the want of knowledge or instruction. It is often used to denote illiteracy. Mr. Locke observes that the causes of ignorance are chiefly three:
1, want of ideas;
2, want of a discoverable connection between the ideas we have;
3, want of tracing and examining our ideas.
As respects religion, ignorance has been distinguished into three sorts:
1. An invincible ignorance, in which the will has no part. It is an insult upon justice to suppose it will punish men because they were ignorant of things which they were physically incapable of knowing.
2. There is a willful and obstinate ignorance; such an ignorance, far from exculpating, aggravates a man's crimes.
3. A sort of voluntary ignorance, which is neither entirely willful nor entirely invincible, as when a man has the means of knowledge, and does not use them. — Locke, On the Understanding. 2, 178; Grove, Moral Philosophy, 2, 26, 29, 64; Watts, On the Mind; Henderson's Buck, Theolog. Dict. s.v. (See KNOWLEDGE).
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More