can we any Way better account for his being ftiled as he is the old Serpent, than by fuppofing that Name to refer to what he then acted under that Form.

If it should be objected to this, that if the Devil had not been wicked before, he would hardly have told such an abominable murderous Lie, or had fuch hurtful Designs in his Head; I fhall only obferve, that it may as well be objected, that if Eve had not been wicked before, fhe would not have believ'd him, or have heard him speak fo wickedly of God. Nor will removing the Scene at all help us to clear up the Difficulty, which will ftill remain after all as great as ever; as fuppofe him to fall when we will, the Question will still return, what could move, or excite him to do fo? Nor will the fuppofing it before our Creation make us ever the lefs, but rather more at a Lofs to account for it.

I have nothing now to add but this Propofal, that as I have attended Philander to Day, I fhall expect him and Crito, if thought proper, to attend upon me to Morrow, and to come, if it fuits them, fome Time before Dinner,, that we may have the more Time to purfue our Enquiries.

I believe we shall both, fays PHILANDER,

accept

accept your Proposal, nor do I defire, for my Part, a more pleasant Task.

DIALOGUE V.

S the House of Theophilus was not much above half a Mile distant from that of Philander, the two Friends having breakfasted, fet out to walk to it. The Way was for the most Part agreeably shaded with lofty Trees, and the Time fo agreeably paffed in reciting the Light which they had gain'd already, and were yet likely to gain from a Converfation fo inftructive, that they found themselves at the Door of the House before they were well aware of it Into which being welcom'd by THEQPHILUS, he conducted them into his Study, where they found a Collection of well chofen Books, and which he should chuse, he said, for the Place of their Morning Conference, though he had alfo an Arbour in the Garden, which if they liked better should be at their Service; but which he imagin'd wou'd fuit them beft in the Afternoon, as it was rather too much expos'd to the Rays of the Morning Sun.

I am very ready, fays PHILANDER, to agree to any Thing.

And a Change of Scene, fays CRITO, is

fome

fometimes ufeful, and helps to give an additional Pleasure, and therefore what if we now change the Subject as well as the Scene, and set out without further Delay for the Country of Souls?

You had better perhaps, fays PHILANDER, enquire the Way first. It is not good to set out in a Hurry one knows not whither.

You are very right there Philander indeed, fays CRITO. I was eagerly running into the very Error, that it was but Yefterday I was blaming you for.

It fhews, fays PHILANDER, I have not forgot your Inftructions: And that they have not been altogether thrown away upon me. I have however one Queftion to afk, that I want an Anfwer to, with regard to what has been difcufs'd already. If you remember, fays he, turning to Theophilus, you reprefented the Angels that finn'd, as caft down for their Sin into the lower Air: Whereas the Words of the Text as they run in our Tranflation, are that God caft thefe finning Angels down to Hell, and deliver'd them into Chains of Darkness, to be referv'd unto Judgment.

It is indeed render'd fo, fays THEOPHILUS, in our Tranflation; but which is fufficient without going further to fhew it a

bad

bad one in this Cafe, what Senfe can you make of cafting them down to Hell, and delivering them into Chains to be referv'd to Judgment? Are they referv'd for any thing worse than Hell at Judgment? Is not that the Place they fhall be then adjudg'd to? And therefore not the Place they are referv'd in till then? How will you reconcile this with the Prince of the Power of the Air? Or with fpiritual Wickedness, or as the Margin reads it, wicked Spirits in heavenly Places? In short the Word here rendered caft them down to Hell, and in which is no where found befides in all the Scriptures, means according to fome, no more than cafting down: And even those that render it cafting down to Tartarus, do yet in general understand the fame by it, making Tartarus only the lower Part of any Thing, whether of Earth, or Water, or as here of Air, and which is perhaps, the only Way of Underftanding it, to make it Confonant with other Paffages.

As your's is anfwer'd Philander, fays CRITo, let me now ask a Question in my Turn, which your Question has put me in mind of: And that is, What is meant by delivering them into Chains of Darkness? If they enjoy as much of the Light of the Sun as

we

we do, how are they under Darkness any more than we are?

To this it may be anfwer'd, fays THEOPHILUS, that by Chains of Darkness may be only meant their being kept in a difconfolate State of Exiftence, void of any Light of Hope, or Beams of Comfort, which is often the Meaning of being in Darkness in Scripture, and which may be occafion'd partly by their own Reflections, and partly perhaps by those various, and fometimes very violent Commotions to which their prefent Habitation is liable. To which may also be added, that it does not feem very improbable, but that their Natures may be fuch as may render the Light uneafy to them, which may lead them to fhun it as much as they can, and covet Darkness: Or that they may be otherwise prohibited from too free Excurfions into it, by certain Laws enacted for that Purpose, and which for fear of worse they dare not difobey.

You have given in my Mind, fays CRITo, a very good Senfe of it; nor is it perhaps poffible for us at prefent to find a better.But let us now, if you please, go in queft of the Seats of Souls, which you, I prefume, have found fome other Place for, though I should place them in those found already,