Witches commonly
perform their Spells through the Sacraments of the
Church. And how they Impair the Powers of Generation,
and how they may Cause other Ills to happen to God's
Creatures of all kinds. But herein we except the
Question of the Influence of the Stars.
But
now there are several things to be noted concerning
their methods of bringing injury upon other creatures of
both sexes, and upon the fruits of the earth: first with
regard to men, then with regard to beasts, and thirdly
with regard to the fruits of the earth. And as to men,
first, how they can cast an obstructive spell on the
procreant forces, and even on the venereal act, so that
a woman cannot conceive, or a man cannot perform the
act. Secondly, how that act is obstructed sometimes with
regard to one woman but not another. Thirdly, how they
take away the virile member as though it were altogether
torn away from the body. Fourthly, if it is possible to
distinguish whether any of the above injuries have been
caused by a devil on his own account, or if it has been
through the agency of a witch. Fifthly, how witches
change men and women into beasts by some prestige or
glamour. Sixthly, how witch midwives in various ways
kill that which has been conceived in the mother's womb;
and when they do not do this, offer the children to
devils. And lest these things should seem incredible,
they have been proved in the First Part of this work by
questions and answers to arguments; to which, if
necessary, the doubtful reader may turn back for the
purpose of investigating the truth.
For the
present our object is only to adduce actual facts and
examples which have been found by us, or have been
written by others in detestation of so great a crime, to
substantiate those former arguments in case they should
be difficult for anyone to understand; and, by those
things that are related in this Second Part, to bring
back to the Faith and away from their error those who
think there are no witches, and that no witchcraft can
be done in the world.
And with
regard to the first class of injuries with which they
afflict the human race, it is to be noted that, apart
from the methods by which they injure other creatures,
they have six ways of injuring humanity. And one is, to
induce an evil love in a man for a woman, or in a woman
for a man. The second is to plant hatred or jealousy in
anyone. The third is to bewitch them so that a man
cannot perform the genital act with a woman, or
conversely a woman with a man; or by various means to
procure an abortion, as has been said before. The fourth
is to cause some disease in any of the human organs. The
fifth, to take away life. The sixth, to deprive them of
reason.
In this
connexion it should be said that, saving the influence
of the stars, the devils can by their natural power in
every way cause real defects and infirmities, and this
by their natural spiritual power, which is superior to
any bodily power. For no one infirmity is quite like
another, and this is equally true of natural defects in
which there is no physical infirmity. Therefore they
proceed by different methods to cause each different
infirmity or defect. And of those we shall give
instances in the body of this work as the necessity
arises.
But first,
lest the reader's mind should be kept in any doubt as to
why they have no power to alter the influence of the
stars, we shall say that there is a threefold reason.
First, the stars are above them even in the region of
punishment, which is the region of the lower mists; and
this by reason of the duty which is assigned to them.
See the First Part, Question II, where we dealt with
Incubus and Succubus devils.
The second
reason is that the stars are governed by the good
Angels. See many places concerning the Powers which move
the stars, and especially S. Thomas, part I, quest. 90.
And in this matter the Philosophers agree with the
Theologians.
Thirdly, it
is on account of the general order and common good of
the Universe. which would suffer general detriment if
evil spirits were allowed to cause any alteration in the
influence of the stars. Wherefore those changes which
were miraculously caused in the Old or New Testament
were done by God through the good Angels; as, for
example, when the sun stood still for Joshua, or when it
went backward for Hezekiah, or when it was
supernaturally darkened at the Passion of Christ. But in
all other matters, with God's permission, they can work
their spells, either the devils themselves, or devils
through the agency of witches; and, in fact, it is
evident that they do so.
Secondly, it
is to be noted that in all their methods of working
injury they nearly always instruct witches to make their
instruments of witchcraft by means of the Sacraments or
sacramental things of the Church, or some holy thing
consecrated to God: as when they sometimes place a waxen
image under the Altar-cloth, or draw a thread through
the Holy Chrism, or use some other consecrated thing in
such a way. And there are three reasons for this.
For a similar
reason they are wont to practise their witchcraft at the
more sacred time of the year, especially at the Advent
of Our Lord, and at Christmas. First, that by such means
they may make men guilty of not only perfidy, but also
sacrilege, by contaminating whatever is divine in them;
and that so they may the more deeply offend God their
Creator, damn their own souls, and cause many more to
rush into sin.
Secondly,
that God, being so heavily offended by men, may grant
the devil greater power of tormenting them. For so says
S. Gregory, that in His anger He sometimes grants the
wicked their prayers and petitions, which He mercifully
denies to others. And the third reason is that, by the
seeming appearance of good, he may more easily deceive
certain simple men, who think that they have performed
some pious act and obtained the grace from God, whereas
they have only sinned the more heavily.
A fourth
reason also can be added touching the more sacred
seasons and the New Year. For, according to S.
Augustine, there are other mortal sins besides adultery
by which the observance of the Festivals may be
infringed. Superstition, moreover, and witchcraft
arising from the most servile operations of the devil
are contrary to the reverence that is due to God.
Therefore, as has been said, he causes a man to fall
more deeply, and the Creator is the more offended.
And of the
New Year we may say, according to S. Isidore, Etym.
VIII. 2, that Janus, from whom the month of January is
named, which also begins on the Day of Circumcision, was
an idol with two faces, as if one were the end of the
old year and the other the beginning of the new, and, as
it were, the protector and auspicious author of the
coming year. And in honour of him, or rather of the
devil in the form of that idol, the Pagans made much
boisterous revelry, and were very merry among
themselves, holding various dances and feasts. And
concerning these Blessed Augustine makes mention in many
places, and gives a very ample description of them in
his Twenty-sixth Book.
And now bad
Christians imitate these corruptions, turning them to
lasciviousness when the run about at the time of
Carnival with masks and jests and other superstitions.
Similarly witches use these revelries of the devil for
their own advantage, and work their spells about the
time of the New Year in respect of the Divine Offices
and Worship; as on S. Andrew's Day and at Christmas.
And now, as
to how they work their witchcraft, first by means of the
Sacraments, and then by means of sacramental objects, we
will refer to a few known facts, discovered by us in the
Inquisition.
In a town
which it is better not to names, for the sake of charity
and expediency, when a certain witch received the Body
of Our Lord, she suddenly lowered her head, as is the
detestable habit of women, placed her garment near her
mouth, and taking the Body of the Lord out of her mouth,
wrapped it in a handkerchief; and afterwards, at the
suggestion of the devil, placed it in a pot in which
there was a toad, and hid it in the ground near her
house by the storehouse, together with several other
things, by means of which she had to work her
witchcraft. But with the help of God's mercy this great
crime was detected and brought to light. For on the
following day a workman was going on his business near
that house, and heard a sound like a child crying; and
when he had come near to the stone under which the pot
had been hidden, he heard it much more clearly, and
thinking that some child have been buried there by the
woman, went to the Mayor or chief magistrate, and told
him what had been done, as he thought, by the
infanticide. And the Mayor quickly send his servants and
found it to be as he had said. But they were unwilling
to exhume the child, thinking it wiser to place a watch
and wait to see if any woman came near the place; for
they did not know that it was the Lord's Body that was
hidden there. And so it happened that the same witch
came to the place, and secretly hid to pot under her
garment before their eyes. And when she was taken and
questioned, she discovered her crime, saying that the
Lord's Body had been hidden in the pot with a toad, so
that by means of their dust she might be able to cause
injuries at her will to men and other creatures.
It is also to
be noted that when witches communicate they observe this
custom, that, when they can do so without being noticed,
they receive the Lord's Body under their tongue instead
of on the top. And as far as can be seen, the reason is
that they never wish to receive any remedy that might
counteract their abjuration of the Faith, either by
Confession or by receiving the Sacrament of the
Eucharist; and secondly, because in this way it is
easier for them to take the Lord's Body out of their
mouths so that they can apply it, as has been said, to
their own uses, to the greater offence of the Creator.
For this
reason all rectors of the Church and those who
communicate the people are enjoined to take the utmost
care when they communicate women that the mouth shall be
well open and the tongue thrust well out, and their
garments be kept quite clear. And the more care is taken
in this respect, the more witches become known by this
means.
Numberless
other superstitions they practise by means of
sacramental objects. Sometimes they place a waxen image
or some aromatic substance under the altar cloth, as we
said before, and then hide it under the threshold of a
house, so that the person for whom it is placed there
may be bewitched on crossing over it. Countless
instances could be brought forward, but these minor
sorts of spells are proved by the greater.
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