the way of all flesh-第67节

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Yet　it　is　only　these　few　who　can　be　said　to　believe　anything　at　all；
the　rest　are　simply　unbelievers　in　disguise。　　Perhaps；　after　all；
these　last　are　right。　　They　have　numbers　and　prosperity　on　their
side。　　They　have　all　which　the　rationalist　appeals　to　as　his　tests
of　right　and　wrong。　　Right；　according　to　him；　is　what　seems　right　to
the　majority　of　sensible；　well…to…do　people；　we　know　of　no　safer
criterion　than　this；　but　what　does　the　decision　thus　arrived　at
involve？　　Simply　this；　that　a　conspiracy　of　silence　about　things
whose　truth　would　be　immediately　apparent　to　disinterested　enquirers
is　not　only　tolerable　but　righteous　on　the　part　of　those　who　profess
to　be　and　take　money　for　being　par　excellence　guardians　and　teachers
of　truth。

Ernest　saw　no　logical　escape　from　this　conclusion。　　He　saw　that
belief　on　the　part　of　the　early　Christians　in　the　miraculous　nature
of　Christ's　Resurrection　was　explicable；　without　any　supposition　of
miracle。　　The　explanation　lay　under　the　eyes　of　anyone　who　chose　to
take　a　moderate　degree　of　trouble；　it　had　been　put　before　the　world
again　and　again；　and　there　had　been　no　serious　attempt　to　refute　it。
How　was　it　that　Dean　Alford　for　example　who　had　made　the　New
Testament　his　speciality；　could　not　or　would　not　see　what　was　so
obvious　to　Ernest　himself？　　Could　it　be　for　any　other　reason　than
that　he　did　not　want　to　see　it；　and　if　so　was　he　not　a　traitor　to
the　cause　of　truth？　　Yes；　but　was　he　not　also　a　respectable　and
successful　man；　and　were　not　the　vast　majority　of　respectable　and
successful　men；　such　for　example；　as　all　the　bishops　and
archbishops；　doing　exactly　as　Dean　Alford　did；　and　did　not　this　make
their　action　right；　no　matter　though　it　had　been　cannibalism　or
infanticide；　or　even　habitual　untruthfulness　of　mind？

Monstrous；　odious　falsehood！　　Ernest's　feeble　pulse　quickened　and
his　pale　face　flushed　as　this　hateful　view　of　life　presented　itself
to　him　in　all　its　logical　consistency。　　It　was　not　the　fact　of　most
men　being　liars　that　shocked　himthat　was　all　right　enough；　but
even　the　momentary　doubt　whether　the　few　who　were　not　liars　ought
not　to　become　liars　too。　　There　was　no　hope　left　if　this　were　so；　if
this　were　so；　let　him　die；　the　sooner　the　better。　　〃Lord；〃　he
exclaimed　inwardly；　〃I　don't　believe　one　word　of　it。　　Strengthen
Thou　and　confirm　my　disbelief。〃　　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　could
never　henceforth　see　a　bishop　going　to　consecration　without　saying
to　himself：　　〃There；　but　for　the　grace　of　God；　went　Ernest
Pontifex。〃　　It　was　no　doing　of　his。　　He　could　not　boast；　if　he　had
lived　in　the　time　of　Christ　he　might　himself　have　been　an　early
Christian；　or　even　an　Apostle　for　aught　he　knew。　　On　the　whole　he
felt　that　he　had　much　to　be　thankful　for。

The　conclusion；　then；　that　it　might　be　better　to　believe　error　than
truth　should　be　ordered　out　of　court　at　once；　no　matter　by　how　clear
a　logic　it　had　been　arrived　at；　but　what　was　the　alternative？　　It
was　this；　that　our　criterion　of　truthi。e。　that　truth　is　what
commends　itself　to　the　great　majority　of　sensible　and　successful
peopleis　not　infallible。　　The　rule　is　sound；　and　covers　by　far　the
greater　number　of　cases；　but　it　has　its　exceptions。

He　asked　himself；　what　were　they？　　Ah！　that　was　a　difficult　matter；
there　were　so　many；　and　the　rules　which　governed　them　were　sometimes
so　subtle；　that　mistakes　always　had　and　always　would　be　made；　it　was
just　this　that　made　it　impossible　to　reduce　life　to　an　exact
science。　　There　was　a　rough　and　ready　rule…of…thumb　test　of　truth；
and　a　number　of　rules　as　regards　exceptions　which　could　be　mastered
without　much　trouble；　yet　there　was　a　residue　of　cases　in　which
decision　was　difficultso　difficult　that　a　man　had　better　follow
his　instinct　than　attempt　to　decide　them　by　any　process　of
reasoning。

Instinct　then　is　the　ultimate　court　of　appeal。　　And　what　is
instinct？　　It　is　a　mode　of　faith　in　the　evidence　of　things　not
actually　seen。　　And　so　my　hero　returned　almost　to　the　point　from
which　he　had　started　originally；　namely　that　the　just　shall　live　by
faith。

And　this　is　what　the　justthat　is　to　say　reasonable　peopledo　as
regards　those　daily　affairs　of　life　which　most　concern　them。　　They
settle　smaller　matters　by　the　exercise　of　their　own　deliberation。
More　important　ones；　such　as　the　cure　of　their　own　bodies　and　the
bodies　of　those　whom　they　love；　the　investment　of　their　money；　the
extrication　of　their　affairs　from　any　serious　messthese　things
they　generally　entrust　to　others　of　whose　capacity　they　know　little
save　from　general　report；　they　act　therefore　on　the　strength　of
faith；　not　of　knowledge。　　So　the　English　nation　entrusts　the　welfare
of　its　fleet　and　naval　defences　to　a　First　Lord　of　the　Admiralty；
who；　not　being　a　sailor　can　know　nothing　about　these　matters　except
by　acts　of　faith。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　about　faith　and　not　reason
being　the　ultima　ratio。

Even　Euclid；　who　has　laid　himself　as　little　open　to　the　charge　of
credulity　as　any　writer　who　ever　lived；　cannot　get　beyond　this。　　He
has　no　demonstrable　first　premise。　　He　requires　postulates　and
axioms　which　transcend　demonstration；　and　without　which　he　can　do
nothing。　　His　superstructure　indeed　is　demonstration；　but　his　ground
is　faith。　　Nor　again　can　he　get　further　than　telling　a　man　he　is　a
fool　if　he　persists　in　differing　from　him。　　He　says　〃which　is
absurd；〃　and　declines　to　discuss　the　matter　further。　　Faith　and
authority；　therefore；　prove　to　be　as　necessary　for　him　as　for　anyone
else。　　〃By　faith　in　what；　then；〃　asked　Ernest　of　himself；　〃shall　a
just　man　endeavour　to　live　at　this　present　time？〃　　He　answered　to
himself；　〃At　any　rate　not　by　faith　in　the　supernatural　element　of
the　Christian　religion。〃

And　how　should　he　best　persuade　his　fellow…countrymen　to　leave　off
believing　in　this　supernatural　element？　　Looking　at　the　matter　from
a　practical　point　of　view　he　thought　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury
afforded　the　most　promising　key　to　the　situation。　　It　lay　between
him　and　the　Pope。　　The　Pope　was　perhaps　best　in　theory；　but　in
practice　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　would　do　sufficiently　well。
If　he　could　only　manage　to　sprinkle　a　pinch　of　salt；　as　it　were；　on
the　Archbishop's　tail；　he　might　convert　the　whole　Church　of　England
to　free　thought　by　a　coup　de　main。　　There　must　be　an　amount　of
cogency　which　even　an　Archbishopan　Archbishop　whose　perceptions
had　never　been　quickened　by　imprisonment　for　assaultwould　not　be
able　to　withstand。　　When　brought　face　to　face　with　the　facts；　as　he；
Ernest；　could　arrange　them；　his　Grace　would　have　no　resource　but　to
admit　them；　being　an　honourable　man　he　would　at　once　resign　his
Archbishopric；　and　Christianity　would　become　extinct　in　England
within　a　few　months'　time。　　This；　at　any　rate；　was　how　things　ought
to　be。　　But　all　the　time　Ernest　had　no　confidence　in　the
Archbishop's　not　hopping　off　just　as　the　pinch　was　about　to　fall　on
him；　and　this　seemed　so　unfair　that　his　blood　boiled　at　the　thought
of　it。　　If　this　was　to　be　so；　he　must　try　if　he　could　not　fix　him　by
the　judicious　use　of　bird…lime　or　a　snare；　or　throw　the　salt　on　his
tail　from　an　ambuscade。

To　do　him　justice　it　was　not　himself　that　he　greatly　cared　about。
He　knew　he　had　been　humbugged；　and　he　knew　also　that　the　greater
part　of　the　ills　which　had　afflicted　him　were　due；　indirectly；　in
chief　measure　to　the　influence　of　Christian　teaching；　still；　if　the
mischief　had　ended　with　himself；　he　should　have　thought　little　about
it；　but　there　was　his　sister；　and　his　brother　Joey；　and　the　hundreds
and　thousands　of　young　people　throughout　England　whose　lives　were
being　blighted　through　the　lies　told　them　by　people　whose　business
it　was　to　know　better；　but　who　scamped　their　work　and　shirked
difficulties　instead　of　facing　them。　　It　was　this　which　made　him
think　it　worth　while　to　be　angry；　and　to　consider　whether　he　could
not　at　least　do　something　towards　saving　others　from　such　years　of
waste　and　misery　as　he　had　had　to　pass　himself。　　If　there　was　no
truth　in　the　miraculous　accounts　of　Christ's　Death　and　Resurrection；
the　whole　of　the　religion　founded　upon　the　historic　truth　of　those
events　tumbled　to　the　ground。　　〃My；〃　he　exclaimed；　with　all　the
arrogance　of　youth；　〃they　put　a　gipsy　or　fortune…teller　into　prison
for　getting　money　out　of　silly　people　who　think　they　have
supernatural　power；　why　should　they　not　put　a　clergyman　in　prison
for　pretending　that　he　can　absolve　sins；　or　turn　bread　and　wine　into
the　flesh　and　blood　of　One　who　died　two　thousand　years　ago？　　What；〃
he　asked　himself；　〃could　be　more　pure　'hanky…panky'　than　that　a
bishop　should　lay　his　hands　upon　a　young　man　and　pretend　to　convey
to　him　the　spiritual　power　to　work　this　miracle？　　It　was　all　very
well　to　talk　about　toleration；　toleration；　like　everything　else；　had
its　limits；　besides；　if　it　was　to　include　the　bishop　let　it　include
the　fortune…teller　too。〃　　He　would　explain　all　this　to　the
Archbishop　of　Canterbury　by　and　by；　but　as　he　could　not　get　hold　of
him　just　now；　it　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　experimentalise
advantageously　upon　the　viler　soul　of　the　prison　chaplain。　　It　was
only　those　who　took　the　first　and　most　obvious　step　in　their　power
who　ev