- cable. And in settling with ourselves whether propositions
purporting to state matters of fact are true or not, we have to consider how far they are conformable to the evidence. We have nothing to do with the comfort and solace which they would be likely to bring to others or ourselves, if they were taken as true."
Now, we cannot but be rather grateful that
men, who if they spoke would have to oppose
Christianity, take this view and remain silent,
and yet that is not our principle. Believing in
Christianity, we believe that it would be wrong
and unworthy compromise to conceal it and to
refrain from propagating it. Mr. Morley prefixed
to his essay Whately's saying, "It makes
all the difference in the world whether we put
truth in the first place or in the second place."
We hold to another word of Whately's also: "If
our religion is false, we must change it. If it is
true, we must propagate it." Notice that Morley
is speaking not of his doubts, but of his convictions.
There is no obligation of a propaganda
of insecurity. There is an obligation to propagate
positive truth. It must, of course, be the
truth that I believe. When I am asked what I
believe I must, of course, tell the truth. But we
believe something far more than that. The religious
truth that one believes he must give his
life to propagate throughout the world, and it
would not make any difference if he were the
only man in the world who held that truth, it
