PART II., QUESTION I.
CHAPTER VWitches 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.
