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。Noragaincanhegetfurtherthantellingamanheisafoolifhepersistsindifferingfromhim。Hesays“whichisabsurd。”anddeclinestodiscussthematterfurther。Faithandauthority，therefore，provetobeasnecessaryforhimasforanyoneelse。“Byfaithinwhat，then。”askedErnestofhimself，“shallajustmanendeavourtoliveatthispresenttime？”Heansweredtohimself，“AtanyratenotbyfaithinthesupernaturalelementoftheChristianreligion。”
Andhowshouldhebestpersuadehisfellow-countrymentoleaveoffbelievinginthissupernaturalelement？LookingatthematterfromapracticalpointofviewhethoughttheArchbishopofCanterburyaffordedthemostpromisingkeytothesituation。ItlaybetweenhimandthePope。ThePopewasperhapsbestintheory，butinpracticetheArchbishopofCanterburywoulddosufficientlywell。
Ifhecouldonlymanagetosprinkleapinchofsalt，asitwere，ontheArchbishop’stail，hemightconvertthewholeChurchofEnglandtofreethoughtbyacoupdemain。TheremustbeanamountofcogencywhichevenanArchbishop——anArchbishopwhoseperceptionshadneverbeenquickenedbyimprisonmentforassault——wouldnotbeabletowithstand。Whenbroughtfacetofacewiththefacts，ashe，Ernest，couldarrangethem；hisGracewouldhavenoresourcebuttoadmitthem；beinganhonourablemanhewouldatonceresignhisArchbishopric，andChristianitywouldbecomeextinctinEnglandwithinafewmonths’time。This，atanyrate，washowthingsoughttobe。ButallthetimeErnesthadnoconfidenceintheArchbishop’snothoppingoffjustasthepinchwasabouttofallonhim，andthisseemedsounfairthathisbloodboiledatthethoughtofit。Ifthiswastobeso，hemusttryifhecouldnotfixhimbythejudicioususeofbird-limeorasnare，orthrowthesaltonhistailfromanambuscade。
Todohimjusticeitwasnothimselfthathegreatlycaredabout。
Heknewhehadbeenhumbugged，andheknewalsothatthegreaterpartoftheillswhichhadafflictedhimweredue，indirectly，inchiefmeasuretotheinfluenceofChristianteaching；still，ifthemischiefhadendedwithhimself，heshouldhavethoughtlittleaboutit，buttherewashissister，andhisbrotherJoey，andthehundredsandthousandsofyoungpeoplethroughoutEnglandwhoseliveswerebeingblightedthroughtheliestoldthembypeoplewhosebusinessitwastoknowbetter，butwhoscampedtheirworkandshirkeddifficultiesinsteadoffacingthem。Itwasthiswhichmadehimthinkitworthwhiletobeangry，andtoconsiderwhetherhecouldnotatleastdosomethingtowardssavingothersfromsuchyearsofwasteandmiseryashehadhadtopasshimself。IftherewasnotruthinthemiraculousaccountsofChrist’sDeathandResurrection，thewholeofthereligionfoundeduponthehistorictruthofthoseeventstumbledtotheground。“My。”heexclaimed，withallthearroganceofyouth，“theyputagipsyorfortune-tellerintoprisonforgettingmoneyoutofsillypeoplewhothinktheyhavesupernaturalpower；whyshouldtheynotputaclergymaninprisonforpretendingthathecanabsolvesins，orturnbreadandwineintothefleshandbloodofOnewhodiedtwothousandyearsago？What。”
heaskedhimself，“couldbemorepure’hanky-panky’thanthatabishopshouldlayhishandsuponayoungmanandpretendtoconveytohimthespiritualpowertoworkthismiracle？Itwasallverywelltotalkabouttoleration；toleration，likeeverythingelse，haditslimits；besides，ifitwastoincludethebishopletitincludethefortune-tellertoo。”HewouldexplainallthistotheArchbishopofCanterburybyandby，butashecouldnotgetholdofhimjustnow，itoccurredtohimthathemightexperimentaliseadvantageouslyuponthevilersouloftheprisonchaplain。Itwasonlythosewhotookthefirstandmostobviousstepintheirpowerwhoeverdidgreatthingsintheend，sooneday，whenMrHughes——
forthiswasthechaplain’sname——wastalkingwithhim，ErnestintroducedthequestionofChristianevidences，andtriedtoraiseadiscussionuponthem。MrHugheshadbeenverykindtohim，buthewasmorethantwicemyhero’sage，andhadlongtakenthemeasureofsuchobjectionsasErnesttriedtoputbeforehim。IdonotsupposehebelievedintheactualobjectivetruthofthestoriesaboutChrist’sResurrectionandAscensionanymorethanErnestdid，butheknewthatthiswasasmallmatter，andthattherealissuelaymuchdeeperthanthis。
MrHugheswasamanwhohadbeeninauthorityformanyyears，andhebrushedErnestononesideasifhehadbeenafly。Hediditsowellthatmyheroneverventuredtotacklehimagain，andconfinedhisconversationwithhimforthefuturetosuchmattersaswhathehadbetterdowhenhegotoutofprison；andhereMrHugheswaseverreadytolistentohimwithsympathyandkindness。
Ernestwasnowsofarconvalescentastobeabletositupforthegreaterpartoftheday。Hehadbeenthreemonthsinprison，and，thoughnotstrongenoughtoleavetheinfirmary，wasbeyondallfearofarelapse。HewastalkingonedaywithMrHughesabouthisfuture，andagainexpressedhisintentionofemigratingtoAustraliaorNewZealandwiththemoneyheshouldrecoverfromPryer。
WheneverhespokeofthishenoticedthatMrHugheslookedgraveandwassilent：hehadthoughtthatperhapsthechaplainwantedhimtoreturntohisprofession，anddisapprovedofhisevidentanxietytoturntosomethingelse；now，however，heaskedMrHughespointblankwhyitwasthathedisapprovedofhisideaofemigrating。
MrHughesendeavouredtoevadehim，butErnestwasnottobeputoff。Therewassomethinginthechaplain’smannerwhichsuggestedthatheknewmorethanErnestdid，butdidnotliketosayit。Thisalarmedhimsomuchthathebeggedhimnottokeephiminsuspense；
afteralittlehesitationMrHughes，thinkinghimnowstrongenoughtostandit，brokethenewsasgentlyashecouldthatthewholeofErnest’smoneyhaddisappeared。
ThedayaftermyreturnfromBattersbyIcalledonmysolicitor，andwastoldthathehadwrittentoPryer，requiringhimtorefundthemoniesforwhichhehadgivenhisI。O。U。’s。Pryerrepliedthathehadgivenorderstohisbrokertoclosehisoperations，whichunfortunatelyhadresultedsofarinheavyloss，andthatthebalanceshouldbepaidtomysolicitoronthefollowingsettlingday，thenaboutaweekdistant。Whenthetimecame，weheardnothingfromPryer，andgoingtohislodgingsfoundthathehadleftwithhisfeweffectsontheverydayafterhehadheardfromus，andhadnotbeenseensince。
IhadheardfromErnestthenameofthebrokerwhohadbeenemployed，andwentatoncetoseehim。HetoldmePryerhadclosedallhisaccountsforcashonthedaythatErnesthadbeensentenced，andhadreceived2315pounds，whichwasallthatremainedofErnest’soriginal5000pounds。Withthishehaddecamped，norhadweenoughclueastohiswhereaboutstobeabletotakeanystepstorecoverthemoney。Therewasinfactnothingtobedonebuttoconsiderthewholeaslost。ImaysayherethatneitherInorErnesteverheardofPryeragain，norhaveanyideawhatbecameofhim。
Thisplacedmeinadifficultposition。Iknew，ofcourse，thatinafewyearsErnestwouldhavemanytimesoverasmuchmoneyashehadlost，butIknewalsothathedidnotknowthis，andfearedthatthesupposedlossofallhehadintheworldmightbemorethanhecouldstandwhencoupledwithhisothermisfortunes。
TheprisonauthoritieshadfoundTheobald’saddressfromaletterinErnest’spocket，andhadcommunicatedwithhimmorethanonceconcerninghisson’sillness，butTheobaldhadnotwrittentome，andIsupposedmygodsontobeingoodhealth。Hewouldbejusttwenty-fouryearsoldwhenheleftprison，andifIfollowedouthisaunt’sinstructions，wouldhavetobattlewithfortuneforanotherfouryearsaswellashecould。Thequestionbeforemewaswhetheritwasrighttolethimrunsomuchrisk，orwhetherIshouldnottosomeextenttransgressmyinstructions——whichtherewasnothingtopreventmydoingifIthoughtMissPontifexwouldhavewishedit——
andlethimhavethesamesumthathewouldhaverecoveredfromPryer。
