The History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two PartsDefoe, Daniel
Philosophy
The History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two Parts
Defoe, Daniel
Devil -- Early works to 1800
What would this publick Appearance have signified? Who would have
entertain'd him in his own proper Shape and Person? Even B---- _B----_
himself, tho' all the World knows him to have a foolish _Devil_ in him,
would not have been Fool enough to have taken him into his Service, if
he had known him: And my Lord _Simpleton_ also, who _Satan_ has set up
for a cunning Fool, seems to have it sit much better upon him now he
passes for a Fool of Art, than it should have done if the naked DEVIL
had come and challenged him for a Fool in Nature.
Infinite Variety illustrate the _Devil_'s Reign among the Sons of Men;
all which he manages with admirable Dexterity, and a Slight particular
to himself, by the mere Advantage of his present conceal'd Situation,
and which, had he been obliged to have appear'd in Publick, had been all
lost, and he capable of just nothing at all, or at least of nothing more
than the other ordinary Politicians of Wickedness could have done
without him.
Now, Authors are much divided as to the manner how the _Devil_ manages
his proper Instruments for Mischief; for Satan has a great many Agents
in the Dark, who neither have the DEVIL in them, nor are they much
acquainted with him, and yet he serves himself of them, whether of their
Folly, or of that other Frailty call'd Wit, 'tis all one, he makes them
do his Work, when they think they are doing their own; nay, so cunning
is he in his guiding the weak Part of the World, that even when they
think they are serving God, they are doing nothing less or more than
serving the _Devil_; nay, 'tis some of the nicest Part of his Operation,
to make them believe they are serving God, when they do his Work. Thus
those who the Scripture foretold should persecute Christ's Church in the
latter Days, were to think they do God _good Service_: Thus the
Inquisition, (for Example,) it may be, at this time, in all the acts of
Christian Cruelty which they are so famous for (if any of them are
ignorant enough not to know that they are _Devils_ incarnate) they may,
for ought we know, go on for God's sake; torture, murther, starve to
Death, mangle and macerate, and all for God, and God's Catholic Church;
and 'tis certainly the _Devil_'s Master-piece to bring Mankind to such a
Perfection of Devilism as that of the _Inquisition_ is; for _if the_
Devil _had not been in them_, could they christen such a _Hell-fire_
Judicature as the _Inquisition_ is, by the Name of _the Holy Office_?
And so in Paganism, how could so many Nations among the poor _Indians_
offer human Sacrifices to their Idols, and murther thousands of Men,
Women and Children, to appease this God of the Air, when he is angry, if
the _Devil_ did not act in them under the Vizor of Devotion?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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