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The displaying of supposed witchcraft

Chapter 1: THE DISPLAYING OF SUPPOSED WITCHCRAFT. Wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of Deceivers and Impostors, AND Divers persons under a passive Delusion of MELANCHOLY and FANCY. But that there is a Corporeal League made betwixt the DEVIL and the WITCH, Or that he sucks on the Witches Body, has Carnal Copulation, or that Witches are turned into Cats, Dogs, raise Tempests, or the like, is utterly denied and disproved. Wherein also is handled, The Existence of Angels and Spirits, the truth of Apparitions, the Nature of Astral and Sydereal Spirits, the force of Charms, and Philters; with other abstruse matters.
By John Webster
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About This Book

The author challenges prevailing popular accounts of witchcraft by arguing that many reported phenomena stem from fraud, melancholic temperament, or superstition rather than any corporeal league with the devil. He distinguishes active impostors from passively deluded individuals, advises magistrates and physicians to examine motives, conditions, and natural explanations, and rejects claims of diabolic intercourse or metamorphosis while treating the existence of angels, apparitions, astral spirits, charms, and philters. The work blends case observation, theological and philosophical reasoning, and practical guidance for legal and medical handling of alleged witchcraft.

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Title: The displaying of supposed witchcraft

Wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of deceivers and impostors, and divers persons under a passive delusion of melancholy and fancy. But that there is a corporeal league made betwixt the devil and the witch, or that he sucks on the witches body, has carnal copulation, or that witches are turned into cats, dogs, raise tempests, or the like, is utterly denied and disproved. Wherein also is handled, the existence of angels and spirits, the truth of apparitions, the nature of astral and sydereal spirits, the force of charms, and philters; with other abstruse matters

Author: John Webster

Release date: January 7, 2024 [eBook #72654]

Language: English

Original publication: London: J. M, 1676

Credits: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DISPLAYING OF SUPPOSED WITCHCRAFT ***

Transcriber’s Note:

New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.

Imprimatur,

July 29. 1676.

Jonas Moore Soc. Regiæ
Vice-Præses.

THE
 
DISPLAYING
 
OF SUPPOSED
 
WITCHCRAFT.
 
Wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of
 
Deceivers and Impostors,
 
AND
 
Divers persons under a passive Delusion of
MELANCHOLY and FANCY.
 
But that there is a Corporeal League made betwixt the
DEVIL and the WITCH,
 
Or that he sucks on the Witches Body, has Carnal Copulation, or that Witches are turned into Cats, Dogs, raise Tempests, or the like, is utterly denied and disproved.
 
Wherein also is handled,
 
The Existence of Angels and Spirits, the truth of Apparitions, the Nature of Astral and Sydereal Spirits, the force of Charms, and Philters; with other abstruse matters.

By John Webster, Practitioner in Physick.
Falsæ et enim opiniones Hominum præoccupantes, non solùm surdos, sed & cæcos faciunt, it à ut videre nequeant, quæ aliis perspicua apparent. Galen. lib. 8. de Comp. Med.
LONDON,
Printed by J. M. and are to be sold by the Book-sellers in London. 1677.