Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Map
- Introduction
- THE HAMMER OF WITCHES
- Structure of the text
- Author's Justification of the “Hammer for Sorceresses”
- Text of the Apostolic Bull
- Approbation and Signatures of the Doctors of the Illustrious University of Cologne
- PART I
- PART II
- Introductory Question
- Question 1
- Introductory Question
- Question 2
Introductory Question
from PART II
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2015
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Map
- Introduction
- THE HAMMER OF WITCHES
- Structure of the text
- Author's Justification of the “Hammer for Sorceresses”
- Text of the Apostolic Bull
- Approbation and Signatures of the Doctors of the Illustrious University of Cologne
- PART I
- PART II
- Introductory Question
- Question 1
- Introductory Question
- Question 2
Summary
[TT] WHETHER someone can be so benefited by good angels that he cannot be affected with sorcery by sorceresses in any of the methods described below.
[AG] It seems that he cannot, because it was explained in the foregoing that even the blameless, the innocent and the righteous are very often afflicted by demons. For instance, Job, the very many innocent children who can be seen to be affected by sorcery, and many other righteous people were affected like this. They were not affected in the same way as sinners, however, because this does not result in the loss of their souls through damnation, though they are afflicted in terms of the good things of fortune and body.
[SC] To the contrary is the sorceresses' confession | that they cannot harm everyone but only those whom they perceive through information from demons to be bereft of divine help.
[CO] Response. There are three kinds of people who are benefited by God and whom that very bad sort cannot harm with their acts of sorcery. The first are those who carry out public justice against sorcerers or engage in some public office against them. The second are those who protect themselves with the rites maintained and revered by the Church, like the sprinkling of Holy Water, the eating of Holy Salt, and the lawful use of candles consecrated on the Day of Purification or of fronds consecrated on Palm Sunday, since the Church exorcizes such things for the purpose of lessening the strength of the demons (an explanation of the methods will be given). The third are those who are benefited by holy angels in countless different ways.
About the first group, an explanation is given and is corroborated by various acts and events. Because every power derives from God and carries the sword, according to the Apostle [Romans 13:4], to punish the evil and repay the good, it is no wonder that in that case demons are warded off by the power of angels at the moment when justice is carried out to punish that horrible crime.
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- Information
- The Hammer of WitchesA Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, pp. 262 - 275Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009