Tillotson, John (1630-1694)

Sermon XIV. True Liberty, the Result of Christianity [from Several Discourses of the Truth and the Excellency of the Christian Religion]

London

Ri. Chiswell

1703

"By ignorance, and error, and prejudice, the mind of man is fetter'd and entangled, so that it hath not the free use of it self: but when we are rightly informed, especially in those things which are useful and necessary for us to know, we recover our liberty, and feel our selves enlarged from the restraints we were in before."

But yet it was a great liberty which the Gospel offer'd to them, had they been sensible of it. For how easie is the mind of man, when it finds it self freed from those errors and prejudices which it sees others labour under? And how does it rejoice in this liberty? Certainly one of the greatest pleasures of human nature is the discovery of truth, yea even in curious speculations, which are of no great concernment to us. How was Archimedes transported upon a mathematical discovery, so that he thought no sacrifice too great to offer to the Gods by way of acknowledgment? But surely the pleasure is justly greater in matters of so great moment and consequence to our happiness. The light of the Sun is not more grateful to our outward sense, than the light of truth is to the soul. By ignorance, and error, and prejudice, the mind of man is fetter'd and entangled, so that it hath not the free use of it self: but when we are rightly informed, especially in those things which are useful and necessary for us to know, we recover our liberty, and feel our selves enlarged from the restraints we were in before. And this effect the saving truths of the Gospel have upon the minds of men, above any discoveries that ever were made to the world. Christianity hath set the world free from those chains of darkness and ignorance it was bound withal, and from the most dangerous and pernicious errors, and that in matters of greatest consequence and importance. This is the first kind of freedom, which we have by the Doctrine of the Gospel, freedom from the bondage of ignorance, error and prejudice, in matters of greatest moment and importance to our happiness. And tho' this liberty be highly to be valued; yet the other, which I am going to speak to, is more considerable, and that is,
(p. 617)

Fetters

Reading

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>

06/21/2011