'
Now, all this brings us to the last step in the evolution of a perfect
hypocrite out of a simple formalist. The perfect and finished hypocrite
is not your commonplace and vulgar scoundrel of the playwright and the
penny-novelist type; the finest hypocrite is a character their art cannot
touch. 'The worst of hypocrites,' Rutherford goes on to say, 'is he who
whitens himself till he deceives himself. It is strange that a man hath
such power over himself. But a man's heart may deceive his heart, and he
may persuade himself that he is godly and righteous when he knows nothing
about it.' 'Preaching in a certain place,' says Boston, 'after supper
the mistress of the house told me how I had terrified God's people. This
was by my doctrine of self-love, self-righteousness, self-ends, and such
like. She restricted hypocrites to that sort that do all things to be
seen of men, and harped much on this--how can one be a hypocrite who
hates hypocrisy in other people? how can one be a hypocrite and not know
it? All this led me to see the need of such doctrine.' And if only to
show you that this is not the dismal doctrine of antediluvian
Presbyterians only, Canon Mozley says: 'The Pharisee did not know that he
was a Pharisee; if he had known it he would not have been a Pharisee.
Pages:
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186