John Proctor is a very proud individual. He believes that the only thing a man truly has is his name. By signing a confession that will be hanged for all to see, he is in fact, blighting his name: a name that demands respect, exudes goodwill, and engenders trust. He would rather die on his feet a proud man with his name intact than live a life on his knees while a lie strangles what liberty he has left.
It's all about reputation. John Proctor's lost everything due to the witch-craze. But the one thing he still has left is his good name. A verbal confession is one thing, a signed confession something else. But to have that signed confession nailed to the church door where the whole town can see it, is a completely different matter entirely, and Proctor simply won't stand for it.
He's looking at the bigger picture here. If he signs the confession saying that he's a witch he'll be lying to himself and to God. Not only that, but his children and his children's children will have to live with the stigma and shame. The previously good name of the Proctors will be ruined for evermore. Like the devout Puritan he is, Proctor already believes himself to be mired in total depravity. So verbally confessing to witchcraft is in line with how he sees himself as a sinner. But though he'll let the witch-hunters take his soul, what he won't do is let them take his good name, his reputation.
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