Page:The Political History of the Devil - Defoe (1726).djvu/26

 courts, canvass the councils of ministers and the conduct of princes so fully, and expose them so much, that it may, perhaps, make a combustion among the great politicians abroad; and in doing that we may come so near home too, that tho' personal safety and prudentials forbid our medling with our own country, we may be taken in a double entendre, and fall unpitied for being only suspected of touching truths that are so tender, whether we are guilty or no; on these accounts I must meddle the less with that part, at least for the present.

Be it that the Devil has had a share in some of the late councils of Europe, influencing them this way or that way, to his own advantage, what is it to us? For example, What if he has had any concern in the late affair of Thorn? What need we put it upon him, seeing his confederates the Jesuites with the Assessorial tribunal of Poland take it upon themselves? I shall leave that part to the issue of time. I wish it were as easy to persuade the world that he had no hand in bringing the injur'd Protestants to commit the arbitration of that affair to the very party, and leave the justice due to the cries of protestant blood to the arbitrement of a popish power, who dare say that the Devil must be in it, if justice should be obtain'd that way: I should rather say, the Devil is in it, or else it would never be expected.

It occurs next to enquire from the premisses, whether the Devil has more influence or less in the affairs of the world, than he had in former ages; and this will depend upon comparing as we go along, his methods and way of working in past times, and the modern politicks by which he acts in our days; with the differing reception which has he met with among the men of such distant ages.