280 Of the Effects on Society Bk. iv. 



which would evidently lead too far, I think it will 

 be admitted, that, if we apply the spirit of St. 

 Paul's declarations respecting marriage to the pre- 

 sent state of society and the known constitution 

 of our nature, the natural inference seems to be, 

 that, when marriage does not interfere with higher 

 duties, it is right ; when it does, it is wrong. Ac- 

 cording to the genuine principles of moral science, 

 " The method of coming at the will of God from 

 " the hght of nature is, to inquire into the ten- 

 " dency of the action to promote or diminish the 

 " general happiness."* There are perhaps few 

 actions that tend so directly to diminish the ge- 

 neral happiness, as to marry without the means of 

 supporting children. He who commits this act, 

 therefore, clearly offends against the will of God; 

 and having become a burden on the society in 

 which he lives, and plunged himself and family 

 into a situation, in which virtuous habits are pre- 

 served with more difficulty than in any other, he 

 appears to have violated his duty to his neighbours 

 and to himself, and thus to have listened to the 

 voice of passion in opposition to his higher obli- 

 gations. . 



In a society, such as I have supposed, all the 

 members of which endeavour to attain happiness 

 by obedience to the moral code derived from the 

 light of nature, and enforced by strong sanctions 

 in revealed religion, it is evident that no such 

 marriages could take place ; and the prevention of 



* Paley's Moral Philosophy, vol. i. b. ii. c. iv. p. 65. 



