_Those that think the Subject not handled with Gravity enough, have all the Room given them in the World to handle it better; and as the Author professes he is far from thinking his Piece perfect, they ought not to be angry that_ he gives them leave to mend it. _He has had the Satisfaction to please some Readers, and to see good Men approve it; and for the rest, as my Lord_ Rochester _says in another Case,_ He counts their Censure Fame. _As for a certain Reverend Gentleman, who is pleased gravely to dislike the Work_ (_he hopes, rather for the Author's sake than the_ Devil's) _he only says,_ Let the Performance be how it will, and the Author what he will, it is apparent he has not yet preach'd away all his Hearers. _It is enough to me (says the Author) that the_ Devil _himself is not pleased with my Work, and less with the Design of it; let the_ Devil _and all his fellow Complainers stand on one side, and the honest, well meaning, charitable World, who approve my Work, on the other, and I'll tell Noses with_ Satan, _if he dares._ THE CONTENTS. PART I. CHAP. I. _Being an Introduction to the whole Work_, Page 1 CHAP. II. _Of the Word_ DEVIL, _as it is a proper Name to the Devil, and any or all his Host, Angels_, &c. 18 CHAP. III. _Of the Original of the_ DEVIL, _who he is, what he was before his Expulsion out of Heaven, and in what State he was from that Time to the Creation of Man_ 31 CHAP. IV. _Of the Name of the Devil, his Original, and the Nature of his Circumstances since he has been call'd by that Name_ 38 CHAP. V. _Of the Station Satan had in Heaven before he fell; the Nature and Original of his Crime, and some of Mr._ Milton's _Mistakes about it_ 63 CHAP. VI. _What became of the_ Devil _and his Host of fallen Spirits after their being expell'd from Heaven, and his wandring Condition till the Creation; with some more of Mr._ Milton_'s Absurdities on that Subject_ 77 CHAP. VII. _Of the Number of Satan's Host; how they came first to know of the new created Worlds now in Being, and their Measures with Mankind upon the Discovery_ 86 CHAP. VIII. _Of the Power of the Devil at the Time of the Creation of this World; whether it has not been farther straiten'd and limited since that Time, and what Shifts and Stratagems he is oblig'd to make use of to compass his Designs upon Mankind_ 95 CHAP. IX. _Of the Progress of Satan in carrying on his Conquest over Mankind, from the Fall of_ Eve _to the Deluge_ 111 CHAP. X. _Of the Devil's second Kingdom, and how he got footing in the renewed World by his Victory over_ Noah _and his Race_ 129