Book contents
Chapters 16-18
from Question 1
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2015
Summary
THE final (for the present time) kind of sorcery is that in which men are tainted. This consists of three varieties. First, the severity|of the crime as manifested in archer sorcerers should be noted with reference to seven different horrible crimes. First, on the more holy day of the Lord's Passion, that is, on the Friday of Parasceve, as it is called, they shoot at the most holy image of the Crucifix with an arrow during the solemn rites of the Mass as if shooting at a target. What cruelty and insult to the Savior! Second, it is a matter of doubt whether they must enter into an agreement with the demon to commit apostasy by word in addition to apostasy by work. In any case, by whichever method this takes place, a Christian can inflict no greater insult on the Faith, since it is certain that if an infidel committed similar crimes, they would be of no effectiveness, and in no other work can he give so much pleasure to the Adversary of Salvation. Therefore, such wretches ought rather to consider the truth and effectiveness of the Catholic Faith. This is also the reason why it is just for God to permit crimes of this kind. Third, they have to make three or four bull's eyes in so many shots, and as a consequence they will be able to kill the same number of men on a given day. Fourth, they are made certain of the foregoing by the demons, but they must first clearly see the man to be killed with bodily vision, and when they turn the will of their heart entirely to killing him,|then whatever the place in which this man is enclosed, he will not be able to protect himself from being struck with the arrow once it is released and the Devil sticks it in him.
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- The Hammer of WitchesA Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, pp. 386 - 397Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009