Of the wordDEVIL,as it is a proper name to the Devil, and any or all his host, Angels,&c.
Of the wordDEVIL,as it is a proper name to the Devil, and any or all his host, Angels,&c.
Itis a question, not yet determined by the learned, whether the wordDevilbe asingular, that is to say, thenameof a person standing by himself, or anoun of multitude; if it be a singular, and so must be used personally only asa proper name, it consequently implies one imperialDevil, Monarch or King of the whole clan of Hell; justly distinguish’d by the termthe Devil, or as theScotscall him,themuckle horn’d Dee’l, or as others in a wilder dialect,the Devil of Hell, that is to say, theDevilof aDevil; or (better still) as the Scripture expresses it, by way of emphasis, thegreat red Dragon, theDevilandSatan.
But if we take this word to be, as above,a noun of multitude, and so to be usedambo-dexter, as occasion presents, singular or plural; thenthe DevilsignifiesSatanby himself, orSatan with all his Legionsat his heels, as you please, more or less; and this way of understanding the word, as it may be very convenient for my purpose, in the account I am now to give of the infernal Powers, so it is not altogether improper in the nature of the thing: It is thus express’d in Scripture, where the person possess’dMatt.iv. 24. is first said to be possess’d ofthe Devil(singular) and our Saviour asks him, as speaking to a single person,what is thy name?and is answer’d in the plural and singular together, my name isLegion, forwe are many.
Nor will it be any wrong tothe Devil, supposing him a single person, seeing entitling him to the conduct of all his inferior Agents, is what he will take rather for an addition to his infernal glory, than a diminution or lessening of him in the extent of his Fame.
Having thus articl’d with theDevilfor liberty of speech, I shall talk of him sometimes in the singular, as a person, and sometimes in the plural, as an host ofDevilsor of infernal Spirits, just as occasion requires, and as the history of his affairs makes necessary.
But before I enter upon any part of his history, the nature of the thing calls me back, and my Lord B—— of —— in his late famous orations in defence of liberty, summons me to prove that there is such a thing or such a person asthe Devil; and in short, unless I can give some evidence of hisexistence, as my Lord —— said very well, I am talking ofnobody.
D—m me, Sir, says a graceless comrade of his to a great man,your Gracewill go tothe Devil.
D—m ye, Sir, says the D——, then I shall gono where; I wonder where you intend to go?
Nay, tothe D——ltoo I doubt,says Graceless, for I am almost as wicked as myLord Duke.
D.Thou ar’t a silly empty Dog, says the D—, and if there is such a place asa Hell, tho’ I believe nothing of it, ’tis a place for fools, such as thou art.
Gr.I wonder then, what Heaven the great wits go to, such as myLord Duke; I don’t care to go there, let it be where it will; they are a tiresome kind of people, there’s no bearing them, they’ll makea Hellwherever they come.
D.Prithee hold thy fool’s tongue, I tell thee, if there is any such place as we callno where; that’s all the Heaven or Hell that I know of, or believe any thing about.
Gr.Very good, my Lord—; so thatHeavenisno where, andHellisno where, and theDevilisnobody, according to myLord Duke!
D.Yes Sir, and what then?
Gr.And you are to gono wherewhen you die, are you?
D.Yes, you Dog, don’t you know what that incomparable noble genius my LordRochestersings upon the subject, I believe it unfeignedly,
After death nothing is,And nothing death.
Gr.You believe it, my Lord, you mean, you would fain believe it if you could; but since you put that great genius my LordRochesterupon me, let me play him back uponyour Grace; I am sureyou have read his fine poem uponnothing, in one of the stanzas of which is this beautiful thought,
And to be part of[2]theeThe wicked wisely pray.
D.You are a foolish Dog.
Gr.And myLord Dukeis a wise Infidel.
D.Why? is it not wiser to believeno Devil, than to be always terrify’d at him?
Gr.But shall I toss another Poet upon you, my Lord?
If it should so fall out, as who can tellBut there may be aGod, aHeavenandHell?Mankind had best consider well, for fear’T should be too late when their mistakes appear.
D.D—m your foolish Poet, that’s not my LordRochester.
Gr.But how must I be damn’d, if there’sno Devil? Is notyour Gracea little inconsistent there? My LordRochesterwould not have said that, and’t please your Grace.
D.No,you Dog, I am not inconsistent at all, and if I had the ordering of you, I’d make you sensible of it; I’d make you think your self damn’d for want ofa Devil.
Gr.That’s like one ofyour Grace’s paradoxes, such as when you sworeby Godthat you did not believe there was any such thing asa God, orDevil; so you swear bynothing, and damn me tono where.
D.You are a critical Dog, who taught you to believe these solemn trifles? who taught you to say there is aGod?
Gr.Nay, I had a better school-master than myLord Duke.
D.Why, who was your school-master pray?
Gr.The Devil, and’t please yourGrace.
D.The Devil!the Devil he did?what you’re going to quote Scripture, are you? Prithee don’t tell me ofScripture, I know what you mean,the Devils believe and tremble; why then I have the whip-hand ofthe Devil, for I hate trembling; and I am deliver’d from it effectually, for I never believed any thing of it, and therefore I don’t tremble.
Gr.And there, indeed, I am a wickeder creature than theDevil, or even than myLord Duke, for I believe, and yet don’t tremble neither.
D.Nay, if you are come to your penitentials I have done with you.
Gr.And I think I must have done with myLord Duke, for the same reason.
D.Ay, ay, pray do, I’ll go and enjoy my self; I won’t throw away the pleasure of my life, I know the consequence of it.
Gr.And I’ll go and reform my self, else I know the consequence too.
This short Dialogue happen’d between two men of quality, and both men of wit too; and the effect was, that the Lord brought the reality ofthe Devilinto the question, and the debate brought the profligate to be a penitent; so in short,the Devilwas made a preacher of repentance.
The Truth is,Godandthe Devil, however opposite in their nature, and remote from one another in their place of abiding, seem to stand pretty much upon a level in our faith: For as to our believing the reality of their existence, he thatdenies one, generally denies both; and he that believes one, necessarily believes both.
Very few, if any of those who believe there is aGod, and acknowledge the debt of homage which mankind owes to the supreme Governor of the World, doubt the existence ofthe Devil, except here and there one, whom we call practical Atheists; and ’tis the character of an Atheist, if there is such a creature on Earth, that like myLord Duke, he believes neitherGodorDevil.
As the belief of both these stands upon a level, and thatGodand theDevilseem to have an equal share in our faith, so the evidence of their existence seems to stand upon a level too, in many things; and as they are known by their Works in the same particular cases, so they are discover’d after the same manner of demonstration.
Nay, in some respects ’tis equally criminal to deny the reality of them both, only with this difference, that to believe the existence of aGodis a debt to nature, and to believe the existence ofthe Devilis a like debt to reason; one is a demonstration from the reality of visible causes, and the other a deduction from the like reality of their effects.
One demonstration of the existence ofGod, is from the universal well-guided consent of all nations to worship and adore a supreme Power; One demonstration of the existence of theDevil, is from the avow’d ill-guided consent of some nations, who knowing no otherGod, make aGodof theDevil, for want of a better.
It may be true, that those nations have no other Ideas of the Devil than as of a superior Power; if they thought him a supreme Power it would have other effects on them, and they would submit to and worship him with a different kind of fear.
But ’tis plain they have right notions of him as a Devil or evil Spirit, because the best reason, and in some places the only reason they give for worshiping him is, that he may do them no hurt; having no notions at all of his having any power, much less any inclination to do them good; so that indeed they make a meerDevilof him, at the same time that they bow to him as to aGod.
All the ages of Paganism in the World have had this notion ofthe Devil: indeed in some parts of the World they had also some Deities which they honour’d above him, as being supposed to be beneficent, kind and inclined, as well as capable to give them good things; for this reason the more polite Heathens, such as theGreciansand theRomans, had theirLaresor houshold Gods, whom they paid a particular respect to; as being their Protectors from Hobgoblins, Ghosts of the Dead, evil Spirits, frightful Appearances, evil Genius’s and other noxious Beings from the invisible World; or to put it into the language of the day we live in, fromthe Devil, in whatever shape or appearance he might come to them, and from whatever might hurt them: and what was all this but setting upDevilsagainstDevils, supplicating oneDevilunder the notion of a good Spirit, to drive out and protect them from another, whom they call’d a bad Spirit, the whiteDevilagainst the blackDevil?
This proceeds from the natural notions mankind necessarily entertain of things to come;superiororinferior,Godand theDevil, fill up all futurity in our thoughts; and ’tis impossible for us to form any images in our minds of an immortality and an invisible World, but under the notions of perfect felicity, or extreme misery.
Now as these two respect the Eternal state of man after life, they are respectively the objectof our reverence and affection, or of our horror and aversion; but notwithstanding they are plac’d thus in a diametrical opposition in our affections and passions, they are on an evident level as to the certainty of their existence, and, as I said above, bear an equal share in our faith.
It being then as certain that there isa Devil, as that there isa God, I must from this time forward admit no more doubt of his existence, nor take any more pains to convince you of it; but speaking of him as a reality in Being, proceed to enquire who he is, and from whence, in order to enter directly into the detail of his History.
Now not to enter into all the metaphysical trumpery of his Schools, nor wholly to confine my self to the language of the Pulpit; where we are told, that to think ofGodand of theDevil, we must endeavour first to form Ideas of those things which illustrate the description of rewards and punishments; in the one the eternal presence of the highest good, and, as a necessary attendant, the most perfect, consummate, durable bliss and felicity, springing from the presence of that Being in whom all possible Beatitude is inexpressibly present, and that in the highest perfection: On the contrary, to conceive of a sublime fallen Arch-angel, attended with an innumerable host of degenerate, rebel Seraphs or Angels cast out of Heaven together; all guilty of inexpressible rebellion, and all suffering from that time, and to suffer for ever the eternal vengeance of the Almighty, in an inconceivable manner; that his presence, tho’ blessed in it self, is to them the most compleat article of terror; That they are in themselves perfectly miserable; and to be with whom for ever, adds an inexpressible misery to any state as well as place; and fills the minds of those who are to be, or expect tobe banish’d to them with inconceivable horror and amazement.
But when you have gone over all this, and a great deal more of the like, tho’ less intelligible language, which the passions of men collect to amuse one another with; you have said nothing if you omit the main article, namely, the personality ofthe Devil; and till you add to all the rest some description of the company with whom all this is to be suffer’d,viz.theDevil and his Angels.
Now who thisDevil and his Angelsare, what share they have either actively or passively in the eternal miseries of a future state, how far they are Agents in or Partners with the sufferings of the place, is a difficulty yet not fully discover’d by the most learned; nor do I believe ’tis made less a difficulty by their medling with it.
But to come to the person and original ofthe Devil, or, as I said before, ofDevils; I allow him to come of an ancient family, for he is from Heaven, and more truly than theRomanscould say of their idoliz’dNuma, he is of the race of the Gods.
ThatSatanis a fallen Angel, a rebel Seraph, cast out for his Rebellion, is the general opinion, and ’tis not my business to dispute things universally receiv’d; as he was try’d, condemn’d, and the sentence of expulsion executed on him in Heaven, he is in this World like a transported Felon never to return; His crime, whatever particular aggravations it might have, ’tis certain, amounted to High-treason against his Lord and Governor, who was also his Maker; against whom he rose in rebellion, took up arms, and in a word, rais’d a horrid and unnatural war in his dominions; but being overcome in battle, and made prisoner, he and all his Host, whose numbers wereinfinite, all glorious Angels like himself, lost at once their beauty and glory with their Innocence, and commenc’dDevils, being transform’d by crime into monsters and frightful objects; such as to describe, human fancy is obliged to draw pictures and descriptions in such forms as are most hateful and frightful to the imagination.
These notions, I doubt not, gave birth to all the beauteous Images and sublime expressions in Mr.Milton’s majestick Poem; where, tho’ he has play’d the Poet in a most luxuriant manner, he has sinn’d againstSatanmost egregiously, and done theDevila manifest injury in a great many particulars, as I shall shew in its place. And as I shall be oblig’d to doSatanjustice when I come to that part of his History, Mr.Milton’s admirers must pardon me, if I let them see, that tho’ I admire Mr.Miltonas a Poet, yet that he was greatly out in matters of History, and especially the History of theDevil; in short, That he has chargedSatanfalsly in several particulars; and so he hasAdamandEvetoo: But that I shall leave till I come to the History of the Royal Family ofEden; which I resolve to present you with when theDeviland I have done with one another.
But not to run down Mr.Miltonneither, whose poetry, or his judgment, cannot be reproached without injury to our own; all those bright Ideas of his, which make his poem so justly valued, whether they are capable of proof as to the fact, are notwithstanding, confirmations of my hypothesis; and are taken from a supposition of the Personality of theDevil, placing him at the head of the infernal host, as a sovereign elevated Spirit and Monarch of Hell; and as such it is that I undertake to write his history.
By the word Hell I do not suppose, or at least not determine, that his residence, or that of thewhole army ofDevils, is yet in the same localHell, to which the Divines tell us he shall be at last chain’d down; or at least that he is yet confin’d to it, for we shall find he is at present a prisoner at large: of both which circumstances of Satan I shall take occasion to speak in its course.
But when I call the Devil the Monarch ofHell, I am to be understood as suits to the present purpose; that he is the Sovereign of all the race of Hell, that is to say of all the Devils or Spirits of the infernal Clan, let their numbers, quality and powers be what they will.
Upon this supposed personality and superiority ofSatan, or, as I call it, the sovereignty and government of one Devil above all the rest; I say, upon this notion are form’d all the systems of the dark side of futurity, that we can form in our minds: And so general is the opinion of it, that it will hardly bear to be oppos’d by any other argument, at least that will bear to be reason’d upon: All the notions of a parity of Devils, or making a common-wealth among the black Divan, seem to be enthusiastick and visionary, but with no consistency or certainty, and is so generally exploded, that we must not venture so much as to debate the point.
Taking it then as the generality of mankind do, that there is a Grand Devil, a superior of the whole black race; that they all fell, together with their General,Satan, at the head of them; that tho’ he,Satan, could not maintain his high station in Heaven, yet that he did continue his dignity among the rest, who are call’d his servants,in Scripture his Angels; that he has a kind of dominion or authority over the rest, and that they were all, how many millions soever in number, at his command; employ’d by him in all his hellishdesigns, and in all his wicked contrivances for the destruction of man, and for the setting up his own kingdom in the world.
Supposing then that there is such a superior Master-Devil over all the rest, it remains that we enquire into his character, and something of his History; in which, tho’ we cannot perhaps produce such authentick documents as in the story of other great Monarchs, Tyrants, and Furies of the World; yet I shall endeavour to speak some things which the experience of mankind may be apt to confirm, and which the Devil himself will hardly be able to contradict.
It being then granted that there is such a thing or person, call him which we will, as a Master-Devil; that he is thus superior to all the rest in power and in authority, and that all the other evil Spirits are his Angels, or Ministers, or Officers to execute his commands, and are employ’d in his business; it remains to enquire, whence he came? how he got hither, into this World? what that business is which he is employ’d about? what his present state is, and where and to what part of the creation of God he is limited and restrained? what the liberties are he takes or is allow’d to take? in what manner he works, and how his instruments are likewise allow’d to work? what he has done ever since he commenc’d Devil, what he is now doing, and what he may yet do before his last and closer confinement? as also what he cannot do, and how far we may or may not be said to be exposed to him, or have or have not reason to be afraid of him? These, and whatever else occurs in the History and conduct of this Arch-devil and his Agents, that may be useful for information, caution, or diversion, you may expect in the process of this work.
I know it has been question’d by some, with more face than fear, how it consists with a compleat victory of the Devil, which they say was at first obtained by the Heavenly Powers overSatanand his apostate army inHeaven, that when he was cast out of his holy place, and dash’d down into the abyss of eternal darkness, as into a place of punishment, a condemn’d hold, or place of confinement, to be reserved there to the judgment of the great Day;I say, how it consists with that entire victory, to let him loose again, and give him liberty, like a thief that has broken prison, to range about God’s creation, and there to continue his rebellion, commit new ravages, and acts of hostility against God, make new efforts at dethroning the almighty Creator; and in particular to fall upon the weakest of his creatures,Man? howSatanbeing so entirely vanquish’d, he should be permitted to recover any of his wicked powers, and find room to do mischief to mankind.
Nay they go farther, and suggest bold things against the wisdom of Heaven, in exposing mankind, weak in comparison of the immense extent of theDevil’s power, to so manifest an overthrow, to so unequal a fight, in which he is sure, if alone in the conflict, to be worsted; to leave him such a dreadful enemy to engage with, and so ill furnish’d with weapons to assist him.
These objections I shall give as good an answer to as the case will admit in this course, but must adjourn them for the present.
That the Devil is not yet a close prisoner, we have evidence enough to confirm; I will not suggest, that like ourNewgateThieves, (to bring little Devils and great Devils together) he is let out by connivance, and has some little latitudes and advantages for mischief, by that means; returning at certain seasons to his confinement again.This might hold, were it not, that the comparison must suggest, that the power which has cast him down could be deluded, and the under-keepers or jaylors, under whose charge he was in custody, could wink at his excursions, and the Lord of the place know nothing of the matter. But this wants farther explanation.
Of the original of theDevil,who he is, and what he was before his expulsion out of Heaven, and in what state he was from that time to the creation of Man.
Of the original of theDevil,who he is, and what he was before his expulsion out of Heaven, and in what state he was from that time to the creation of Man.
Tocome to a regular enquiry into Satan’s affairs, ’tis needful we should go back to his original, as far as history and the opinion of the learned World will give us leave.
It is agreed by all Writers, as well sacred as prophane, that this creature we now call a Devil, was originally an Angel of light, a glorious Seraph; perhaps the choicest of all the glorious Seraphs. See howMiltondescribes his original glory:
Satan, so call him now, his former nameIs heard no more in Heaven: He of the first,If notthe first Archangel; great in power,In favour and preeminence.lib.v.fol.140.
And again the same author, and upon the same subject:
———Brighter once amidst the hostOf Angels, than that star the stars among.lib.vii.fol.189.
The glorious figure which Satan is supposed to make among theThronesandDominionsin Heaven is such, as we might suppose the highest Angel in that exalted train could make; and some think,as above, that he was the chief of the Arch-angels.
Hence that notion, (and not ill founded)namely, that the first cause of his disgrace, and on which ensued his rebellion, was occasioned upon God’s proclaiming hisSonGeneralissimo, and with himself supreme ruler in heaven; giving the dominion of all his works of creation, as well already finish’d, as not then begun, to him; which post of honour (say they)Satanexpected to be conferr’d on himself, as next in honour, majesty and power to God the Supreme.
This opinion is follow’d by Mr.Miltontoo, as appears in the following lines, where he makes all the Angels attending all a general summons, and God the Father making the following declaration to them.
“Here, all ye Angels, prodigy of light,“Thrones, dominions, princedoms, virtues, pow’rs!“Hear my decree, which unrevok’d shall stand.“This day I have begot whom I declare“My onlySon, and on this hill“Him have anointed, whom you now behold“At my right hand; your Head I Him appoint:“And my self have sworn to him shall bow“All knees in Heav’n, and shall confess him Lord,“Under his great vice-gerent reign abide“United, as one individual soul,“For ever happy: Him who disobeys,“Me disobeys, breaks union, and that day“Cast out fromGod, and blessed vision, falls“Into utter darkness, deep ingulph’d, his place“Ordain’d without redemption, without end.
Satan, affronted at the appearance of a new Essence or Being in Heaven, call’d the Son of God; for God, says Mr.Milton, (tho’ erroneously) declared himself at that time, saying,This day have I begotten him, and that he should be set up, above all the former Powers of Heaven, of whom Satan (as above) was the Chief and expecting, if any higher post could be granted, it might be his due; I say, affronted at this he resolv’d
“With all his Legions to dislodge, and leave“Unworship’d, unobey’d, the throne supreme“Contemptuous. ———Par. lost, lib. v. fo. 140.
But Mr.Miltonis grosly erroneous in ascribing those words,This day have I begotten thee, to that declaration of the Father before Satan fell, and consequently to a time before the creation; whereas, it is by Interpreters agreed to be understood of the Incarnation of the Son of God, or at least of the Resurrection:[3]seePooluponActsxiii. 33.
In a word, Satan withdrew with all his followers malecontent and chagrine, resolv’d to disobey this new command, and not yield obedience to the Son.
But Mr.Miltonagrees in that opinion, that the number of Angels which rebel’d withSatanwas infinite, and suggests in one place, that they were the greatest half of all the angelick Body or seraphick Host.
“But Satan with his Power,“An host“Innumerable as the stars of night,“Or stars of morning, dew drops, which the Sun“Impearls on ev’ry leaf and ev’ry flower.ib.lib. v. fo. 142.
Be their number as it is, numberless millions and legions of millions, that is no part of my present enquiry; Satan the leader, guide and superior, as he was author of the celestial rebellion, is still the great Head and Master-Devil as before; under his authority they still act, not obeying but carrying on the same insurrection against God, which they begun in Heaven; making war still against Heaven, in the person of his Image and Creature man; and tho’ vanquish’d by the thunder of the Son of God, and cast down headlong from Heaven, they have yet reassumed, or rather notlost either the will or the power of doing evil.
This fall of the Angels, with the war in Heaven which preceded it, is finely describ’d byOvid, in his war of theTitansagainstJupiter; casting mountain upon mountain, and hill upon hill (PelionuponOssa) in order to scale the Adamantine walls, and break open the gates ofHeaven; tillJupiterstruck them with his thunder-bolts and overwhelm’d them in the abyss:Vide Ovid Metam.new translation, lib. i. p. 19.
“Nor were the Gods themselves secure on high,“For now theGyantsstrove to stormthe sky,“The lawless brood with bold attempt invade“The Gods, and mountains upon mountainslaid.“But now thebolt, enrag’dthe Fathertook,“Olympusfrom her deep foundations shook,“Their structure nodded at the mighty stroke,“AndOssa’s shatter’d top o’erPelionbroke,“They’re in their own ungodly ruines slain.—
Then again speaking ofJupiter, resolving in council to destroy mankind by a deluge, and giving the reasons of it to the heavenly Host, say thus, speaking of the demy-Gods alluding to good men below.
“Think you that they in safety can remain,“When I my self who o’er Immortals reign,“Who send the lightning, and Heaven’s empire sway,“The stern[4]Lycaon practis’d to betray.ib.p. 10.
Since then so much poetic liberty is taken with the Devil, relating to his most early state, and the time before his fall, give me leave to make an excursion of the like kind, relating to his History immediately after the fall, and till the creation of man; an interval which I think much of the Devil’s story is to be seen in, and which Mr.Miltonhas taken little notice of, at least it does not seem compleatly fill’d up; after which I shall return to honest Prose again, and persue the duty of an Historian.
Satan, with hideous ruin thus supprestExpell’dthe seat of blessedness and rest,Look’d back and saw thehigh eternal mound,Where allhis rebel hosttheiroutletfoundRestor’d impregnable: The breach made up,And garrisons of Angels rang’d a top;In front a hundred thousand thunders roll,And lightnings temper’d to transfix a soul,Terror ofDevils.Satanand his host,Now to themselvesas well as station lost,Unable to support the hated sight,Expandseraphic wings, and swift as lightSeek for new safety ineternal Night.In the remotest gulphsof darkthey land,Here vengeance gives them leave to make their stand,Not that tostepsandmeasuresthey pretend,Councilsandschemestheir station to defend;But broken, disconcerted anddismay’d,By guilt and fright to guilt and frightbetray’d;Rage and confusion ev’ry Spirit possess’d,Andshameandhorrorswell’d in ev’ry breast;Transforming envy to their essentials burns,Andthe brightAngel to afrightful Devilturns.Thus Hell began; the fire of conscious rageNo years can quench, no length of time asswage.Material Fire, with its intensest flame,Compar’dwith thiscan scarce deserve a Name;How should it up toimmaterialsrise,When we’reall flame, we shallall firedespise.This fire outrageous and its heat intenseTurns all the painof lossto painof sense.The folding flamesconcaveandinwardroll,Actupon spiritand penetratethe soul:Not force ofDevilscan its new powers repel,Where’er it burnsit findsormakesaHell;ForSatanflaming with unquench’d desireFormshis own Hell, and kindleshis own fire,Vanquish’d,not humbl’d, not in will brought low,But ashis powersdeclinehis passionsgrow:The malice,Viper like, takes vent within,Gnaws its own bowels, and bursts inits own sin:Impatient of the changehe scorns to bow,And neverimpotentin powertill now;Ardent with hate, andwith revengedistract,A will to new attempts,but noneto act;Yet allseraphick, and in just degree,Suitedto Spirits high senseof misery,Deriv’d fromlosswhichnothingcan repair,Androom for nothing leftbut meer despair.Here’s finish’d Hell!what fiercer firecan burn?Enough ten thousand Worlds to over-turn.Hell’s but the frenzy of defeated pride,Seraphick Treason’s strong impetuous tide,Where vile ambitiondisappointedfirst,To itsown rageandboundless hatredcurst;The hate’sfan’d up to fury, that toflame,Forfireandfuryare in kind the same;These burn unquenchable in every face,And the wordEndlessconstitutes the place.Ostate of Being!where being’s the only grief,And thechief torture’s to be damn’d to life;O life!the only thing they have to hate;Thefinish’d tormentof a future state,Compleat in all the parts of endless misery,And worse ten thousand times thannottoBe!Could but the Damn’dthe immortal lawrepeal,AndDevils dye, there’d bean end of Hell;Could they that thing call’dBeingannihilate,There’d beno sorrowsin a future state;The Wretch, whose crimes had shut him outon high,Could be reveng’d on God himselfand die;Job’s Wifewas in the right, and always weMight endby deathall human misery,Might have it in our choice,to beor not to be.
Of the name of the Devil, his original, and the nature of his circumstances since he has been called by that name.
Of the name of the Devil, his original, and the nature of his circumstances since he has been called by that name.
TheScripture is the first writing on earth where we find theDevilcalled by his own proper distinguishing denomination, DEVIL,or the[5]Destroyer; nor indeed is there any other author of antiquity or of sufficient authority which says any thing of that kind about him.
Here he makes his first appearance in the world, and on that occasion he is called theSerpent; but theSerpenthowever since made to signify theDevil, when spoken of in general terms, was but the Devil’s representative, or the Devilin quo vis vehiculo, for that time, clothed in a bodily shape, acting under cover and in disguise, or if you will theDevilinmasquerade: Nay, if we believe Mr.Milton, theAngel Gabriel’s spear had such a secret powerful influence, as to make him strip of a sudden, and with a touch to unmask, and stand upright in his naked original shape, meerDevil, without any disguises whatsoever.
Now as we go to the Scripture for much of his history, so we must go there also for some of his names; and he has a great variety of names indeed, as his several mischievous doings guide us to conceive of him. The truth is, all the ancient names given him, of which the Scripture is full, seems to be originals derived from and adapted to the several steps he has taken, and the several shapes he has appeared in to do mischief in the world.
Here he is called theSerpent, Gen. iii. 1.Theold Serpent, Rev. xii. 9.Thegreat red Dragon, Rev. xii. 3.TheAccuser of the Brethren, Rev. xii. 10.TheEnemy, Matt. xxiii. 29.Satan, Job i. Zech. iii. 1, 2.Belial, 2 Cor. vi. 15.Beelzebub, Matt. xii. 24.Mammon, Matt. vi. 24.TheAngel of light, 2 Cor. xi. 14.TheAngel of the bottomless pit, Rev. ix. 11.ThePrince of the power of the air, Eph. ii. 2.Lucifer, Isa. xiv. 12.AbbaddonorApollion, Rev. ix. 11.Legion, Mark v. 9.TheGod of this world, 2 Cor. iv. 4.TheFoul Spirit, Mark ix. 5.TheUnclean Spirit, Mark i. 27.TheLying Spirit, 2 Chron. xxx.TheTempter, Matt. iv. 3.TheSon of the morning, Isa. xiv. 12.
But to sum them all up in one, he is called in the new TestamentplainDevil; all his other names are varied according to the custom of speech, and the dialects of the several nations where he is spoken of; But in a word,Devilis the common name of theDevilin all the known languages of the earth. Nay, all the mischiefs he is empowered to do, are in Scripture placed to his account, under the particular title of theDevil, not ofDevilsin the plural number, though they are sometimes mentioned too; but in the singular it is the identical individualDevil, in and under whom all the littleDevils, and all the greatDevils, if such there be, are supposed to act; nay, they are supposed to be govern’d and directed by him. Thus we are told in Scripture of the works ofthe Devil, 1 John iii. 8. of casting outthe Devil, Mark i. 34. of resistingthe Devil, James iv. 5. of our Saviour being tempted ofthe Devil, Mat. iv. 1. ofSimon Magus, a child of theDevil, Acts xiii. 10. TheDevilcame down in a great wrath,Rev.xii.12.and the like. According to this usage in speech we go on to this day, and all the infernal things we converse with in the world, are fathered upon theDevil, as one undivided simple essence, by how many agents soever working: Every thing evil, frightful in appearance, wicked in its actings, horrible in its manner, monstrous in its effects, is called theDevil; in a word,Devilis the common name for allDevils; that is to say, for all evil Spirits, all evil Powers, all evil Works, and even all evil things: Yet ’tis remarkablethe Devilis no old Testament word, and we never find it used in all that part of the Bible but four times, and then not once in the singular number, and not once to signifySatanas ’tis now understood.
It is true, the Learned give a great many differing interpretations of the wordDevil; theEnglishCommentators tell us, it meansa destroyer, others that it signifies a deceiver, and theGreeksderive it from aCalumniatoror false witness; for we find thatCalumnywas aGoddess, to whom theAtheniansbuilt altars and offer’d Sacrifices upon some solemn occasions, and they call her Διαβολὴ from whence came the masculine Διάβολος which we translateDevil.
Thus we take the name ofDevilto signify not persons only, but actions and habits; making imaginary Devils, and transforming that substantial creature call’dDevilinto every thing noxious and offensive: Thus St.Francisbeing tempted by theDevilin the shape of a bag of money lying in the highway,the Sainthaving discover’d the fraud, whether seeing hisCloven-foothang out of the purse, or whether he distinguish’d him by his smell ofsulphur, or how otherwise, authors are not agreed; but, I say, the Saint having discover’d the cheat, and out-witted theDevil, took occasion to preach that eminent sermon to hisdisciples, where his Text was,Money isthe Devil.
Nor, upon the whole, is any wrong done tothe Devilby this kind of treatment, it only gives him the sovereignty of the whole army of Hell, and making all the numberless legions of the bottomless pit servants; or,as the Scripture calls them, Angels toSatanthe grandDevil; all their actions, performances and atchievements are justly attributed to him, not as the prince ofDevilsonly, but the Emperor ofDevils; the prince of all the princes ofDevils.
Under this denomination then ofDevil, all the Powers of Hell, all the Princes of the air, all the black armies ofSatanare comprehended, and in such manner they are to be understood in this whole work;mutatis mutandis, according to the several circumstances of which we are to speak of them.
This being premis’d, and my authority being so good,Satanmust not take it ill, if I treat himafter the manner of men, and give him those titles which he is best known by among us; for indeed having so many, ’tis not very easy to call him out of his name.
However, as I am oblig’d by the duty of an Historian to decency as well as impartiality, so I thought it necessary, before I used too much freedom withSatan, to produce authentick Documents, and bring antiquity upon the stage, to justify the manner of my writing, and let you see I shall describe him in no colours, nor call him by any name, but what he has been known by for many ages before me.
And now, though writing to the common understanding of my Readers, I am oblig’d to treatSatanvery coarsly, and to speak of him in the common acceptation, calling him plainDevil, a word which in this mannerly age is not sosonorousas others might be, and which by the error of the Times is apt to prejudice us against his Person; yet it must be acknowledg’d he has a great many other names and sirnames which he might be known by, of a less obnoxious import than that ofDevil, orDestroyer, &c.
Mr.Milton, indeed, wanting titles of honour to give to the Leaders of Satan’s Host, is oblig’d to borrow several of his Scripture names, and bestow them upon his infernalHeroes, whom he makes the Generals and Leaders of the armies of Hell; and so he makesBeelzebub,Lucifer,Belial,Mammon, and some others, to be the names of particular Devils, members ofSatan’s upper houseorPandemonium; whereas indeed, these are all names proper and peculiar toSatanhimself.
The Scripture also has some names of a coarser kind, by whichthe Devilis understood, as particularly, which is noted already, in the Apocalypse he is call’d theGreat Red Dragon, theBeast, theOld Serpent, and the like: But take it in the Scripture, or where you will in History sacred or prophane, you will find that in general theDevilis, as I have said above, his ordinary name in all languages and in all nations; the name by which he and his works are principally distinguish’d: Also the Scripture, besides that it often gives him this name, speaks of the works ofthe Devil, of the subtilty ofthe Devil, of casting outDevils, of being tempted of theDevil, of being possess’d with aDevil, and so many other expressions of that kind, as I have said already, are made use of for us to understand the evil Spirit by, that in a word,Devilis the common name of all wicked Spirits: ForSatanis no morethe Devil, as if he alone was so, and all the rest were a diminutive species who did not go by that name; But, I say, even in Scripture, every Spirit, whether under hisDominion or out of his Dominion, is called theDevil, and is as much a realDevil, that is to say, a condemn’d Spirit, and employ’d in the same wicked work asSatanhimself.
His Name then being thus ascertain’d, and his Existence acknowledg’d, it should be a little enquir’dwhat he is; we believe there is such a thing, such a creature asthe Devil, and that he has been, and may still with propriety of speech, and without injustice to his Character be call’d by his antient nameDevil.
But who is he? what is his original? whence came he? and what is his present station and condition? for these things and these enquiries are very necessary to his History, nor indeed can any part of his History be compleat without them.
That he is of an antient and noble original must be acknowledged, for he isHeaven-born, and ofAngelic Race, as has been touch’d already: If Scripture-evidence may be of any weight in the question, there is no room to doubt the genealogy of theDevil; he is not only spoken of as anAngel, but as afallen Angel, one that had been inHeaven, had beheld the face ofGodin his full effulgence of glory, and had surrounded the Throne of the most High; from whence, commencing rebel and being expell’d, he was cast down, down, down,Godand theDevilhimself only knows where; for indeed we cannot say that any man on Earth knows it; and wherever it is, he has ever since man’s creation been a plague to him, been a tempter, a deluder, a calumniator, an enemy and the object of man’s horror and aversion.
As his original isHeaven-born, and his RaceAngelic, so the Angelic nature is evidently plac’d in a class superior to the human, and this the Scripture is express in also; when speaking of man,it says, he made him a little lower than the Angels.
Thusthe Devil, as mean thoughts as you may have of him, is of a better family than any of you, nay than the best Gentleman of you all; what he may be fallen to, isone thing, but what he is fallen from,is another; and therefore I must tell my learned and reverend friendJ. W.LL. D. when he spoke so rudely ofthe Devillately, That in my opinion he abus’d his Betters.
Nor is the Scripture more a help to us in the search afterthe Devil’s Original, than it is in our search after his Nature: it is true, Authors are not agreed about his age, what time he was created, how many years he enjoy’d his state of blessedness before he fell; or how many years he continued with his whole army in a state of darkness, and before the creation of man. ’Tis supposed it might be a considerable space, and that it was a part of his punishment too, being all the while unactive, unemploy’d, having no business, nothing to do but gnawing his own Bowels, and rolling in the agony of his own self-approaches, being a Hell to himself in reflecting on the glorious state from whence he was fallen.
How long he remain’d thus, ’tis true, we have no light into from History, and but little from Tradition;Rabbi Judahsays, theJewswere of the opinion, that he remain’d twenty thousand years in that condition, and that the World shall continue twenty thousand more, in which he shall find work enough to satisfy his mischievous desires; but he shews no authority for his opinion.
Indeed let theDevilhave been as idle as they think he was before, it must be acknowledg’d that now he is the most busy, vigilant and diligent, of allGod’s creatures, and very full of employment too,such as it is.
Scripture indeed, gives us light into the enmity there is between the two natures, the Diabolical and the Human; the reason of it, and how and by what means the power ofthe Devilis restrain’d by theMessias; and to those who are willing to trust to Gospel-light, and believe what the Scripture says ofthe Devil, there may much of his History be discover’d, and therefore those that list may go there for a fuller account of the matter.
But to reserve all Scripture-evidence of these things, as a Magazine in store for the use of those with whom Scripture-testimony is of force, I must for the present turn to other enquiries, being now directing my story to an age, wherein to be driven to Revelation and Scripture-assertions is esteem’d giving up the dispute; people now-a-days must have demonstration; and in a word, nothing will satisfy the age, but such evidence as perhaps the nature of the question will not admit.
It is hard, indeed, to bring demonstrations in such a case as this:No man has seenGodat any time, says the scripture, 1Johniv. 12. Sothe Devilbeing a spirit incorporeal, an Angel of light, and consequently not visible in his own substance, nature and form, it may in some sense be said,no man has seen the Devil at any time; all those pretences of phrenziful and fanciful people, who tell us, they have seenthe Devil, I shall examine, and perhaps expose by themselves.
It might take up a great deal of our time here, to enquire whetherthe Devilhas any particular shape or personality of substance, which can be visible to us, felt, heard, or understood; and which he cannot alter, and then, what shapes or appearancesthe Devilhas at any time taken upon him;and whether he can really appear in a body which might be handled and seen, and yet so as to know it to have beenthe Devilat the time of his appearing; but this also I defer as not of weight in the present enquiry.
We have divers accounts of Witches conversing withthe Devil; theDevilin a real body, with all the appearance of a body of a man or woman appearing to them; also of having aFamiliar, as they call it, anIncubusorlittle Devil, which sucks their bodies, runs away with them into the air,and the like: Much of this is said, but much more than it is easy to prove, and we ought to give but a just proportion of credit to those things.
As to his borrow’d shapes and his subtle transformings, that we have such open testimony of, that there is no room for any question about it; and when I come to that part, I shall be oblig’d rather to give a history of the fact, than enter into any dissertation upon the nature and reason of it.
I do not find in any author, whom we can call creditable, that even in those countries where the dominion ofSatanis more particularly establish’d, and where they may be said to worship him in a more particular manner, asa Devil; which some tell us theIndiansinAmericadid, who worship’d theDevilthat he might not hurt them; yet,I say, I do not find that even there theDevilappear’d to them in any particular constant shape or personality peculiar to himself.
Scripture and History therefore, giving us no light into that part of the question, I conclude and lay it down, not as my opinion only, but as what all ages seem to concur in, that theDevilhas no particular body; that he is a spirit, and that tho’ he may,Proteuslike, assume the appearance ofeither man or beast, yet it must be some borrow’d shape, some assum’d figure,pro hac vice, and that he has no visible body of his own.
I thought it needful to discuss this as a preliminary, and that the next discourse might go upon a certainty in this grand point; namely, that the Devil, however, he may for his particular occasions put himself into a great many shapes, and clothe himself, perhaps, with what appearances he pleases, yet that he is himself still a meer Spirit, that he retains the seraphic Nature, is not visible by our eyes, which are human and Organic, neither can he act with the ordinary Powers, or in the ordinary manner as bodies do; and therefore, when he has thought fit to descend to the meannesses of disturbing and frightning children and old women, by noises and knockings, dislocating the chairs and stools, breaking windows, and such like little ambulatory things, which would seem to be below the dignity of his character, and which in particular, is ordinarily performed by organic Powers; yet even then he has thought fit not to be seen, and rather to make the poor people believe he had a real shape and body, with hands to act, mouth to speak,and the like, than to give proof of it in common to the whole World, by shewing himself, and acting visibly and openly, as a body usually and ordinarily does.
Nor is it any disadvantage to the Devil, that his Seraphic nature is not confin’d or imprison’d in a body or shape, suppose that shape to be what monstrous thing we would; for this would, indeed, confine his actings within the narrow sphere of the organ or body to which he was limited; and tho’ you were to suppose the body to have wings for a velocity of Motion equal to spirit, yet if it had not a power of invisibility too, and a capacity of conveying it self, undiscover’d, into all thesecret recesses of mankind, and the same secret art or capacity of insinuation, suggestion, accusation,&c.by which his wicked designs are now propagated, and all his other devices assisted, by which he deludes and betrays mankind; I say, he would be no more a Devil, that is a Destroyer, no more a Deceiver, and, no more a Satan, that is, a dangerous Arch enemy to the souls of men; nor would it be any difficulty to mankind to shun and avoid him, as I shall make plain in the other part of his History.
Had the Devil from the beginning been embodied, as he could not have been invisible to us, whose souls equally seraphic are only prescrib’d by being embody’d and encas’d in flesh and blood as we are; so he would have been no more a Devil to any body but himself: The imprisonment in a body, had the powers of that body been all that we can conceive to make him formidable to us, would yet have been a Hell to him; consider him as a conquer’d exasperated Rebel, retaining all that fury and swelling ambition, that hatred of God, and envy at his creatures which dwells now in his enrag’d spirit as aDevil: yet suppose him to have been condemn’d to organic Powers, confin’d to corporeal motion, and restrain’d as a Body must be supposed to restrain a Spirit; it must, at the same time, suppose him to be effectually disabled from all the methods he is now allow’d to make use of, for exerting his rage and enmity against God, any farther than as he might suppose it to affect his Maker at second hand, by wounding his Glory thro’ the sides of his weakest creature,Man.
He must, certainly, be thus confin’d, because Body can only act upon Body, not upon Spirit; no species being empower’d to act out of the compass of its own sphere: He might have been empower’d, indeed, to have acted terrible and evendestructive things upon mankind, especially if this body had any powers given it which mankind had not, by which man would be overmatch’d and not be in a condition of self-defence; for example, suppose him to have had wings to have flown in the air; Or to be invulnerable, and that no human invention, art, or engine could hurt, ensnare, captivate, or restrain him.
But this is to suppose the righteous and wise Creator to have made a creature and not be able to defend and preserve him; or to have left him defenceless to the mercy of another of his own creatures, whom he had given power to destroy him; This indeed, might have occasion’d a general idolatry, and made mankind, as theAmericansdo to this day, worship theDevil, that he might not hurt them; but it could not have prevented the destruction of mankind, supposing the Devil to have had malice equal to his power: and he must put on a new nature, be compassionate, generous, beneficent, and steadily good in sparing the rival enemy he was able to destroy, or he must have ruin’d mankind:In short, he must have ceas’d to have been a Devil, and must have re-assum’d his original, Angelic, heavenly nature; been fill’d with the principles of love to, and delight in the Works of his Creator, and bent to propagate his Glory and Interest; or he must have put an end to the race of man, whom it would be in his Power to destroy, and oblige his Maker to create a new species, or fortify the old with some kind of defence, which must be invulnerable, and which his fiery darts could not penetrate.
On this occasion suffer me to make an excursion from the usual stile of this Work, and with some solemnity to express my Thoughts thus:
How glorious is the wisdom and goodness of the great Creator of the World! in thus restrainingthese seraphicoutcastsfrom the power of assuming human or organic bodies! which could they do, envigorating them with the supernatural Powers, which, as Seraphs and Angels, they now possess and might exert, they would be able even to fright mankind from the face of the Earth, and to destroy and confound God’s Creation; nay,even as they are, were not their power limited, they might destroy the Creation it self, reverse and over-turn nature, and put the World into a general conflagration: But were those immortal Spirits embodied, tho’ they were not permitted to confound nature, they would be able to harrass poor weak and defenceless man out of his wits, and render him perfectly useless, either to his Maker or himself.
But the Dragon is chain’d, the Devil’s Power is limited; he has indeed a vastly extended Empire, being Prince of the Air, having, at least, the whole Atmosphere to range in, and how far that Atmosphere is extended, is not yet ascertain’d by the nicest observations;I say at least, because we do not yet know how far he may be allow’d to make excursions beyond the Atmosphere of this Globe into the planetary Worlds, and what power he may exercise in all the habitable parts of thesolar system; nay, of all the othersolar systems, which, for ought we know, may exist in the mighty extent of created space, and of which you may hear farther in its order.
But let his power be what it will there, we are sure ’tis limited here, and that in two particulars; first, he is limited as above, from assuming body or bodily shapes with substance; and secondly, from exerting seraphic Powers, and acting with that supernatural force, which, as an Angel, he was certainly vested with before the fall, and which we are not certain is yet taken from him; or at most, we do not know how much it may or may not bediminish’d by his degeneracy, and by the blow given him at his expulsion: this we are certain, that be his Power greater or less, he is restrain’d from the exercise of it in this World; and he, who was one equal to the Angel who kill’d 180000 men in one night, is not able now, without a new commission, to take away the life of oneJob, nor to touch any thing he had.
But let us consider him then limited and restrained as he is, yet he remains a mighty, a terrible, an immortal Being; infinitely superior to man, as well in the dignity of his nature, as in the dreadful powers he retains still about him; it is true the brain-sick heads of our Enthusiasticks paint him blacker than he is, and, as I have said, wickedly represent him clothed with terrors that do not really belong to him; as if the power of good and evil was wholly vested in him, and that he was placed in the Throne of his Maker, to distribute both punishments and rewards; In this they are much wrong, terrifying and deluding fanciful people about him, till they turn their heads, and fright them into a belief that theDevilwill let them alone, if they do such and such good things; or carry them away with him they know not whither, if they do not; as if theDevil, whose proper business is mischief, seducing and deluding mankind, and drawing them in to be rebels like himself, should threaten to seize upon them, carry them away, and in a word, fall upon them to hurt them, if they did evil, and on the contrary, be favourable and civil to them, if they did well.
Thus a poor deluded country fellow in our Town, that had liv’d a wicked, abominable, debauch’d life, was frighted with an Apparition, as he call’d it, of theDevil; He fancy’d that he spoke to him, and telling his tale to a good honest christian Gentleman his neighbour, that had a littlemore sense than himself; the Gentleman ask’d him if he was sure he really saw theDevil? yes, yes, Sir,says he, I saw him very plain, and so they began the following discourse.
Gent.See him! See the Devil! art thou sure of it,Thomas?
Tho.Yes, yes, I am sure enough of it,Master; to be sure ’twas theDevil.
Gent.And how do you know ’twas theDevil,Thomas? had you ever seen theDevilbefore?
Tho.No, no, I had never seen him before,to be sure; but, for all that, I know ’twas theDevil.
Gent.Well, if you’re sure,Thomas, there’s no contradicting you; pray what clothes had he on?
Tho.Nay, Sir, don’t jest with me, he had no clothes on, he was clothed with fire and brimstone.
Gent.Was it dark or day light when you saw him?
Tho.O! it was very dark, for it was midnight.
Gent.How could you see him then? did you see by the light of the fire you speak of?
Tho.No, no, he gave no light himself; but I saw him, for all that.
Gent.But was it within doors, or out in the street?
Tho.It was within, it was in my own Chamber, when I was just going into bed, that I saw him.
Gent.Well then, you had a candle, hadn’t you?
Tho.Yes, I had a candle, but it burnt as blue! and as dim!
Gent.Well, but if the Devil was clothed with fire and brimstone, he must give you some light, there can’t be such a fire as you speak of, but it must give a light with it.
Tho.No, no, He gave no light, but I smelt his fire and brimstone; he left a smell of it behind him, when he was gone.
Gent.Well, so you say he had fire, but gave no light, it was a devilish fire indeed; did it feel warm? was the room hot while he was in it?
Tho.No, no, but I was hot enough without it, for it put me into a great sweat with the fright.
Gent.Very well, he was all in fire, you say, but without light or heat, only, it seems, he stunk of brimstone; pray what shapes was he in, what was he like; for you say you saw him?
Tho.O! Sir, I saw two great staring saucer eyes, enough to fright any body out of their wits.
Gent.And was that all you saw?
Tho.No, I saw hiscloven-footvery plain, ’twas as big as one of our bullocks that goes to plow.
Gent.So you saw none of his body, but his eyes and his feet? a fine vision indeed!
Tho.Sir, that was enough to send me going.
Gent.Going! what did you run away from him?
Tho.No, but I fled into bed at one jump, and sunk down and pull’d the bed-clothes quite over me.
Gent.And what did you do that for?
Tho.To hide my self from such a frightful creature.
Gent.Why, if it had really been the Devil, do you think the bed-clothes would have secur’d you from him?
Tho.Nay, I don’t know, but in a fright it was all I could do.
Gent.Nay, ’twas as wise as all the rest; but come,Thomas, to be a little serious, pray did he speak to you?
Tho.Yes, yes, I heard a voice, but who it was the Lord knows.
Gent.What kind of voice was it, was it like a man’s voice?
Tho.No, it was a hoarse ugly noise, like the croaking of a Frog, and it call’d me by my name twice,Thomas Dawson, Thomas Dawson.
Gent.Well, did you answer?
Tho.No, not I, I could not have spoke a word for my life; why, I was frighted to death.
Gent.Did it say any thing else?
Tho.Yes, when it saw that I did not speak, it said,Thomas Dawson, Thomas Dawson, you are a wicked wretch, you lay withJenny S——last night; if you don’t repent, I will take you away alive and carry you to Hell, and you shall be damned, you wretch.
Gent.And was it true,Thomas, did you lye withJenny S——the night before?
Tho.Indeed Master, why yes it was true, but I was very sorry afterwards.
Gent.But how should the Devil know it,Thomas?
Tho.Nay, he knows it to be sure; why, they say he knows every thing.
Gent.Well, but why should he be angry at that? he would rather did you lye with her again, and encourage you to lye with forty whores, than hinder you: This can’t be the Devil,Thomas.
Tho.Yes, yes. Sir, ’twas theDevilto be sure.
Gent.But he bid you repent too, you say?
Tho.Yes, he threatn’d me if I did not.
Gent.Why,Thomas, do you think the Devil would have you repent?
Tho.Why no, that’s true too, I don’t know what to say to that; but what could it be? ’twas the Devil to be sure, it could be nobody else?
Gent.No, no, ’twas neither the Devil,Thomas, nor any body else, but your own frighted imagination; you had lain with that wench, and being a young sinner of that kind, your Conscience terrified you, told you the Devil would fetch you away, and you would be damn’d; and you were so persuaded it would be so, that you at last imagin’d he was come for you indeed; that you saw him and heard him; whereas, you may depend upon it, ifJenny S——will let you lye with her everynight, the Devil will hold the candle, or do any thing to forward it, but will never disturb you; he’s too much a friend to your wickedness, it could never be the Devil,Thomas; ’twas only your own guilt frighted you, and that wasDevilenough too, if you knew the worst of it, you need no other enemy.
Tho.Why that’s true, Master, one would think theDevilshould not bid me repent, that’s true; but certainly ’twas the Devil for all that.
NowThomaswas not the only man that having committed a flagitious crime had been deluded by his own imagination, and the power of fancy, to think the Devil was come for him; whereas the Devil, to give him his due, is too honest to pretend to such things; ’tis his business to persuade men to offend, not to repent; and he professes no other; he may press men to this or that action, by telling them ’tis no sin, no offence, no breach of God’s Law, and the like, when really ’tis both; but to press them to repent, when they have offended, that’s quite out of his way; ’tis none of his business, nor does he pretend to it; therefore, let no man charge the Devil with what he is not concern’d in.