
they will enjoy no pleasure at the uDnecessa
ry expense of life or suffering.
5. The animal creation appears to have beer
placed at mans disposal by the Creator fol
the purpose of food and service. All persons
should be taught to properly care for an(
kindly treat the animals which so faithful!
served them. Those employed for food, anC
such as appear to be harmful and dangerous
should be killed in the most merciful man
ner. These are esteemed harmful and dan
gerous, probably, only because in our igno
rance or greed we have failed to discover o
recognize the Creators intended use TO
them. Much profitable information may b
gained from the Study of the Animal King
dom, and much innocent and delightful
pleasure may be found in friendly familiar
ty and acquaintance with animals. Some G
these are capable of great affection and fide
ity in their relations with man, and exhib
remarkable powers of intelligence and il
, stinct.
For the especial education of youth in u
principles and practice of kindness and mel
cy, the friends of humanity in this countr!
, who have established and maintained HI
ane Association, and societies for the Pr