ink this is not the _Devil_, what
they think it is? If they believe it is the _Devil_, they will act
accordingly I hope, or let it alone, as Satan and they can agree about
it.

I should not oblige the _Devil_ over much, whatever I might do to those
that read it; if I should enter here upon a Debate of Interests,
(_viz._) to enquire whether the _Devil_ has not a vast Advantage upon
Mankind this Way, and whether it is not much his Interest to preserve
it; and if I prove the Affirmative, I leave it to you to enquire whose
Interest it is to disappoint and supplant him.

In short, I take Dreams to be the second Best of the Advantages the
_Devil_ has over Mankind; the first, I suppose, you all know (_viz._)
the Treachery of the Garrison within; by Dreams he may be said to get
into the Inside of us without Opposition; here he opens and locks
without a Key, and like an Enemy laying siege to a fortified City,
Reason and Nature, the Governor of the City, keep him out by Day, and
keep the Garrison true to their Duty; but in the Dark he gets in and
parlees with the Garrison (the Affections and Passions) Debauches their
Loyalty, stirring up them to Disloyalty and Rebellion, so they betray
their Trust, Revolt, Mutiny, and go over to the Besieger.

Thus he manages his Interest, I say, and insinuates himself into the
Inside of us, without our Consent, nay, without our Knowledge; for
whatever Speculation may do, 'tis evident Demonstration does not assist
us to discover which Way he gets Access to the Soul, while the Organ
tied up, and dozed with Sleep has lock'd it up from Action; that it is
so is clear, but how he does it is a Secret which I do not find the
Antients or Moderns have yet made a Discovery of.

That Devil of a Creature, Mother _Lakland_, whose Story I mention'd
above, acknowledg'd that the first Time the _Devil_ attempted to draw
her in to be a Witch was in a Dream, and even when she consented, she
said, she was between sleeping and waking; that is, she did not know
whether she was awake or asleep, and the cunning Devil it seems was
satisfied with her Assent given so, when she was asleep, or neither
asleep or awake, so taking the Advantage of her Incapacity to act
rationally.

The Stories of her bewitching several People, and the manner in which
they died, are so formidable and extravagant, that I care not to put any
one's Faith to the stretch about them, tho' publish'd by Authority, and
testified by Abundance of Wit