IN THE DAYS OF WITCHCRAFT.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 72, 26 July 1912, Page 3

IN THE DAYS OF WITCHCRAFT.

At tho King's Theatre last Sunday week, Mr. H. M. Fitzgerald lectured on "Woman and the Church." Mr. J. Roberts presided. Tho speaker dealt almost exclusively with what is known as "the witchcraft period," tracing the outrages upon women of that era to the doctrino of Original Sin. At one time, he said, the word witch was used by the pagan* to designate a wise woman, and although nowadays used in jest, when tho church was at tho zenith of ils [tower tho word had a terrible significance. Augustine was tho first to givo ecclesiastical authority for the suppression of witchcraft. The lecturer proceeded to give accounts of atrocities committed in tho Middle Ages, and even brought the story clown to within 200 years ago, showing that all churches were alike in thei- cruelty. His final contention was that witchcraft had its economic basis, for just as soon as it beeamo financially unprofitable to "find" witchea, withcraft ceased to be a sin.