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tion of the Third Commandment — to speak the truth. But if 
it is the duty of my neighbour to speak the truth, it is equally 
my duty to believe that he does speak it. I have no right to 
suspect him of violating this obligation ; and to do so is, in 
practice, to suggest the idea of falsehood to him, and to sow 
the seeds of it. A corrupt society is above all things marked 
by two characteristics — “ a universal ” habit “ of questioning ” 
all that is said, and an equally universal habit of saying what 
is not true. On the contrary, in a healthy society, like that oi 
England, habits of trust and of truth mutually support each 
other; and it has now become, for instance, a principle of 
education that the best way to evoke truthfulness in boys is 
uniformly to assume that they are speaking the truth, and 
always to give them the benefit of a doubt, even when appear- 
ances are against them. In place, therefore, of Professor 
Clifford’s assertion that “ the credulous man is father to the 
liar and the cheat; he lives in the bosom of this his family, 
and it is no marvel if he should become even as they are,” we 
should be much nearer the experience of practical life if we 
alleged this of the suspicious man. At all events, it may be 
safely said that the trustful man is father to the truth-speaking 
and the honest man; he lives in the bosom of this his family, 
and it is natural he should become even as they are. “ With 
what measure ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you 
again ”; and no more forcible appeal can be made to a man’s 
conscience than by placing trust in him. 
7. Accordingly this principle, applied in its highest degree, 
has been the most powerful instrument of moral elevation 
and the indispensable means of all great achievements. 
In proportion as men have become as little children in 
this respect have they entered into the kingdoms both 
of heaven and of earth. It is an essential element in the 
power of great men, of those saints or men of genius 
who lift their race to a higher level, that they command 
the allegiance of numbers who are quite incompetent to 
judge whether there is sufficient evidence for the prin- 
ciples they assert. They throw the spell of personal influ- 
ence over their followers, and induce them to act, with all the 
earnestness of intense belief, upon assumptions which it is 
impossible for them to verify. I will not insist on the well- 
worn example of Columbus and his followers, though it would 
be a somewhat harsh judgment to condemn them for having 
acted upon insufficient evidence in making the most momen- 
tous of geographical discoveries. But let us take the case, 
adduced by Professor Clifford, of the founders of those great 
