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Animal Rights History Timeline » [1785-1837] Romantic Age » Luke Booker

Luke Booker

For a Young Person, Against Cruelty

[c1785-1789] Rev. Luke Booker, "For a Young Person Against Cruelty," [originally published in Poems on Subject Sacred, Moral and Entertaining (London, 1785) or Miscellaneous Poems (London, 1789)] quoted in A Scriptural and Moral Catechism, Designed to Inculcate the Love and Practice of Mercy, and to Expose the Exceeding Sinfulness of Cruelty to the Dumb Creation: To Which is Added an Address to the Ministers, Parents and Instructors of Youth and Christians in General by Abraham Smith (1833; London, 1839; Google Books: Online Library of Free eBooks) 85-9.

"And now my dear children, let me, in a language of a beautiful and pathetic address, once delivered by a clergyman, highly distinguished for his love to the rising generation, (the Rev. Dr. Booker) delivered by him by the youth of a congregation in London, when pleading the case of the dumb creation." (Abraham Smith, A Scriptural and Moral Catechism [c1830]).

The eye of God is ever upon you, noting in his book all your actions. Think then, how grievous to so holy and merciful a being it must be, to witness any act of cruelty in you towards the creatures of his had; remember he who made you made them, and will avenge their cause against their tormentors at the day of judgment. Remember too, that cruelty, like every other vice, is progressive; if it begin by exercising its propensities upon small insects, it will go on to satisfy the cravings of such propensities,by immolating, without cause, larger animal; till at last, deeds without such progressing towards the, would have made the perpetrator shudder, are committed without remorse. When Hazael was prophetically told that he, in like manner, would descend to the blackest depth of crime, 'What!' said he, with horror, 'is thy servant a dog, that I should do this thing?' Yet, be despising salutary counsel, he did it, and prepared the way for his own ruin. Wherefore, my young friends, pray to be tender-hearted, and God will make you so; causing you, like the holy child Jesus, to increase in wisdom and virtue as well as stature, growing in favour both with God and man. That favour will attend us all, of every age, in proportion as we endeavour to deserve it, by a faithful discharge of duty; and be assured that this duty is of no small estimation in the sight of God, and all good persons; be, therefore, kind to all the creatures of God' hand, render their short existence comfortable, and your eternal one will not fail to e the happier for such conduct. Treat them with tenderness and mercy; and when you must shed their blood, according to the permission of the Almighty, do it in a way that shall least pain them,

While in the dangerous paths of youth
With heedless steps I stray,
O grant me, Lord ! thy grace and truth,
To guide me on my way.

Their heav'nly influences impart,
Within my soul to shine;
To rule my will, amend my heart,
And keep me wholly thine.

Thou, who dost hear the ravens' cry,
When young within their nest;
Dost all thy creatures' wants supply,
And know'st when they're distress'd.

If, wantonly, I from the spray
Send lifeless to the ground,
One little bird—at my death-day,
It will a sin be found.

For Thou, who all things see'st, the deed
Would'st mark with angry look,
And bid my troubled conscience read
It noted in thy book.

Then soften, Lord, each heart of stone,
And make our natures kind;
That in no suffring creature's moan
We pleasure e'er may find.

But pitying every thing that lives,
O, gracious Lord ! may we,
Thankful for what thy mercy gives,
Meet pity, Lord, from thee