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。