DECLINE CAUSES - Sceptical Publications

Question 1

Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft

When was Discoverie of Witchcraft published?

Answer 1

1584

Question 2

Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584

Scot was an English ______ thinker, _____ of ________. He was _______ by ________’s work ‘_____________’ published ___ years _____.

Answer 2

a) rational
b) critical
c) witchcraft
d) Johan Weyer
e) ‘On the Illusion of Demons’
f) 21
g) earlier

Question 3

Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584

Scot = _________ whether there was any ______ ____/________ for __________.

Answer 3

a) questioned
b) biblical basis/foundation
c) witch-hunting

Question 4

Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584

What evidence does Scot use?
2

Answer 4

Philosophy & rational thinking to say what witches confessed to was impossible.

There’s no biblical evidence.

Question 5

Samuel Harsnett’s Practices of John Darrel 1599

Background/influence of Harsnett:
___ on ______ that investigated ______ (______).
Strong ________.
________ to an _________ in _______.

Answer 5

a) sat, council, Darrel (Boy of B)
b) protestant
c) chaplain, Anglican Bishop, London

Question 6

Samuel Harsnett’s Practices of John Darrel 1599

Harsnett = highly ______ of _______ & ______ of _______ that led to its use.
Almost _____ ________ completely - felt there was _______ explanations for ‘_____________’.

Answer 6

a) critical, exorcisms, reliability, evidence

b) denies witchcraft, natural, ‘magical phenomenon’

Question 7

Samuel Harsnett’s Practices of John Darrel 1599

What evidence does Harsnett use?

Answer 7

Nothing concrete - uses his interpretation and perspective of religious practices.

Question 8

Samuel Harsnett’s Practices of John Darrel 1599

What was the pamphlet war?

Answer 8

Immediate impact of Harsnett’s work, prompting wider discussion about witchcraft and possession.

Question 9

Thomas Ady’s ‘Candle in the Dark’ (1656)

Background/influence of Ady:
_______ at the _______ of ___________ occuring.
Respected _____ from _____ & _____ with events in ________.

Answer 9

a) appalled, number, wrongful executions

b) doctor, essex, familiar, East Anglia

Question 10

Thomas Ady’s Candle in the Dark 1656

Ady’s = _______ have no ________ & things _________ with ______ aren’t _______ in the ______.
______ of ______ who ______ to understand ______ & ______ them on _______.

Answer 10

a) witch hunts, biblical basis, associated, witches, evident, Bible
b) critical, physicians, failed, illness, blame, witchcraft

Question 11

Thomas Ady’s Candle in the Dark 1656

What evidence does Ady use?

Answer 11

Only the Bible (refers to Scot as direct influence) - the same used by witchfinders to justify persecutions.

Question 12

John Webster’s Supposed Witchcraft 1677

Background/influence of Webster = ______ of _______ and ________ who ________ witchcraft as ______.
Influenced by _____.
Worked as a ______ before _______ as a ________.

Answer 12

a) critical, Glanvill, Casaubon, defended, genuine
b) Ady
c) doctor, preaching, nonconformist

Question 13

John Webster’s Supposed Witchcraft 1677

Webster’s = ______ with ____ that _____ not in the _____ should be ________.
______ existed but couldn’t command ____________ and had no ________ from _______.

Answer 13

a) agreed, Ady, beliefs, Bible, rejected

b) witches, supernatural powers, assistance, the Devil

Question 14

John Webster’s Supposed Witchcraft 1677

What evidence does Webster use?

Answer 14

Visited places were wrongful trials had been held like Edmund Robinson from the Pendle Swindle.

Question 15

Balthasar Bekker’s The Enchanted World

When was The Enchanted World published?

Answer 15

1691

Question 16

John Webster’s Supposed Witchcraft

When was Supposed Witchcraft published?

Answer 16

1677

Question 17

Thomas Ady’s Candle in the Dark

When was Candle in the Dark published?

Answer 17

1656

Question 18

Samuel Harsnett’s Practices of John Darrel

When was the Practices of John Darrel published?

Answer 18

1599

Question 19

Balthasar Bekker’s The Enchanted World 1691

Summarise the background and influence of Bekker.
3

Answer 19

Dutch clergyman, who wrote about philosophy, theology and witchcraft.

Influenced by Calvinist tradition and later became a minister.

Heavily influenced by Scot and Ady.

Question 20

Balthasar Bekker’s The Enchanted World 1691

Summarise Bekker’s argument.
2

Answer 20

Witchcraft didn’t exist.

Unless the Devil has a body, it would be impossible for him to possess and influence people on Earth - he is permanently in hell.

Question 21

Balthasar Bekker’s The Enchanted World 1691

What evidence does Bekker use?

Answer 21

The Bible as the main source but approached it rationally & unbiased.

Shows awareness that there was lots about nature & rational thinking he didn’t know.

Question 22

Briefly explain how sceptical publications impacted decline in witchcraft belief. (2)

Answer 22

Inspired thinkers & theologians to look for different explanations of unnatural phenomena.

Weakened people’s faith & belief in biblical justification of witchunts & witchcraft.

Question 23

Reginald Scot ‘The Discoverie of Witchcraft’ (1584) - how did it change witchcraft belief?
(threatened, first)
What is the significance of the impact?
(defensive, prominent)

Answer 23

People felt threatened - James I burnt all copies of his books & wrote Daemonologie in response.

Seen as 1st major English sceptic work & influenced sceptics - Ady & Bekker didn’t go beyond his ideas.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Reveals the strength of idea - people internally repressed witchcraft suspicions but used it as a scapegoat for problems so were defensive when people were openly sceptic.

Resonated - helped his argument remain prominent for decades.

Question 24

Reginald Scot ‘The Discoverie of Witchcraft’ (1584) - how DIDN’T it change witchcraft belief?
(ferocious)
What is the significance of the impact?
(attention)

Answer 24

Preceded most ferocious hunting period in England - 1604 Act was most severe yet + North Berwick, Pendle & East Anglia hunts.

SIGNIFICANCE
Changed limited number of people’s way of thinking - didn’t gain enough attention to influence a large number of regular people immediately.

Question 25

Samuel Harsnett ‘Fraudulent Practices’ (1599) - how did it change witchcraft belief? (2)
(discussion, possessions)
What is the significance of the impact? (2)
(religious, ideas)

Answer 25

Discussion via pamphlet war - John Deacon & John Walker were 2 ministers supportive of Harsnett in forcing Darrell to prove he could do exorcisms.

Put forward idea of fake possessions - witches thought responsible of demonic possession, undermining accusations of bewitchment.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Resonated - support from religious people helped influence his ideas.

Reveals the strength of idea - changing ideas of religion & led to more sceptical ideas.

Question 26

Samuel Harsnett ‘Fraudulent Practices’ (1599) - how DIDN’T it change witchcraft belief?
(accusations, Christian)
What is the significance of the impact?
(questioned, dismissed)

Answer 26

Despite accusations, Darrell was supported & sceptic views were minority & pamphlet war was about exorcism so didn’t challenge witchcraft belief.

Case of Christian disputes - Harsnett was CofE conformist & suggested exorcism was fake & Darrell was Puritan & saw prayer/fasting as acceptable exorcism.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Didn’t lead to development of ideas - only religion was slightly questioned through exorcism debate.

Changed limited people’s way of thinking - people quickly dismissed ideas that weren’t from their religion.

Question 27

Thomas Ady ‘A Candle in the Dark’ (1656) - how did it change witchcraft belief?
(biblical, phenomenons)
What is the significance of the impact?
(influenced, questioned)

Answer 27

Challenged biblical foundations (using Scot) & suggested those accused of maleficium are innocent - decline in hunts after.

Exposed magic as fake & separated it from reality so people saw phenomenons can be explained with logic.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Resonated - influenced people.

Revealed strength of an idea - people questioned religion & influence of God/Satan in their lives.

Question 28

Thomas Ady ‘A Candle in the Dark’ (1656) - how DIDN’T it change witchcraft belief?
(experiences)
What is the significance of the impact?
(development)

Answer 28

Followed most intense hunting - supports idea that decline in trials was due to negative experiences of the witch-craze.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Didn’t lead to clear development of ideas.

Question 29

John Webster ‘The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft’ (1677) - CHANGED witchcraft belief:
Influenced _____ scepticism - supported by ________ & individuals like ________.

________ lent ______ & _______ him from other _______, reflects changing ________ to evidence.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Harder for _____ to occur - influencing _____ may have led to growth in ___________.

Reveals _______ of an ____ - people more _____ to ______.

Answer 29

a) elite, Royal Society, Seth Ward
b) evidence, credibility, separates, sceptics, attitudes

c) trails, elite, judicial scepticism
d) strength, idea, open, change

Question 30

John Webster ‘The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft’ (1677) - DIDN’T change witchcraft belief:
Not ______ - repeats ____ & ____ so didn’t __________ challenge _____.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Changed _______ number of people’s way of _______ - these ______ were already _________.

Answer 30

a) radical, Ady & Scot, fundamentally, belief

b) limited, thinking, beliefs, emerging

Question 31

Balthasar Bekker ‘The Enchanted World’ (1691) - changed witchcraft belief:
Cut through _______ attitude to ______ - ______ _______ written in response & put on ____ for ________ & ________, challenging the ______.

Explained _________ connection to witchcraft - challenged idea that _____ could enter _______ world; people ________ the _______ of witches.

Influenced ________ - _____ copies sold in _______ in first ______, but his impact was arguably _______ to the ___________.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Reveals ______ of ideas - people felt _________ by his position on _____, showing they were still extremely _______.

Reveals ______ of ideas - theories of _________ gained speed so people __________ _______.

Changed people’s way of _______ - but could’ve influenced _____.

Answer 31

a) society’s, magic, critical pamphlets, trial, blasphemy & atheism, Church
b) materialism’s, Devil, material, questioned, existence
c) attitudes, 4000, Holland, 2 months, limited, Dutch language
d) strength, threatened, religion, religious
e) strength, materialism, reevaluated religion
f) thinking, more

Question 32

Balthasar Bekker ‘The Enchanted World’ (1691) - DIDN’T change belief:
________ were already ________ in ______ - the last ________ was _________ in 16__.

SIGNIFICANCE:
Didn’t _____ to any ______ ____________ of _____.

Answer 32

a) witch trials, declining, England, execution, Alice Molland, 1685
b) lead, clear development, ideas

Question 33

What was the name of Reginald Scot’s book and when was it published?

Answer 33

The Discoverie of Witchcraft in 1584

Question 34

What was the name of Samuel Harsnett’s book and when was it published?

Answer 34

The Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel in 1599

Question 35

What was the name of Thomas Ady’s book and when was it published?

Answer 35

A Candle in the Dark in 1656

Question 36

What was the name of John Webster’s book and when was it published?

Answer 36

The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft in 1677

Question 37

What was the name of Balthasar Bekker’s book and when was it published?

Answer 37

The Enchanted World in 1691