THE
HISTORY
OF THE
DEVIL, &c.
I DOUBT not but the title of this book will
amuſe ſome of my reading friends a little at
firſt, they will make a pauſe, perhaps as they do
at a witch's prayer, and be ſome time a reſolving
whether they had beſt look into it or not. leſt
they ſhould really raiſe the Devil by reading his
ſtory.
It muſt certainly therefore be a moſt uſeful un-
dertaking, to give a true hiſtory of this tyrant of
the air, this god of the world, this terror and
averſion of mankind, which we call the Devil;
to ſhow what he is, and what he is not, where
he is, and where he is not, when he is in us, and
when he is not; for I cannot doubt but what
the Devil is really and bona fide, in great many
of our honeſt weak hearted friends, when they
know nothing of the matter.
It may, perhaps, be expected of me in this hiſ-
tory, that once I ſeem inclined to ſpeak favour-
ably of Satan, to do him juſtice, and to write his
ſtory impartially, I ſhould take ſome pains to tell
you what religion he is of, and even this part
may not be ſuch jeſt as at first ſight you may
take it to be; for Satan has ſomething of religion
in him, I aſſure you: nor is he ſuch an unprofit-
able Devil that way, as ſome may ſuppoſe him to
be; for tho' in reverence to my brethren, I will
not reckon him among the Clergy; no, not ſo
much as a gifted brother; yet I cannot deny but
that he often preaches; and if it be not profitable
