"John Wesley was a firm believer in ghosts and witches, and insisted upon it years after all laws "upon the subject had been repealed in England. I "beg of you to remember that John Wesley was the "founder of the Methodist Church.

"In New England a woman was charged with "being a witch, and with having changed herself "into a fox. While in that condition she was attacked "and bitten by some dogs. A committee of three "men, by order of the court, examined this woman. "They removed her clothing, and searched for 'witch "spots'—that is to say, spots into which needles "could be thrust without giving her pain. They "reported to the court that such spots were found. "She denied, however, that she ever had changed "herself into a fox. Upon the report of the com"mittee she was found guilty and actually executed. "This was done by our Puritan fathers, by the "gentlemen who braved the dangers of the deep for "the sake of worshipping God and persecuting their "fellow-men" (Ingersoll's Works, Vol. I, pp. 274-76).

"People were burned for causing frosts in summer, "for destroying crops with hail, for causing storms, "for making cows go dry, and even for souring beer. "There was no impossibility for which someone was "not tried and convicted. The life of no one was 66 secure. To be charged was to be convicted. Every man was at the mercy of every other. This in"famous belief was so firmly seated in the minds of "the people that to express a doubt as to its truth. "was to be suspected. Whoever denied the existence "of witches and devils was denounced as an infidel" (Ibid., pp. 276–77).

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"At Basle, in 1470, a rooster was tried upon the charge of having laid an egg. Rooster eggs were

"used only in making witch ointment; this every"body knew. The rooster was convicted, and, with "all due solemnity, was burned in the public square (Ibid., p. 277).

"Sir William Blackstone, in his Commentaries "on the Laws of England, says: To deny the "possibility-nay, actual existence-of witchcraft "and sorcery is at once flatly to contradict the word "of God" (Ibid., p. 279).

"In Brown's Dictionary of the Bible, published at "Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1807, it is said that 'a ""witch is a woman that has dealings with Satan'" (Ibid., p. 279).

"In 1716 Mrs. Hicks and her daughter, nine years of age, were hanged for selling their souls to the devil, and raising a storm by pulling off their "stockings and making a lather of soap.

"In England it has been estimated that at least "thirty thousand were hanged and burned. The last "victim executed in Scotland perished in 1722. 'She "was an innocent old woman who had so little idea ""of her situation as to rejoice at the sight of the "fire which was destined to consume her (Ibid., p. 280).

"In 1692 nineteen persons were executed and one pressed to death in Salem, Massachusetts, for the "crime of witchcraft.

"It was thought in those days that men and women "made compacts with the devil, orally and in writing ; "that they abjured God and Jesus Christ, and dedi"cated themselves wholly to the devil. The contracts "were confirmed at a general meeting of witches and "ghosts, over which the devil himself presided; and "the persons generally signed the articles of agree"ment with their own blood" (Ibid., pp. 280-81).

"As late as 1815 Belgium was disgraced by a witch "trial, and guilt was established by the water ordeal. "......In 1836 the populace of Hela, near Dantzic, "twice plunged into the sea a woman reputed to be "a sorceress; and as the miserable creature persisted "in rising to the surface, she was pronounced guilty "and beaten to death" (Ibid., p. 281).

"Whoever denied these things was denounced as "an infidel. All the believers in witchcraft confi"dently appealed to the Bible. Their mouths were "filled with passages demonstrating the existence of "witches and their power over human beings. By "the Bible they proved that innumerable evil spirits "were ranging over the world endeavouring to ruin "mankind" (Ibid., p. 282).

"Religion has not civilised man; man has civilised "religion. God improves as man advances" (Ibid., p. 285).

THE BURNING OF JOAN OF ARC

IT has been said by philosophers that a belief in the existence of devils-that is, Demonology-is the most debasing of all superstitions; and I think that this is sufficiently proved in the case of the persecution and burning to death of that incomparable woman, Joan of Arc. It is extremely difficult for those who do not believe in the existence of ghosts and devils to understand how it can be possible for one human being to gloat over the inhuman torture of another. Nevertheless, it is only too true; and, as we find it only among those who are believers in the existence of devils, I think we are justified in assuming that this unspeakable depravity is due in a large measure to Demonology.

Joan of Arc was, in many respects, the most remarkable and wonderful personality that ever appeared upon this planet. She was a young and innocent girl, acting as a shepherdess for her father. She took a burning interest in the affairs of her country, and felt that she was called upon to liberate it by driving out the invader. She fully believed that she was urged on by some occult or spiritual influence, and was sufficiently eloquent and persuasive to make others take the same view of the matter. Totally inexperienced in all the affairs of the world, but burning with the fire of patriotism, she inspired others with her own feelings and beliefs, and was actually given command of an army, led her troops against the enemy, and drove them out

of the country, placing the King on his throne. This was certainly a marvellous achievement, and she was looked upon by many at the time as a celestial liberator. Her wit and intelligence appeared to the high officials of the Roman Catholic Church to be altogether beyond the power of a simple country maiden, and the only way they could account for her wonderful success was to assume that she was assisted by the devil.

It is a long story. The poor girl was arrested, and under threat of instantly being burnt alive she was bullied into putting her mark on a paper, although completely ignorant of its contents. In this paper she was made to confess that she was in the employ of the devil; that she was a sorceress, a liar, a blasphemer of God and his angels, a lover of blood, a promoter of sedition; cruel, wicked, commissioned by Satan, etc., etc.

The instigator of all this and the persecutor of this poor girl was no less a personage than Bishop Cauchon (Bishop Tiger would have been a more appropriate name). This fellow appears to have been one of the most contemptible and degraded scoundrels that ever disgraced this earth. After all manner of lying and trickery, he brought this extraordinary girl to the stake, and had the effrontery to taunt her while she was perishing in the flames.

Can we conceive of anything that for wickedness and depravity could equal this? A full account of the persecution and burning of this the greatest of all women will be found in the memorable work entitled Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, edited by Mark Twain, in two volumes. A few extracts are given below :—