p. 364 | A Talk with Tom by Bishop Dudley

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 17, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 23.

A Talk with Tom.

By Bishop Dudley

You want to know, Tom, what is the first quality of manhood?

Well, listen. I am going to tell you in one little word of five letters. And I am going to write that word in very loud letters as though you were deaf, so that you may never forget it. That word is "truth."

Now then, remember, truth is the only foundation on which can be erected a manhood that is worthy of being so called.

Now, mark what I say, truth must be the foundation on which the whole character is to be erected; for otherwise, no matter how beautiful the upper stories may be, and no matter of how good material they may be built, the edifice, the character, the manhood, will be but a sham, which offers no sure refuge and protection to those who seek it, for it will tumble down when trial comes.

Alas, my boy, the world is very full of such shams of manhood, in every profession and occupation. There are lawyers in this town who know that they have never had any training to fit them for their work, who yet impose upon the people and take their money for giving them advice which they know they are unfitted to give. I heard of one lately who advised his partner “never to have anything to do with law books, for they would confuse his mind.”

There are ignorant physicians who know that they are ignorant, and who can and do impose upon people more ignorant than themselves. There are preachers without number pretending to know what they have never learned. Don’t you see that their manhood is at best but a beautiful deceit?

Now, I want you to be a man, and that you may be that, I want you first and foremost to be true, thoroughly true. I hope you would scorn to tell a lie, but that is only the beginning to thoughtfulness. I want you to despise

all sham, all pretense, all effort to seem otherwise than you are.

When we have laid that foundation then we can go on to build up a manhood, glorious and godlike, after the perfect image of Him, the perfect Man, who said that he was born that he might bear witness to the truth.—Bishop Dudley.