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The Novels and Miscellaneous Works: The political history of the devil
The Novels and Miscellaneous Works The political history of the devil Author:Daniel Defoe Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAP. III. Of the original of the Demi, who he is, and what he was before his expulsion out of heaven, and in what state he was from that time to the creation... more » of man. To come to a regular inquiry into Satan's affairs, it is needful we should go back to his original, as far as history and the opinion of the learned world give us leave. It is agreed by all writers, as well sacred as profane, that this creature we now call a Devil, was originally an angel of light, a glorious seraph; perhaps the choicest of all the glorious seraphs. See how Milton describes his original glory : Satan, so call him now, his former name Is heard no more in Heaven; he of the first, If not the first archangel, great in power, In favour and preeminence. Par. Lost, lib. v. And again the same author, and upon the same subject: Brighter ones amidst the host Of angels, than that star the stars among. Ib. lib. vii. The glorious figure which Satan is supposed to make among the thrones and dominions in heaven is such, as we might suppose the highest angel in that exalted train could make; and some think, as above, that he was the chief of the archangels. Hence that notion, and not ill founded, namely, that the first cause of his disgrace, and on which ensued his rebellion, was occasioned upon God's proclaiming hisSon generalissimo, and with himself supreme ruler in heaven, giving the dominion of all his works of creation, as well already finished as not then begun, to him ; which post of honour, say they, Satan expected to be conferred on himself, as next in honour, majesty, and power, to God the supreme. This opinion is followed by Mr. Milton too, as appears in the following lines, where he makes all the angels attending at a general summons, and God the Father making the follo...« less