Ignorance the Mother of Evils.
1798.
From all these things, therefore, it is concluded that all evil springs from ignorance;
and ignorance herself, the mother of all evils, is sprung from carelessness and sloth, and is nourished, and increased, and rooted in the senses of men by negligence;
and if any one teach that she is to be put to flight, she is with difficulty and indignantly torn away, as from an ancient and hereditary abode.
1799.
And therefore we must labour for a little, that we may search out the presumptions of ignorance, and cut them off by means of knowledge, especially in those who are preoccupied with some erroneous opinions, by means of which ignorance is the more firmly rooted in them, as under the appearance of a certain kind of knowledge;
1800.
for nothing is worse than for one to believe that he knows what he is ignorant of, and to maintain that to be true which is false.
1801.
This is as if a drunk man should think himself to be sober, and should act indeed in all respects as a drunk man, and yet think himself to be sober, and should wish to be called so by others.
1802.
Thus, therefore, are those also who do not know what is true, yet hold some appearance of knowledge, and do many evil things as if they were good, and hasten destruction as if it were to salvation.
Advantages of Knowledge.
1803.
Wherefore we must, above all things, hasten to the knowledge of the truth,
that, as with a light kindled thereat, we may be able to dispel the darkness of errors:
for ignorance, as we have said, is a great evil;
yet because it has no substance, it is easily dispelled by those who are in earnest.
1804.
For ignorance is nothing else than not knowing what is good for us;
once know this, and ignorance perishes.
1805.
Therefore the knowledge of truth ought to be eagerly sought after;
and no one can confer it except the true Prophet.
1806.
For this is the gate of life to those who will enter,
and the road of good works to those going to the city of salvation.
Free-Will.
1807.
Whether any one, truly hearing the word of of the true Prophet;
is willing or unwilling to receive it, and to embrace His burden, that is, the laws of life,
he has either in his power, for we are free in will.
1808.
For if it were so, that those who hear had it not in their power to do otherwise than they had heard,
there were some power of nature in virtue of which it were not free to him to pass over to another opinion.
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1809.
Or if, again, no one of the hearers could at all receive it,
this also were a power of nature which should compel the doing of some one thing,
and should leave no place for the other course.
1810.
Yet now, since it is free for the mind to turn its judgment to which side it pleases,
and to choose the way which it approves, it is clearly manifest that there is in men a liberty of choice.
Responsibility of Knowledge.
1811.
Therefore, before any one hears what is good for him, it is certain that he is ignorant;
and being ignorant, he wishes and desires to do what is not good for him;
wherefore he is not judged for that.
1812.
Yet when once he has heard the causes of his error, and has received the method of truth,
then, if he remain in those errors with which he had been long ago preoccupied, he shall rightly be called into judgment, to suffer punishment, because he has spent in the sport of errors that portion of life which was given him to be spent in living well.
1813.
Yet he who, hearing those things, willingly receives them, and is thankful that the teaching of good things has been brought to him, inquires more eagerly, and does not cease to learn, until he ascertains whether there be truly another world, in which rewards are prepared for the good.
1814.
And when he is assured of this, he gives thanks to God because He has shown him the light of truth; and for the future directs his actions in all good works, for which he is assured that there is a reward prepared in the world to come; while he constantly wonders and is astonished at the errors of other men, and that no one sees the truth which is placed before his eyes.
1815.
Yet he himself, rejoicing in the riches of wisdom which he has found, desires insatiably to enjoy them, and is delighted with the practice of good works; hastening to attain, with a clean heart and a pure conscience, the world to come, when he shall be able even to see God, the king of all.
The Book of Recognitions CHAPTER SIXTY THREE
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Divisions 1816-1845
Book 5
RECOGNITIONS 5
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