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as our own souls would have us;  coupled with a pathetic disbelief in ourselves; moves us to  follow the example of others; perhaps; who knows? they may be  on the right track; and the more our patterns are in number;  the better seems the chance; until; if we be acting in  concert with a whole civilised nation; there are surely a  majority of chances that we must be acting right。  And again;  how true it is that we can never behave as we wish in this  tormented sphere; and can only aspire to different and more  favourable circumstances; in order to stand out and be  ourselves wholly and rightly!  And yet once more; if in the  hurry and pressure of affairs and passions you tend to nod  and become drowsy; here are twenty…four hours of Sunday set  apart for you to hold counsel with your soul and look around  you on the possibilities of life。

This is not; of course; all that is to be; or even should be;  said for these doctrines。  Only; in the course of this  chapter; the reader and I have agreed upon a few catchwords;  and been looking at morals on a certain system; it was a pity  to lose an opportunity of testing the catchwords; and seeing  whether; by this system as well as by others; current  doctrines could show any probable justification。  If the  doctrines had come too badly out of the trial; it would have  condemned the system。  Our sight of the world is very narrow;  the mind but a pedestrian instrument; there's nothing new  under the sun; as Solomon says; except the man himself; and  though that changes the aspect of everything else; yet he  must see the same things as other people; only from a  different side。

And now; having admitted so much; let us turn to criticism。

If you teach a man to keep his eyes upon what others think of  him; unthinkingly to lead the life and hold the principles of  the majority of his contemporaries; you must discredit in his  eyes the one authoritative voice of his own soul。  He may be  a docile citizen; he will never be a man。  It is ours; on the  other hand; to disregard this babble and chattering of other  men better and worse than we are; and to walk straight before  us by what light we have。  They may be right; but so; before  heaven; are we。  They may know; but we know also; and by that  knowledge we must stand or fall。  There is such a thing as  loyalty to a man's own better self; and from those who have  not that; God help me; how am I to look for loyalty to  others?  The most dull; the most imbecile; at a certain  moment turn round; at a certain point will hear no further  argument; but stand unflinching by their own dumb; irrational  sense of right。  It is not only by steel or fire; but through  contempt and blame; that the martyr fulfils the calling of  his dear soul。  Be glad if you are not tried by such  extremities。  But although all the world ranged themselves in  one line to tell you 'This is wrong;' be you your own  faithful vassal and the ambassador of God … throw down the  glove and answer 'This is right。'  Do you think you are only  declaring yourself?  Perhaps in some dim way; like a child  who delivers a message not fully understood; you are opening  wider the straits of prejudice and preparing mankind for some  truer and more spiritual grasp of truth; perhaps; as you  stand forth for your own judgment; you are covering a  thousand weak ones with your body; perhaps; by this  declaration alone; you have avoided the guilt of false  witness against humanity and the little ones unborn。  It is  good; I believe; to be respectable; but much nobler to  respect oneself and utter the voice of God。  God; if there be  any God; speaks daily in a new language by the tongues of  men; the thoughts and habits of each fresh generation and  each new…coined spirit throw another light upon the universe  and contain another commentary on the printed Bibles; every  scruple; every true dissent; every glimpse of something new;  is a letter of God's alphabet; and though there is a grave  responsibility for all who speak; is there none for those who  unrighteously keep silence and conform?  Is not that also to  conceal and cloak God's counsel?  And how should we regard  the man of science who suppressed all facts that would not  tally with the orthodoxy of the hour?

Wrong?  You are as surely wrong as the sun rose this morning  round the revolving shoulder of the world。  Not truth; but  truthfulness; is the good of your endeavour。  For when will  men receive that first part and prerequisite of truth; that;  by the order of things; by the greatness of the universe; by  the darkness and partiality of man's experience; by the  inviolate secrecy of God; kept close in His most open  revelations; every man is; and to the end of the ages must  be; wrong?  Wrong to the universe; wrong to mankind; wrong to  God。  And yet in another sense; and that plainer and nearer;  every man of men; who wishes truly; must be right。  He is  right to himself; and in the measure of his sagacity and  candour。  That let him do in all sincerity and zeal; not  sparing a thought for contrary opinions; that; for what it is  worth; let him proclaim。  Be not afraid; although he be  wrong; so also is the dead; stuffed Dagon he insults。  For  the voice of God; whatever it is; is not that stammering;  inept tradition which the people holds。  These truths survive  in travesty; swamped in a world of spiritual darkness and  confusion; and what a few comprehend and faithfully hold; the  many; in their dead jargon; repeat; degrade; and  misinterpret。

So far of Respectability; what the Covenanters used to call  'rank conformity': the deadliest gag and wet blanket that can  be laid on men。  And now of Profit。  And this doctrine is  perhaps the more redoubtable; because it harms all sorts of  men; not only the heroic and self…reliant; but the obedient;  cowlike squadrons。  A man; by this doctrine; looks to  consequences at the second; or third; or fiftieth turn。  He  chooses his end; and for that; with wily turns and through a  great sea of tedium; steers this mortal bark。  There may be  political wisdom in such a view; but I am persuaded there can  spring no great moral zeal。  To look thus obliquely upon life  is the very recipe for moral slumber。  Our intention and  endeavour should be directed; not on some vague end of money  or applause; which shall come to us by a ricochet in a month  or a year; or twenty years; but on the act itself; not on the  approval of others; but on the rightness of that act。  At  every instant; at every step in life; the point has to be  decided; our soul has to be saved; heaven has to be gained or  lost。  At every step our spirits must applaud; at every step  we must set down the foot and sound the trumpet。  'This have  I done;' we must say; 'right or wrong; this have I done; in  unfeigned honour of intention; as to myself and God。'  The  profit of every act should be this; that it was right for us  to do it。  Any other profit than that; if it involved a  kingdom or the woman I love; ought; if I were God's upright  soldier; to leave me untempted。

It is the mark of what we call a righteous decision; that it  is made directly and for its own sake。  The whole man; mind  and body; having come to an agreement; tyrannically dictates  conduct。  There are two dispositions eternally opposed: that  in which we recognise that one thing is wrong and another  right; and that in which; not seeing any clear distinction;  we fall back on the consideration of consequences。  The truth  is; by the scope of our present teaching; nothing is thought  very wrong and nothing very right; except a few actions which  have the disadvantage of being disrespectable when found out;  the more serious part of men inclining to think all things  RATHER WRONG; the more jovial to suppose them RIGHT ENOUGH  FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES。  I will engage my head; they do not  find that view in their own hearts; they have taken it up in  a dark despair; they are but troubled sleepers talking in  their sleep。  The soul; or my soul at least; thinks very  distinctly upon many points of right and wrong; and often  differs flatly with what is held out as the thought of  corporate humanity in the code of society or the code of law。   Am I to suppose myself a monster?  I have only to read books;  the Christian Gospels for example; to think myself a monster  no longer; and instead I think the mass of people are merely  speaking in their sleep。

It is a commonplace; enshrined; if I mistake not; even in  school copy…books; that honour is to be sought and not fame。   I ask no other admission; we are to seek honour; upright  walking with our own conscience every hour of the day; and  not fame; the consequence; the far…off reverberation of our  footsteps。  The walk; not the rumour of the walk; is what  concerns righteousness。  Better disrespectable honour than  dishonourable fame。  Better useless or seemingly hurtful  honour; than dishonour ruling empires and filling the mouths  of thousands。  For the man must walk by what he sees; and  leave the issue with God who made him and taught him by the  fortune of his life。  You would not dishonour yourself for  money; which is at least tangible; would you do it; then; for  a doubtful forecast in politics; or another p

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