The Epistle Dedicatory.

to bring her purposes and practices to pass; yet others say that she is his instrument to execute his pleasure in anything, and therefore she should be executed. But then (it seems to me) she would be unfairly dealt with and put to death for another's offense; for actions are not judged by their instrumental causes, nor does the end and purpose of what is done depend upon the humble original: "mean" instrument. Finally, if the witch does not do it, why should the witch die for it? But they say that witches are persuaded and think that they actually perform those mischiefs, and have a will to perform what the Devil commits, and that therefore they are worthy to die. By that logic, everyone should be executed who wishes evil to his neighbor, and so forth.

Proverbs 15.

But if the human will were punished by man according to its offense against God, we would be driven by the thousands at once to the slaughterhouse or butchery. For "whoever loathes correction shall die." And who could escape execution if this loathing (I say) were punishable by death under civil laws? Also, "the wages original: "reward" of sin is death"; however, not everyone who sins is to be put to death by the magistrate. But, my Lord, it shall be proved in my book, and your Lordship shall find original: "try" it to be true—both here at home in your native country and abroad in your various legal circuits—that (besides those who are veneficae Latin: poisoners or sorceresses, who are simply poisoners), there will be found among our witches only two sorts: the first sort are those who are witches by imputation—that is, thought of as such by others (and these are the victims original: "abused", not the victimizers)—and the other sort by acceptance—being willing to be considered such—and these are mere con artists original: "coseners".

Calvin, in treating these magicians, calls them con artists, saying, "That they use their juggling tricks only to amaze or deceive the people, or else for fame"; but he might rather have said for gain.

Erastus himself—being a principal writer in support of the omnipotence of witches—is forced to confess that these Greek words mageia (magic), manganeia (sorcery/trickery), and pharmakeia (poisoning/spells) original: "μαγεία, μαγγανεία, φαρμακεία" are most commonly used to mean illusion, deceptive packing, conning, fraud, knavery, and deceit. He is further driven to say, "That in ancient times, the learned were not so foolish as not to see that the promises of magicians and enchanters were false, and nothing else but knavery, conning, and old wives' fables"; and yet he still defends their flying in the air, their transferring of corn or grass from one field to another, etc.

But as Erastus disagrees here with himself and his friends, so there is no agreement among any of those writers, except...