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Occultwiki (talk | contribs) (Created page with "300px|thumb|Portrait of a Gentleman, possibly Reginald Scot '''Reginald Scot''' (or Scott) (c. 1538 – 9 October 1599) was an Englishman and Mem...") |
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In the ''Discoverie'', Scot aligns himself with Reformed Protestantism, quoting John Calvin more than a dozen times. Calvin in turn was echoing the skepticism toward superstitions of early English reformer John Wycliffe. Scot expresses what is often called the Providential view in stating that "it is neither a [[witch]], nor devil, but glorious [[Yahweh|God]] that maketh the thunder...God maketh the blustering tempests and whirlwinds..." This doctrine was also aligned with the tenth-century Canon Episcopi and Scot quotes from it. | In the ''Discoverie'', Scot aligns himself with Reformed Protestantism, quoting John Calvin more than a dozen times. Calvin in turn was echoing the skepticism toward superstitions of early English reformer John Wycliffe. Scot expresses what is often called the Providential view in stating that "it is neither a [[witch]], nor devil, but glorious [[Yahweh|God]] that maketh the thunder...God maketh the blustering tempests and whirlwinds..." This doctrine was also aligned with the tenth-century Canon Episcopi and Scot quotes from it. | ||
In the last half of the sixteenth century, an active theological debate continued from various pulpits throughout Europe – Calvinist, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic – between those who supported the skeptical Episcopi/Providential tradition and those who believed that witches could obtain real supernatural powers through an agreement or pact with [[the Devil]]. The latter belief in the power of witches, and an intense phobia toward them, was associated by Scot with the book Malleus Maleficarum by the German inquisitor Heinrich Kramer, and upon this book Scot focuses the most criticism, and lumps others aligned with the same view of witchcraft: "...from whom [[Jean Bodin]] and all the other writers... do receive their light..." | In the last half of the sixteenth century, an active theological debate continued from various pulpits throughout Europe – Calvinist, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic – between those who supported the skeptical Episcopi/Providential tradition and those who believed that witches could obtain real supernatural powers through an agreement or [[diabolical pact|pact]] with [[the Devil]]. The latter belief in the power of witches, and an intense phobia toward them, was associated by Scot with the book Malleus Maleficarum by the German inquisitor Heinrich Kramer, and upon this book Scot focuses the most criticism, and lumps others aligned with the same view of witchcraft: "...from whom [[Jean Bodin]] and all the other writers... do receive their light..." | ||
A late twentieth-century historian argues that Scot was likely influenced by, and perhaps a member of, the Family of Love. An intriguing clue to this theory is the name Abraham Fleming written backwards (Gnimelf Maharba) in Scot's lengthy bibliography in the front pages of the ''Discoverie''. | A late twentieth-century historian argues that Scot was likely influenced by, and perhaps a member of, the Family of Love. An intriguing clue to this theory is the name Abraham Fleming written backwards (Gnimelf Maharba) in Scot's lengthy bibliography in the front pages of the ''Discoverie''. | ||