ings the
Witches and Wizards, who have been allow'd to be such, nay, who have
been hang'd for it, have said of themselves; nay, that they have
confess'd of themselves, even at the Gallows; and if I come to have an
Occasion to speak freely of the Matter, I may perhaps convince you that
the Devil's possessing Power is much lessen'd of late, and that he
either is limited, and his Fetter shortened more than it has been, or
that he does not find the old Way (as I said before) so fit for his
Purpose as he did formerly, and therefore takes other Measures, but I
must adjourn that to a Time and Place by itself: But we are told that
there are another Sort of People, and, perhaps, a great many of them
too, in whom and by whom the Devil really acts, and they know it not.

It would take up a great deal of Time and Room, too much for this Place,
so near the Close of this Work, to describe and mark out the involuntary
_Devils_ which there are in the World; of whom it may be truly said,
that really the _Devil_ is in them, and they know it not: Now, tho' the
_Devil_ is cunning and managing, and can be very silent where he finds
it for his Interest not to be known; yet it is very hard for him to
conceal himself, and to give so little Disturbance in the House, as that
the Family should not know who lodged in it; yet, I say, the Devil is so
subtle and so mischievous an Agent, that he uses all manner of Methods
and Craft to reside in such People as he finds for his Purpose, whether
they will or no, and which is more, whether they know it or no.

And let none of my Readers be angry or think themselves ill used, when I
tell them the Devil may be in them, and may act them, and by them, and
they not know it; for I must add, it may, perhaps, be one of the
greatest Pieces of human Wisdom in the World, for a Man to know when the
Devil is in him, and when not; when he is a Tool and Agent of Hell, and
when he is not; in a Word, when he is doing the Devil's Work, and under
his Direction, and when not.

It is true, this is a very weighty Point, and might deserve to be
handled in a more serious Way than I seem to be talking in all this
Book; but give me leave to talk of Things my own way, and withall, to
tell you, that there is no Part of this Work so seemingly ludicrous, but
a grave and well weigh'd Mind may make a serious and solid Application
of it, if they please; nor is there any Part of this Work, in which a
clear Sight and a good Sense may not