| In this next section, we learn about how these things are not in the imagination, but actually real, therefore, a true and veritable threat to humanity: “Question 1: Whether the Belief that there are such Beings as Witches is so Essential a Part of the Catholic Faith that Obstinacy to maintain the Opposite Opinion manifestly savours of Heresy. Answer: Because the authority of the Holy Scriptures says that devils have power over the bodies and over the minds of men, when God allows them to exercise this power, as is plain from very many passages in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, those err who say that there is no such thing as witchcraft, but that it is purely imaginary, even although they do not believe that devils exist except in the imagination of the ignorant and vulgar, and the natural accidents which happen to a man he wrongly attributes to some supposed devil. For the imagination of some men is so vivid that they think they see actual figures and appearances which are but the reflection of their thoughts, and then these are believed to be the apparitions of evil spirits or even the spectres of witches. But this is contrary to the true faith, which teaches us that certain angels fell from heaven and are now devils, and we are bound to acknowledge that by their very nature they can do many wonderful things which we cannot do. And those who try to induce others to perform such evil wonders are called witches. And because infidelity in a person who has been baptized is technically called heresy, therefore such persons are plainly heretics.” (10) What they have said here, is that anyone who commits this type of act is cheating on god and the church. Terribly sinful. In the next paragraph, we learn that this superstition is supported by the bible, and this is where the inquisitors gain their title of superiority over the people. It says so in the bible, so this is the way it is, because god said so. What’s the biggest hypocritical thing in the world that can be done? An organization of men putting people to death, for being accused of the worst sin of all, promoting heresy and causing death. “For the divine in many places commands that witches are not only to be avoided, but also they are to be put to death, and it would not impose the extreme penalty of this kind if witches did not really and truly make a compact with devils in order to bring about real and true hurts and harms. For the penalty of death is not inflicted except for some grave and notorious crime, but it is otherwise with death of the soul, which can be brought about by the power of a phantastical illusion or even by the stress of temptation. This is the opinion of S. Thomas when he discusses whether it be evil to make use of the help of devils (ii. 7). For in the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy it is commanded that all wizards and charmers are to be destroyed. Also, the 19th chapter of Leviticus says: The soul which goeth to wizards and soothsayers to commit fornication with them, I will set my face against that soul, and destroy it out of the midst of my people. And again, 20: A man, or woman, in whom there is a pythonical or divining spirit dying, let them die: they shall stone them. Those persons are said to be pythons in whom the devil works extraordinary things.” |
Based on what we just read, let’s take a step back in time. The Old Testament, in approximately 500 BC or so, may or may not have documented the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people at the hands of Joshua and the patriarchs, but we do know for sure that during the end of the Middle Ages, we saw this take place as a matter of fact during the witch trials. How many were murdered, it is difficult to estimate. There were thousands, we can be assured. Some estimates place the number at over a million. Though many of those may have died of ergotism, due to neglect of the church aiding the poor and failing to educate them about moldy rye breads. This act in itself, was another form of murder. It is also conceivable that the Church, knowing that ergotism was also associated with hallucinations, capitalized on the opportunity to say the citizens afflicted were involved in witchcraft. This would only be possible if the church had so dumbed down the populace that the majority of people no longer understood the dangers of eating moldy bread, and if this was the case, the church may have aided the production of some of this moldy bread. They were not averse to blaming the slightest thing on sorcery and the devil. In this next section, we read more about the devil and his influence on carnal lust and the minds of married men: “Moreover, this must be borne in mind, that on account of this sin Ochozias fell sick and died,” IV. Kings I. Also Saul, I Paralipomenon, 10. We have, moreover, the weighty opinions of the Fathers who have written upon the scriptures and who have treated at length of the power of demons and of magic arts. The writings of many doctors upon Book 2 of the Sentences may be consulted, and it will be found that they all agree, that there are wizards and sorcerers who by the power of the devil can produce real and extraordinary effects, and these effects are not imaginary, and God permits this to be.” (11) “That to deny the existence of witches is contrary to the obvious sense of the Canon is shown by ecclesiastical law. For we have the opinions of the commentators on the Canon which commences: If anyone by magic arts or witchcraft . . . And again, there are those writers who speak of men impotent and bewitched, and therefore by this impediment brought about by witchcraft they are unable to copulate, and so the contract of marriage is rendered void and matrimony in their cases has become impossible. For they say, and S. Thomas agrees with them, that if witchcraft takes effect in the event of a marriage before there has been carnal copulation, then if it is lasting it annuls and destroys the contract of marriage, and it is quite plain that such a condition cannot in any way be said to be illusory and the effect of imagination.” (10) p. 2 (11) p. 3-4 |