--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And hast thou sworn on every slight…" description: "\"And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the book's out..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/william-cowper-779_book_and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pret_32602.png" --- # And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till… ![“And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the book's outside, who ne'er look'd within?” quote by William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/william-cowper-779_book_and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pret_32602.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/william-cowper-779_book_and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pret_32602.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e14/william-cowper-779_book_and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pret_32602.png) > “And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the book's outside, who ne'er look'd within?” [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques superficial religiosity where outward rituals mask inner moral decay, urging deeper introspection. **In simple terms:** Superficial faith vs. true belief Key Takeaway Look inward, not just outward Themes hypocrisy religion morality self-awareness social critique Mood reflective critical somber Type aphoristic poetic When to use this quote - church attendance without conviction - political leaders ignoring ethics - people judging by appearances Key Concepts ritual vs. inner belief ethical decay cognitive dissonance Practical Applications - spiritual counseling - ethical training programs Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to truly engage with faith? - How can we recognize genuine belief versus empty ritual? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Careless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careless/) [Careless Damning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careless-damning-431301/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Kissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissing/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Oath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oath/) [Perjuries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perjuries-431299/) [Perjuries Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perjuries-common-431298/) [Perjury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perjury/) [Pretence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretence/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Thou Sworn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-sworn-431302/) [Till Perjuries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/till-perjuries-431300/) ## Related quotes > [The term 'perjury trap' means interviewing someone for no underlying crime and no other purpose except with the hope that the person forgets something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caputo/the-term-perjury-trap-means-interviewing-someone-for-no-underlying/) [Michael Caputo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caputo/) > [“Shoot me in the face. 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