"And this is a great bondage to the mind of man, to live in ignorance of those things which are useful for us to know; to be mistaken about those matters which are of great moment and concernment to us to be rightly informed in: Ignorance is the confinement of our understandings, as Knowledge and right Apprehensions of things are a kind of liberty and enlargement to the mind of man."

— Tillotson, John (1630-1694)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Ri. Chiswell
Date
1703
Metaphor
"And this is a great bondage to the mind of man, to live in ignorance of those things which are useful for us to know; to be mistaken about those matters which are of great moment and concernment to us to be rightly informed in: Ignorance is the confinement of our understandings, as Knowledge and right Apprehensions of things are a kind of liberty and enlargement to the mind of man."
Metaphor in Context
Secondly, I shall now in the next place shew more particularly, in what respects the Son of God by his Doctrine, may be said to make us free. And that in these two respects.
I. As it frees us from the bondage of Ignorance, and Error, and Prejudice.
II. From the slavery of our Lusts and Passions.

I. It frees us from the bondage of Ignorance, and Error, and Prejudice, which is a more inveterate and obstinate error. And this is a great bondage to the mind of man, to live in ignorance of those things which are useful for us to know; to be mistaken about those matters which are of great moment and concernment to us to be rightly informed in: Ignorance is the confinement of our understandings, as Knowledge and right Apprehensions of things are a kind of liberty and enlargement to the mind of man. Under this slavery the world groaned, and were bound in these chains of darkness for many years, till the light of the glorious Gospel broke in upon the World, and our blessed Saviour, who is Truth, came to set us free.
(p. 616)
Provenance
Reading
Citation
At least 12 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1703, 1704, 1717, 1722, 1735, 1739, 1742, 1748, 1752, 1757, 1772).

See John Tillotson, Several Discourses of the Truth and the Excellency of the Christian Religion, ed. Ralph Barker, vol xiii (London: Printed for Ri. Chiswell, 1703). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO>

Text from The Works of Dr. John Tillotson, Late Archbishop of Canterbury, Sermon CXCIII, vol. X (London: Richard Priestley, 1820). <Link to www.ccel.org><See also 1712 edition in Google Books>
Date of Entry
06/21/2011

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.