The divine life in three treatises

11. And some of your friends may cover their unfaithfulness with the pretence of some fault that you have been guilty of, some error that you hold, or some unhandsome or culpable act that you have done, or some duty that you have left undone or failed in. For they think there is not a better shelter for their unfaithfulness, then to pretend for it the Name and Cause of God, and so to make a duty of their sin. Who would not justify them, if they can but prove, that God requireth them, and Religion obligeth them to forsake you for your faults? There are few crimes in the world that by some are not fathered on God (that most hateth them) as thinking no name can so much honour them. False friends therefore use this means as well as other Hypocrites: And though God is Love, and condemneth nothing more then uncharitableness and malice, yet these are commonly by falsehearted Hypocrites, called by some pious virtuous names, and God himself is entitled to them: so that few worldlings, ambitious persons or timeservers; but will confidently pretend Religion for all their falsehood to their friends, or bloody cruelty to the servants of Christ, that comply not with their carnal interest.

11. And some of your friends may cover their unfaithfulness with the pretence of some fault that you have been guilty of, some errour that you hold, or some unhansome or culpable act that you have done, or some duty that you have left undone or failed in. For they think there is not a better shelter for their unfaithfulness, then to pretend for it the Name and Cause of God, and so to make a duty of their sin. Who would not justifie them, if they can but prove, that God requireth them, and Religion obligeth them to forsake you for your faults? There are few crimes in the world that by some are not fathered on God (that most hateth them) as thinking no name can so much honour them. False friends therefore use this means as well as other Hypocrites: And though God is Love, and condemneth nothing more then uncharitableness and malice, yet these are commonly by falshearted Hypocrites, called by some pious vertuous names, and God himself is entitled to them: so that few worldlings, ambitious persons or timeservers; but will confidently pretend Religion for all their falshood to their friends, or bloody cruelty to the servants of Christ, that comply not with their carnal interest.