256 Of moral Restraint . Bk. iv. 



All the immediate checks to population, which 

 have been observed to prevail in the same and dif- 

 ferent countries, seem to be resolvable into moral 

 restraint, vice and misery; and if our choice be 

 confined to these three, we cannot long hesitate 

 in our decision respecting which it would be most 

 eligible to encourage. 



In the first edition of this essay I observed, 

 that as from the laws of nature it appeared, that 

 some check to population must exist, it was better 

 that this check should arise from a foresight of the 

 difficulties attending a family and the fear of de- 

 pendent poverty, than from the actual presence of 

 want and sickness. This idea will admit of being 

 pursued farther ; and I am inclined to think that, 

 from the prevailing opinions respecting population, 

 which undoubtedly originated in barbarous ages, 

 and have been continued and circulated by that 

 part of every community which may be supposed 

 to be interested in their support, we have been 

 prevented from attending to the clear dictates of 

 reason and nature on this subject. 



Natural and moral evil seem to be the instru- 

 ments employed by the Deity in admonishing us 

 to avoid any mode of conduct which is not suited 

 to our being, and will consequently injure our 

 happiness. If we are intemperate in eating and 

 drinking, our health is disordered ; if we indulge 

 the transports of anger, we seldom fail to commit 

 acts of which we afterwards repent; if we multiply 

 too fast, we die miserably of poverty and conta- 

 gious diseases. The laws of nature in all these 



