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 name of him; 'tis Belzebub; 'tis he
that is the devil and the rest are his angels, or his
soldiers.... 'Tis to be supposed that some devils are more
peculiarly commission'd, and perhaps qualify'd, for some
countries, while others are for others.... It is not likely that
every devil does know every language; or that every devil can do
every mischief. 'Tis possible that the experience, or, if I may
call it so, the education of all devils is not alike, and that
there may be some difference in their abilities...."

What was naturally the effect of such a faith upon the sensitive nerves
of the women of those days? Viewed in its larger aspects this was an
objective, not a subjective religion. It could but make the sensitive
soul super-sensitive, introspective, morbidly alive to uncanny and weird
suggestions, and strangely afraid of the temptation of enjoying earthly
pleasures. Its followers dared not allow themselves to become deeply
attached to anything temporal; for such an emotion was the device of the
devil, and God would surely remove the object of such affection. Whether