Early Christianity & Witchcraft

Scriptural Bases Nature of Witchcraft Examples from Holy Writ What to do with a Witch The Ancient World & Early Xian Church Roman World Apuleius Augustine of Hippo The Place of the Devil in the Early Church Gods Adversary Limits on His Powers Satans Minions Contact with Humanity Later Church Policies on Witchcraft King Saul with the Witch of Endor, T.P. from Councils & Synods
Glanvills Saducismus Triumphatus (1681)

Scriptural Bases - Nature of Witchcraft

Exodus 7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaohs heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. Daniel 4:9 Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream . . . along with its interpretation. James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. Galatians 5:19-20 For the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication . . . Idolatry, witchcraft, seditions, heresies . . . Nahum 3:4 . . . whoredomes of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredomes, and families through her witchcrafts. 1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee . . . John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone . . .

2 Kings 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? 2 Chronicles 33:6 And [Manasseh] caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 1 Samuel 28:7-13 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. . . . And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth. Acts 8:9-11 there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one . . . And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. Acts 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. Acts 19:19-20 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Scriptural Bases - Examples from Holy Writ

Scriptural Bases - What to do with a Witch

Deuteronomy 18:10-14 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD . . . The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. Micah 5:12 I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells. Leviticus 20:27 A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads. Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

The Ancient World & Early Xian Church

Roman World: Cursing T ablets & Calling on Demons & Gods for Favor I adjure you, demon, whoever you are, and I demand of you from this hour . . . that you torture and kill the horses of the Greens and Whites, and that you kill and smash their drivers . . . and leave not a breath in their bodies. I adjure you, demon, by him who has turned you loose in these times, the god of the sea and of the air. As this cock is bound . . . so bind . . . Victoricus, the charioteer of the Blues . . . I adjure you by the God of heaven above . . . who divided the land and set apart the sea . . . that you bind Victoricus and Dominator, so that they may not come to victory tomorrow. Apuleius: The Golden Ass on the Power & Forms of Witches [Y]ou [Lucius] are in Thessaly where witches are in the habit of gnawing bits of flesh off dead mens faces for use in their magical concoctions. . . . You see, these abominable women have the power to change their shape at pleasure: they turn into birds or dogs or mice, or even flies disguises that would pass scrutiny even in a Court of Law, and by daylight too.

The Ancient World Cont

Augustine of Hippo: The City of God on the Demonic Power of Deception (From Chapters 9, 10, 23) [I]ncantations and charms composed under the influence of a criminal tampering with the unseen world, of an art which they call either magic, or . . . necromancy, or . . . theurgy. . . . [T]he truth, however, being that both classes are the slaves of the deceitful rites of the demons whom they invoke under the names of the angels. . . . [Regarding] certain wonderfully lovely appearances of angels or gods, this is what the apostle refers to when he speaks of Satan transforming himself into an angel of light. For these are the delusive appearances of that spirit who longs to entangle wretched souls in the deceptive worship of many and false gods and to turn them aside from the true worship of the true God. . . . There is, too, a very general rumor, which many have verified by their own experience, or which trustworthy persons who have heard the experience of others corroborate, that sylvans and fauns, who are commonly called incubi, had often made wicked assaults upon women, and satisfied their lust upon them; and that certain devils, called Duses by the Gauls, are constantly attempting and effecting this impurity is so generally affirmed, that it were impudent to deny it.

The Place of the Devil in the Early Church

Gods Adversary Lucifer, Angel Fallen from Heaven Isaiah 14:11-3 Archangel Satan Vying for Power (Hubris) Limits on His Powers If All Powers are of God, then . . . If Devils Powers are not of God, then . . . Satans Minions Fellow Fallen Angels (Now Demons) Rebellion vs. Gods Law (War in Heaven) Contact with Humanity Real Contact in the Flesh Illusory Contact in Spirit Possession of a Human Body

Lucifer with the Church Hierarchy, Anticlerical T ract, 1521

Later Church Policies on Witchcraft

Council of Elvira, ca. 306 Refusing Communion (& @ Death Bed) to Murderers via Spell (maleficium) Association of Spells w/ the Devil Council of Ancyra, 314 5 Years Penance for Consulting Magicians (Assumed Paganism) Council of Paderborn, 785 Sorcerers Punished w/ Serfdom Death Penalty Burning a Witch Synod of Reisbach, 799 Demands Penance, Not Punishment Milder Attitude in Late 8th Cent.

Representation of Constantine & Bishops at Nicaea, 325