That Witches who
are Midwives in Various Ways Kill the Child Conceived in
the Womb, and Procure an Abortion; or if they do not
this Offer New-born Children to Devils.
Here
is set forth the truth concerning four horrible crimes
which devils commit against infants, both in the
mother's womb and afterwards. And since the devils do
these things through the medium of women, and not men,
this form of homicide is associated rather with women
than with men, And the following are the methods by
which it is done.
The Canonists
treat more fully than the Theologians of the
obstructions due to witchcraft; and they say that is is
witchcraft, not only when anyone is unable to perform
the carnal act, of which we have spoken above; but also
when a woman is prevented from conceiving, or is made to
miscarry after she has conceived. A third and fourth
method of witchcraft is when they have failed to procure
an abortion, and then either devour the child or offer
it to a devil.
There is no
doubt concerning the first two methods, since, without
the help of devils, a man can by natural means, such as
herbs, savin for example, or other emmenagogues, procure
that a woman cannot generate or conceive, as has bee
mentioned above. But with the other two methods it is
different; for they are effected by witches. And there
is no need to bring forward the arguments, since very
evident instances and examples will more readily show
the truth of this matter.
The former of
these two abominations is the fact that certain witches,
against the instinct of human nature, and indeed against
the nature of all beasts, with the possible exception of
wolves, are in the habit of devouring and eating infant
children. And concerning this, the Inquisitor of Como,
who has been mentioned before, has told us the
following: that he was summoned by the inhabitants of
the County of Barby to hold an inquisition, because a
certain man had missed his child from its cradle, and
finding a congress of women in the night-time, swore
that he saw them kill his child and drink its blood and
devour it. Also, in one single year, which is the year
now last passed, he says that forty-one witches were
burned, certain others taking flight to the Lord
Archduke of Austria, Sigismund. For confirmation of this
there are certain writings of John Nider in his Formicarius,
of whom, as of those events which he recounts, the
memory is still fresh in men's minds; wherefore it is
apparent that such things are not incredible. We must
add that in all these matters witch midwives cause yet
greater injuries, as penitent witches have often told to
us and to others, saying: No one does more harm to the
Catholic Faith than midwives. For when they do not kill
children, then, as if for some other purpose, they take
them out of the room and, raising them up in the air,
offer them to devils. But the method which they observe
in crimes of this sort will be shown in the Second Part,
which we must soon approach. But first one more question
must be inquired into, namely, that of the Divine
permission. For it was said at the beginning that three
things are necessary for the effecting of witchcraft:
the devil, a witch, and the Divine permission.
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