real individual
capable of taking to himself a physical form with the proverbial tail,
horns, and hoofs. Hear what Cotton Mather, one of the most eminent
divines of early Massachusetts, has to say in his _Memorable
Providences_ about this highly personal Satan: "There is both a God and
a Devil and Witchcraft: That there is no out-ward Affliction, but what
God may (and sometimes doth) permit Satan to trouble his people withal:
That the Malice of Satan and his Instruments, is very great against the
Children of God: That the clearest Gospel-Light shining in a place, will
not keep some from entering hellish Contracts with infernal Spirits:
That Prayer is a powerful and effectual Remedy against the malicious
practices of Devils and those in Covenant with them."[8]

And His Satanic Majesty had legions of followers, equally insistent on
tormenting humanity. In _The Wonders of the Invisible World_, published
in 1692, Mather proves that there is a devil and that the being has
specific attributes, powers, and limitations:

"A devil is a fallen angel, an angel fallen from the fear and
love of God, and from all celestial glories; but fallen to all
manner of wretchedness and cursedness.... There are multitudes,
multitudes, in the valley of destruction, where the devils are!
When we speak of the devil, 'tis a name of multitude.... The
devils they swarm about us, like the frogs of Egypt, in the most
retired of our chambers. Are we at our boards? beds? There will
be devils to tempt us into carnality. Are we in our shops? There
will be devils to tempt us into dishonesty. Yea, though we get
into the church of God, there will be devils to haunt us in the
very temple itself, and there tempt us to manifold misbehaviors.
I am verily persuaded that there are very few human affairs
whereinto some devils are not insinuated. There is not so much as
a journey intended, but Satan will have an hand in hindering or
furthering of it."

"...'Tis to be supposed, that there is a sort of arbitrary, even
military government, among the devils.... These devils have a
prince over them, who is king over the children of pride. 'Tis
probable that the devil, who was the ringleader of that mutinous
and rebellious crew which first shook off the authority of God,
is now the general of those hellish armies; our Lord that
conquered him has told us the nam