bring
the most significant Parts of his History, especially as they relate to
our selves, into that Part of Time that we are most concern'd in.

The _Devil_ had once, as I observ'd before, the universal Monarchy or
Government of Mankind in himself, and I doubt not but in that
flourishing State of his Affairs, he governed them like what he is
(_viz._) an absolute Tyrant; during this _Theocracy_ of his, _for_ Satan
_is call'd the God of this World_, he did not familiarize himself to
Mankind so much, as he finds Occasion to do now, there was not then so
much need of it; he governed then with an absolute Sway; he had his
Oracles, where he gave Audience to his Votaries like a Deity, and he had
his Sub-Gods, who under his several Dispositions receiv'd the Homage of
Mankind in their Names; such were all the Rabble of the Heathen Deities,
from _Jupiter_ the Supreme, to the _Lares_ or Houshold Gods of every
Family; these, I say, like Residents, received the Prostrations, but the
Homage was all Satan's; the Devil had the Substance of it all, which was
the Idolatry.

During this Administration of _Hell_, there was less Witchcraft, less
true literal Magick than there has been since; there was indeed no need
of it, the DEVIL did not stoop to the Mechanism of his more modern
Operations, but rul'd as a Deity, and receiv'd the Vows and the Bows of
his Subjects in more State, and with more Solemnity; whereas since that,
he is content to employ more Agents and take more Pains himself too; now
he runs up and down Hackney in the World, more like a Drudge than a
Prince, and much more than he did then.

Hence all those Things we call Apparitions and Visions of Ghosts,
Familiar-Spirits and Dealings with the Devil, of which there is so great
a Variety in the World at this Time, were not so much known among the
People, in those first Ages of the Devil's Kingdom; _in a Word_, the
Devil seems to be put to his Shifts, and to fly to Art and Stratagem for
the carrying on his Affairs, much more now than he did then.

One Reason for this may be, that he has been more discover'd and expos'd
in these Ages, than he was before; then he could appear in the World in
his own proper Shapes, and yet not be known; when the Sons of GOD
appear'd at the divine Summons, Satan came along with them; but now he
has plaid so many scurvy Tricks upon Men, and they know him so well,
that he is oblig'd to play quite out of sight and act in disguise;
Mankind will allow