A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

5. Consider the mischief and danger of ignorance.

1. It exposeth you to errors and delusions, Math. 22.29. Who so apt to be misled as he that hath no eyes? He that knows not which is the right way, may easily be drawn into a wrong one. He that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes, Joh. 12.35. Affection is a good follower, but a bad leader; It is too blind to be a guide: It embraces its object and yet knows it not. It must be beholden to the eye of the mind, light in the understanding, or else all its motions will be but wanderings. It will be sure to rove, where it is not led. It is an egregious paralogism of them that argue against the translation of the Scriptures into vulgar languages, that that is the way to increase errors, and divisions among Christians; For that multitude of errors which is among us, is not the effect of too much knowledge, but too little: as Mens losing their way by day-light is not the effect of their having eyes, but either of their not having them, or not using them. Men do not run into errors because they know the truth, but because they do not know it, or are not established in it, or are not able to prove it. Not only pride and obstinacy, but ignorance too hath a hand in Heresies. That which is Heresy at last, may be but a simple error at the first; and that too men may embrace, not so much, or not only, because they hate the truth, but because they do not know it. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds proceed from them as being destitute of the truth, 1 Tim. 6.5. In other places we see by experience, that where men have ordinarily more knowledge, they have fewer errors; where they are better catechised, they are less unsound. It is scarce to be imagined, that so many absurd and ridiculous opinions should pass currant among us for greater truths, were it not for ignorance, as well as interest. And I doubt not, but many of the greatest patrons of errors, if throughly examined, would be found guilty of the deepest ignorance; and while they pretend