This may serve to teach us the danger of allowing to any mortal man an inordinate measure of power to speak great things: to allow to any man uncontrollableness of speech, you see the desperate danger of it. Let all the world learn to give mortal men no greater power than they are content they shall use, for use it they will: and unless they be better taught of God, they will use it ever and anon. It may be make it the passage of their proceeding to speak what they will: And they that have liberty to speak great things, you will find it to be true, they will speak disrespectfully of God’s laws. No man would think what desperate deceit and wickedness there is in the hearts of men. And that was the reason why the beast did speak such great things, he might speak and no body might control him: What, saith the Lord in Jer. 3. 5. Thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldst. If a Church or head of a Church could have done worse, he would have done it. This is one of the strains of nature, it affects boundless liberty, and to run to the utmost extent. Whatever power he has received, he has a corrupt nature that will improve it in one thing or other; if he has liberty, he will think why may he not use it?
Refer to paragraph 1 of An Exposition upon the 13th Chapter of Revelation.
Why does Cotton include a biblical quotation in this paragraph?
Select the two correct answers.
A. to prove that any form of authority is corrupt
B. to acknowledge the religious devotion of his audience
C. to convey a moral lesson
D. to support his points with God’s word
