Read this excerpt from thomas paine's famous essay "the crisis number one":
i have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that god almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent. neither have i so much of the infidel in me, as to suppose that he has relinquished the government of the world, and given us up to the care of devils; and as i do not, i cannot see on what grounds the king of britain can look up to heaven for against us: a common murderer, a highwayman, or a house-breaker, has as good a pretence as he.
which sentence best describes paine's claim in the excerpt?
a.
god would not take sides between the british and the american colonists.
b.
it was necessary to save americans because god did not support military destruction.
c.
it was necessary for america to fight the british to defend their religious values.
d.
god would defend the american colonists' fight because their cause was upright.
e.
it was necessary for americans to save themselves and not wait for god to them.

D

Explanation:

"I have as little superstition in me as any man living, but my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupportedly to perish,"

old english did not sound like modern english, which differs widely in phonology and especially in grammar, so taht old english is unintelligible to modern speakers.

the average english was strongly influenced by the anglo-norman as later by the anglo-french. the pronunciation was affected by the norman with the sounds   "/ θ / and / ð / " transcribed as th.

modern english was standarized from the london dialect and extended by the government and administartion as well as by the effects of printing, began to acquire more words from other languages as well to imporve in a more fluent pronunciation.

glamis thou art, and cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promis'd; yet do i fear thy nature; it is too full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; art not without ambition; but without the illness should attend it. what thou wouldst highly, that wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, and yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'dst have, great glamis, that which cries, "thus thou must do, if thou have it: and that which rather thou dost fear to do than wishest should be undone." hie thee hither, that i may pour my spirits in thine ear; and chastise with the valor of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round, which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crown'd withal.  

he lacks ambition.  

he is hesitant.  

he lacks courage.  

he has moral scruples.