ry of religion. The
numerous references to witches and devils in both the Old and New
Testaments established the authority for the organized religious mania
that scourged both Roman Catholic and Protestant Europe, and extended
its tentacles into the New England colonies.

Instigated by ecclesiastics, and carried into effect by the intellectual
serfs, their adherents, hundreds of thousands of "witches" were tortured
and burned during the sway of the Witchcraft Delusion. With the Bible
as an inspiration, the clergy inflamed the superstitious minds of the
masses of that time with the conception of a ceaseless strife between
the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan for possession of their
souls and their bodies.

We of the present age may readily wonder how such a belief could have
had so firm a grasp on the minds of our ancestors. Perhaps we will be
tempted to attribute it to the ignorance of that time, particularly to
the ignorance of the untutored masses. On the contrary, this does not
approximate the actual situation. History reveals that the greatest
minds of that age, men eminent in law, letters, and philosophy, not only
defended this conception strenuously, but even engaged in the
extermination of "witches."

That men of such superior intellect could defend such a barbaric
institution, which today is revolting to our senses, necessitates the
conclusion formulated at the end of this chapter.

* * * * *

The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that it was possible by
supernatural means to inflict evil on their fellowmen, and all the sects
of philosophers admitted this, with the exception of the Epicureans, who
denied the existence of evil spirits. The magicians, in Greece and Rome,
were at times punished because they injured men and not because they
offended the gods. During the latter period of pagan Rome, some of the
emperors passed laws against the magicians, if it was proven that by
casting the horoscope the magicians had ascertained what was, according
to their belief, the most auspicious time to start a rebellion against
their rule. The emperors, however, notably Marcus Aurelius and Julian,
were the patrons of magicians who foretold coming events to them. The
public methods of foretelling the future, such as the oracle of the
gods, formed part of their religion.

When the first Christians came into Rome and spread Christianity
throughout the empire, they were inspired by an