第52章

HowwasitthatDeanAlfordforexamplewhohadmadetheNewTestamenthisspeciality，couldnotorwouldnotseewhatwassoobvioustoErnesthimself？Coulditbeforanyotherreasonthanthathedidnotwanttoseeit，andifsowashenotatraitortothecauseoftruth？Yes，butwashenotalsoarespectableandsuccessfulman，andwerenotthevastmajorityofrespectableandsuccessfulmen，suchforexample，asallthebishopsandarchbishops，doingexactlyasDeanAlforddid，anddidnotthismaketheiractionright，nomatterthoughithadbeencannibalismorinfanticide，orevenhabitualuntruthfulnessofmind？

Monstrous，odiousfalsehood！Ernest’sfeeblepulsequickenedandhispalefaceflushedasthishatefulviewoflifepresenteditselftohiminallitslogicalconsistency。Itwasnotthefactofmostmenbeingliarsthatshockedhim——thatwasallrightenough；buteventhemomentarydoubtwhetherthefewwhowerenotliarsoughtnottobecomeliarstoo。Therewasnohopeleftifthiswereso；ifthiswereso，lethimdie，thesoonerthebetter。“Lord。”heexclaimedinwardly，“Idon’tbelieveonewordofit。StrengthenThouandconfirmmydisbelief。”Itseemedtohimthathecouldneverhenceforthseeabishopgoingtoconsecrationwithoutsayingtohimself：“There，butforthegraceofGod，wentErnestPontifex。”Itwasnodoingofhis。Hecouldnotboast；ifhehadlivedinthetimeofChristhemighthimselfhavebeenanearlyChristian，orevenanApostleforaughtheknew。Onthewholehefeltthathehadmuchtobethankfulfor。

Theconclusion，then，thatitmightbebettertobelieveerrorthantruthshouldbeorderedoutofcourtatonce，nomatterbyhowclearalogicithadbeenarrivedat；butwhatwasthealternative？Itwasthis，thatourcriterionoftruth——i。e。thattruthiswhatcommendsitselftothegreatmajorityofsensibleandsuccessfulpeople——isnotinfallible。Theruleissound，andcoversbyfarthegreaternumberofcases，butithasitsexceptions。

Heaskedhimself，whatwerethey？Ah！thatwasadifficultmatter；

thereweresomany，andtheruleswhichgovernedthemweresometimessosubtle，thatmistakesalwayshadandalwayswouldbemade；itwasjustthisthatmadeitimpossibletoreducelifetoanexactscience。Therewasaroughandreadyrule-of-thumbtestoftruth，andanumberofrulesasregardsexceptionswhichcouldbemasteredwithoutmuchtrouble，yettherewasaresidueofcasesinwhichdecisionwasdifficult——sodifficultthatamanhadbetterfollowhisinstinctthanattempttodecidethembyanyprocessofreasoning。

Instinctthenistheultimatecourtofappeal。Andwhatisinstinct？Itisamodeoffaithintheevidenceofthingsnotactuallyseen。Andsomyheroreturnedalmosttothepointfromwhichhehadstartedoriginally，namelythatthejustshalllivebyfaith。

Andthisiswhatthejust——thatistosayreasonablepeople——doasregardsthosedailyaffairsoflifewhichmostconcernthem。Theysettlesmallermattersbytheexerciseoftheirowndeliberation。

Moreimportantones，suchasthecureoftheirownbodiesandthebodiesofthosewhomtheylove，theinvestmentoftheirmoney，theextricationoftheiraffairsfromanyseriousmess——thesethingstheygenerallyentrusttoothersofwhosecapacitytheyknowlittlesavefromgeneralreport；theyactthereforeonthestrengthoffaith，notofknowledge。SotheEnglishnationentruststhewelfareofitsfleetandnavaldefencestoaFirstLordoftheAdmiralty，who，notbeingasailorcanknownothingaboutthesemattersexceptbyactsoffaith。Therecanbenodoubtaboutfaithandnotreasonbeingtheultimaratio。

EvenEuclid，whohaslaidhimselfaslittleopentothechargeofcredulityasanywriterwhoeverlived，cannotgetbeyondthis。Hehasnodemonstrablefirstpremise。Herequirespostulatesandaxiomswhichtranscenddemonstration，andwithoutwhichhecandonothing。Hissuperstructureindeedisdemonstration，buthisgroundisfaith。Noragaincanhegetfurtherthantellingamanheisafoolifheper