Hypocrisy

Now I come to the great thing that so much troubles my conscience, more than anything that ever I did or said in my whole life. And that is, the setting abroad of writings contrary to the truth; which now here I renounce and refuse as things written with my hand contrary to the truth that I thought in my heart, and written for fear of death and to save my life if it might be. And that is, all such bills and papers that I have written or signed with my hand since my degradation; wherein I have written many things untrue. And since my hand offended, writing contrary to my heart, my hand shall therefore first be punished; for, may I come to the fire, it shall be first burned.

Such is our innate pride that we always seem to ourselves just, and upright, and wise, and holy, until we are convinced, by clear evidence, of our injustice, vileness, folly, and impurity. We are not convinced, however, if we look only to ourselves, and not to the Lord also—He being the only standard by the application of which this conviction can be produced. For, since we are all naturally prone to hypocrisy, any empty semblance of righteousness is quite enough to satisfy us instead of righteousness itself.

Nothing is more generally known than our duties which belong to Christianity; and yet, how amazing is it, nothing is less practiced? There is much of it in name and show, but little of it in the heart and conversation; indeed, if going to church, and to the sacrament, or, if our being called after the name of Christ, and being baptized into that name; if that will make us Christians, I believe all of us would have a claim thereto.