Chapter XVIII.—His First Suggestion.

“And first of all he suggests to men’s thoughts not to hear the words of truth, by which they might put to flight the ignorance of those things which are evils.  And this he does, as by the presentation of another knowledge, making a show of that opinion which very many hold, to think that they shall not be held guilty if they have been in ignorance, and that they shall not be called to account for what they have not heard; and thereby he persuades them to turn aside from hearing the word.  But I tell you, in opposition to this, that ignorance is in itself a most deadly poison, which is sufficient to ruin the soul without any aid from without.  And therefore there is no one who is ignorant who shall escape through his ignorance, but it is certain that he shall perish.  For the power of sin naturally destroys the sinner.  But since the judgment shall be according to reason, the cause and origin of ignorance shall be inquired into, as well as of every sin.  For he who is unwilling to know how he may attain to life, and prefers to be in ignorance lest he thereby be made guilty, from this very fact is judged as if he knew and had knowledge.  For he knew what it was that he was unwilling to hear; and the cunning obtained by the artifice of the serpent will avail him nothing for an excuse, for he will have to do with Him to whom the heart is open.  But that you may know that ignorance of itself brings destruction, I assure you that when the soul departs from the body, if it leave it in ignorance of Him by whom it was created, and from whom in this world it obtained all things that were necessary for its uses, it is driven forth from the light of His kingdom as ungrateful and unfaithful.