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    happiness the motive of human virtue . The tendency of any action to promote » r diminish the

    general bappintess , is the fairest criterion for ascertaining the will of God by the light of nature , because he wills the happiness of his creatures : and those actions

    arc agreeable to him , or the contrary , -which promote or frustrate that effect . Actions in the abstract then , are right or wrong according to their tendency ; AVhatever is expedient rs right . It is the utility of any moral rule alone that constitutes the obliga

    tion of it . The expediency of any action must be estimated by general rules , and in reference to all its remote and collateral consequences , as well as those which are immediate and direct * Right and obligation arc reciprocal ; for , whenever there is a right in one

    person there must be a corresponding obligation upon others . Now because moral . obligation depends on the will of God , right , which is correlative to it , must depend upon the same . Right therefore signifies consistency with the will of God-:

    Such is the outline of the theory maintained hy Paley as a moral philosopher ^ which is objected to by many w ^ ho have written upon the subject expressly in answer to hiiiu it is not our business to

    decide between the disputants ; but to give a simple relation of facts * To his reasoning on the subject of subscription to articles of faith , there are decided

    objections : his intentions might be honorable , # ndhe might hope to enlarge the pale of conformity to liberal and conscientious men , but the conduct of his argument cannot but be highly detrimental to

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    ingenuous and enquiring young men * who at no time should be taught to seek subterfuges to prevent them following the convictions of their own minds .

    In 1785 , Mr . Paley succeeded Dr . Burn , the author of the " Justice of Peace" a < id " Ecclesiastical Law , ** as chancellor of the diocese of Carlisle . On the

    death of his friend and generous patron , the venerable bishop , in 1787 , Mr . Paley drew up a short account of his life , which was published in Hutehinson ' s history of Cumberland , and in the Encyclopedia Brittanica , and has since

    be « n reprinted with notes , by a gentleman distinguished by his great integrity in resigning valuable preferment , rather than con * tinue in a church to the principles of which he could not con ^ form . Mr . Paley was an avowed advocate for the abolition of the

    slave trade ; took considerable interest in the discussions which were carried on at this period ; and wrote a short treatise entitled cc Arguments against the ttfijust pretensions of Slave-dealers And

    holders , &c . *> of which the Substance was circulated by the dommittee . In the year 17 & 9 > he was offered the mastership of Jtfsus college , which''from , motives nod now known he declined , though

    no man perhaps , was better fitted to fill so important an office / ' ¦¦« Mr . Paley published in the year 1790 , his work entitled * Horse Paulin £ 9 or the troth of the

    scripture history , of St . . iPnul evinced * by a comparison of the epistle ^ which bear his name , with the Acts of the Apostles and with one another . " In this excellent volume he shews , by a comparison of several indirect illusions and

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    Memoirs of tie Rev \ William Palky , Di 0 . Jfct *

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    5

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1809, page 181, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1735/page/5/