On Witches

ON WITCHES

...is thought to have happened. Lend your ears for a moment to the words of Paul, in which he skillfully depicts those truly denying the Christian faith. Know this, he says: that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers original: "malefici" — while often meaning "witches" in this context, the Vulgate uses it here for "blasphemers" or "evil-speakers", disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. From such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Mambres Traditional names for the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. Thus far Paul.

As for the holy oil chrism: a mixture of oil and balsam consecrated by a bishop, used in baptism and confirmation to signify the "imprint" of the Holy Spirit supposedly removed from the forehead during the contract of the pact—as many are persuaded—I could satisfy the argument here with even a single word. However, lest it cause further trouble, it will be safer to answer: if there is any power in the chrism, it consists no more in the external anointing than it does in the external pouring of water in the sacrament of baptism. Baptism is sanctified through the intervention of faith and is so confirmed that if the body were later washed with water a hundred times, or even if the entire skin were scraped away, the essence of baptism nevertheless remains through the character imprinted by faith. Even if a man should at some time deny its power by falling into sin, yet if he rises again from his sins toward the amendment of life, having turned back through repentance, the same energy of the baptism once administered will stand. The logic regarding the scraped-away chrism will be

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the same for the penitent, if you wish: otherwise, it would follow that if a wound were inflicted on the crown of the head, or if a foul ulcer arose in that part, the sacrament would also perish. Furthermore, I would not believe that the crown of the head is truly struck during the pact, but rather in an imaginary way—just as we observe many other things occur here—so that this credulous sort of idle people might be led by a wicked persuasion to believe themselves so entangled in the devil’s nets and so much his slaves that every path of repentance is henceforth blocked. In this way, they might finally contemplate and attempt extreme evils. Nevertheless, a place for conversion will no more be cut off for such a person—indeed, much less so, as one deluded by a corrupted imagination original: "vitiata phantasia"—than for any others who sin gravely. For Peter, though forewarned shortly before by Christ,
Matthew 26. Mark 14. Luke 22. John 18.

denied Christ three times against the testimony of his own conscience, even adding an oath; yet, once his error was recognized and tears were shed, he was received back into grace. Regarding this and other relevant matters, I will write more copiously later in Chapter 24.

THE REMAINING PROOF

of the Empty Pact.

Chapter VIII.

Children cannot be killed by ceremonies.

Furthermore, the idea that anyone could kill children by any ceremonies is utterly false; it is a mere suggestion of Satan and a vain belief. Likewise, that
The digging up of dead infants from graves is a delusion.

they secretly dig them out of their graves is nothing but a demonic persuasion arising from a corrupted imaginative power, or one spoiled by deep sleep. This will be plainly evident if the monuments original: "monumenta" — here meaning tombs or grave sites are inspected from which the witches claim they were extracted; for they will still be found hidden there. Nor do I
That Stygian drink is imaginary, as is the ointment.

hesitate to say that the boiling of an infant in a pot, prepared until the bones are removed and the flesh is made drinkable Stygian: relating to the River Styx in the underworld; here used to describe a hellish or macabre potion, was instilled into their minds in the same way. For that act is so inhuman, gloomy, and cruel—and therefore difficult to believe—that even if I were to behold this with my own eyes, I would...