An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

Secondly,¹ 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 uncontroll•bleness of speech, you see the desperate •••ger of it: Let all the world learn to give mortal men no greater power then they are content they shall use, for use is 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 great blasphemies. 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: What ever power he hath received, he hath a corrupt nature that will improve it in one thing or other; if he have liberty, he will think why may he not use it. Set up the Pope as Lord Paramount over Kings and Princes, and they shall know that he hath power over them, he will take liberty to depose one, and set up another. Give him power to make Laws, and he will approve, and disprove as he list; what he approves is ⟨p. 72⟩Canonical, what he disproves is rejected: Give him that power, and he will so order it at length, he will make such a State of Religion, that he that so lives and dyes shall never be saved, and all this springs from the vast power that is given to him, and from the deep depravation of nature. He will open his mouth, His tongue is his own, who is Lord over him, Psal. 12. 3, 4. It is therefore most wholesome for Magistrates and Officers in Church and Common-wealth, never to affect more liberty and authority then will do them good, and the People good; for what ever transcendent power is given, will certainly over-run those that give it, and those that receive it: There is a strain in a mans heart that will sometime or other run out to excess, unless the Lord restrain it, but it is not good to venture it: