The Republican journal., 1916-08-10
The Element of Ignorance in
Sin
Or the Prayer from the Cross as the Crown
of Jesus's Wonderful Ministry.


Testament which bring out what our
title expresses more forcibly than can
elsewhere be found. One of these is the
declaration of great sinner become en-
heightened and contrite-namely, st. Paul,
who, in letter to a friend, wrote con-
corning his earlier career:
Who was before blasphemer and persecu-
tor an d Injurious but obtained mercy because
did 1t iPnorantly in unbelief.
The other is the declaration OF one
greatly sinned against, suffering and dy-
ing at the hands of sinful men: namely,
Jesus Christ, whose first reported words
as he hung upon the cross were words OF
prayer for the forgiveness of his mur-
derers: Father, forgive them. for they
know not what they do!'
10 these two testimonies might be
added the martyr Stephens dying prayer,
Lord, lay not this sin to their CHARGE"
for undoubtedly the same thought was IN
his mind that Jesus uttered, for they
know not what they do.
The words of Jesus, just now quoted,
are OF supreme Importance because of
his peculiar personality and Of the Pc
cullar circumstances in which they were
spoken.
They crown and complete the revela-
ton of the loving spirit which he had
exhibited throughout his life. They ex-
press all that could be said in extenua-
ton of the guilt of those who were cru
cifying him, and on the ground of that
eXteEuating fact of ignorance, a plea
for mercy and forgiveness is based.
On the same ground Paul declares that
he had "optained mercy
One can readily understand how Jesus
plea could be made in behalf of the SOL
diers who executed the sentence pro-
nounced upon him; and some have main
tanned that 1t was for them only that he
prayed. But that is manlfestly an error.
The element OF ignorance in the zeal of
the priests and rulers who comprised the
death of Jesus is explicitly declared by
at least two apostles. st. Peter boldly
charged the Jews with the murder of
Jesus, and added, "And now brethen, |
Wot that through ignorance ye did 1t, as
did also your rulers" And st. Paul
says: 'For had they known it, they
would not have crucified the Lord of
glory"
What wish to bring out is the fact
that our Lords dying prayer distinctly
expresses that spirit of mercy in which
God and godlike men regard human sin
as it is more or less mixed with ignor
ance. St. Peter said. "Yo GU committed
great sin, but you did it through ignor-
ance, and the door of mercy is open to
YOU" So St. Paul said of himself.
This question of the relation of ignor-
ance to wrong doing and Of the effect of
ignorance in modifying the degree of
guilt in the wrongdoer, is perplexing
one, upon which Jesus dying words seem
to shed a holy light. He had already
taught that one who knows his Lords
will and does it not deserves and will re-
ceive greater punishment than one who
knows not and does wrong; and his pray
err from the cross is in accordance with
that conception of justice.
The history of prosecutions, like that
of Stephen, affords many examples of
this truth. The prosecutors have not
been, in all cases, utterly bad men. They,
like Saul, the prosecutor, have grievous-
ly sinned, but. in many cases at least.
more or less ignorantly. Was their ig-
norance culpable? If SO, how far
The fact is that in almost all sins there
is an element of ignorance; sometimes it
is small in degree, sometimes large. How
many sins and even crimes are committed
through inexperience, in passion, under
stress of binding temptation or provoca-
norance, of which it may be truly said,
They know not what they do"
And yet they are sins. 1t does not
obliterate guilt to say II know not
EXtenuation is not exculpation Jesus
prayed for the forgiveness of his MUIR
derers. If their ignorance made void all
guilt, they needed not forgiveness. St.
Paul did not hold himself guiltless be-
cause he sinned ignorantly.
How often one says, looking back upon
a wrong action, eff had only known
what | was doing. what the wrong doing
involved, | never should have committed
it.. How often one says, 81 ought to
have known better" and execrates the
folly of his wlckedness. Ola Thomas
Fuller llhened sin in prospect to little
rlvulet which one may cross and scarcely
wet the feet; but IN the retrospect it is
swollen, foamlng and impossible torrent.
Very likely Cain did not mean to kill his
! brother when he smote him in hot anger
and knew net just what he was doing,
but he did kill him. Just how far ignor-
ance is culpable God only knows, but
however in divers cases of transgression
the element of Ignorance may be ad-
mltted, it enters not as eXcusing or OBJ
llteratlng guilt, but, at best, as only ex-
tenuating it.
| Whatever may be the attitude of mag
istrates and courts of justice, the atti-
tude of individual Christians towards the
sins of their fellowmep, and particularly
towards the injuries they may incur by
those sins, is clearly indicated by Jesus 8
example. AS compared with the out
RACES inflicted upon him, how trivial are
the most and even the worst of our
grievances. 1t were superfiuous to argue
so clear a case, and l pass to point out
the significance of Jesus words as re-
garded from another point of view.
Neither as living or dying did Jesus, so
far as we know, ever ask forgiveness for
himself or intimate any felt need of for
giveness. What wish to bring out and
emphasize is that in the sinless and Holy
One grace, mercy, compassion, and clar-
ity are und in the highest degree 1t
is the sinless One who has no prayer to
offer for his own forgiveness, who is suf :
fering shame and death through the sins
of others against him, who finds a ground
for the extenuation of their guilt and
prays for their forgiveness. Our pas
sions, our pride, our resentments, our
sophistries are confronted with this fact.
We are apt to misconceive holiness. We
fancy, and have been taught SO, that the
pure and holy person must needs so alb
hor all manner of SIN as to lack sym-