"They are not beasts, but beast-men; for they
are such as cannot at all see whether truth be truth or not, and yet
they can make whatever they will to be truth. Such persons with us are
called CONFIRMATORS." We followed the vociferation, and came to the
place; and lo! there was a company of men, and around them a crowd, and
in the crowd some of noble blood, who, on hearing that they confirmed
whatever they said, and favored themselves with such manifest consent,
turned, and said, "O HOW WISE!" But the angel said to me, "Let us not go
to them, but call one out of the company." We called him and went aside
with him, and conversed on various subjects; and he confirmed every one
of them, so that they appeared altogether as true; and we asked him,
whether he could also confirm the contrary? he said, "As well as the
former." Then he spoke openly and from the heart, and said, "What is
truth? Is there anything true in the nature of things, but what a man
makes true? Advance any proposition you please, and I will make it to be
true." Hereupon I said, "Make this true; That faith is the all of the
church." This he did so dexterously and cunningly, that the learned who
were standing by admired and applauded him. I afterwards requested him
to make it true, That charity is the all of the church; and he did so:
and afterwards, That charity is nothing of the church: and he dressed up
each side of the question, and adorned it so with appearances, that the
bystanders looked at each other, and said, "Is not this a wise man?" But
I said, "Do not you know that to live well is charity, and that to
believe well is faith? does not he that lives well also believe well?
and consequently, is not faith of charity, and charity of faith? do you
not see that this is true?" He replied, "I will make it true, and will
then see." He did so, and said, "Now I see it;" but presently he made
the contrary to be true, and then said, "I also see that this is true."
At this we smiled and said, "Are they not contraries? how can two
contraries appear true?" To this he replied with indignation, "You are
mistaken; each is true; since truth is nothing but what a man makes
true." There was a certain person standing near, who in the world had
been a legate of the first rank. He was surprised at this assertion, and
said, "I acknowledge that in the world something like this method of
reasoning prevails; but still you are out of your senses. Try if you can
make it to be tru