r it is the identical
individual _Devil_, in and under whom all the little _Devils_, and all
the great _Devils_, if such there be, are supposed to act; nay, they are
supposed to be govern'd and directed by him. Thus we are told in
Scripture of the works of _the Devil_, 1 John iii. 8. of casting out
_the Devil_, Mark i. 34. of resisting _the Devil_, James iv. 5. of our
Saviour being tempted of _the Devil_, Mat. iv. 1. of _Simon Magus_, a
child of the _Devil_, Acts xiii. 10. The _Devil_ came down in a great
wrath, _Rev._ xii. 12. _and the like_. According to this usage in
speech we go on to this day, and all the infernal things we converse
with in the world, are fathered upon the _Devil_, as one undivided
simple essence, by how many agents soever working: Every thing evil,
frightful in appearance, wicked in its actings, horrible in its manner,
monstrous in its effects, is called the _Devil_; in a word, _Devil_ is
the common name for all _Devils_; that is to say, for all evil Spirits,
all evil Powers, all evil Works, and even all evil things: Yet 'tis
remarkable _the Devil_ is no old Testament word, and we never find it
used in all that part of the Bible but four times, and then not once in
the singular number, and not once to signify _Satan_ as 'tis now
understood.

It is true, the Learned give a great many differing interpretations of
the word _Devil_; the _English_ Commentators tell us, it means _a
destroyer_, others that it signifies a deceiver, and the _Greeks_ derive
it from a _Calumniator_ or false witness; for we find that _Calumny_ was
a _Goddess_, to whom the _Athenians_ built altars and offer'd Sacrifices
upon some solemn occasions, and they call her Diabole from
whence came the masculine Diabolos which we translate _Devil_.

Thus we take the name of _Devil_ to signify not persons only, but
actions and habits; making imaginary Devils, and transforming that
substantial creature call'd DEVIL into every thing noxious and
offensive: Thus St. _Francis_ being tempted by the _Devil_ in the shape
of a bag of money lying in the highway, _the Saint_ having discover'd
the fraud, whether seeing his _Cloven-foot_ hang out of the purse, or
whether he distinguish'd him by his smell of _sulphur_, or how
otherwise, authors are not agreed; but, I say, the Saint having
discover'd the cheat, and out-witted the _Devil_, took occasion to
preach that eminent sermon to his disciples, where his Text was, _Money
is_ THE DEVIL.

Nor,