... Elizabeth. The English too were intrigued by witchcraft however in medieval England and later periods, witchcraft was against the law and was seen as an offence against God and Man. Witchcraft involved the renunciation of God. The witch would make a pact with the devil and this is how she gained her powers. Keith Thomas states that the church constructed witch craze by producing literature on witches or devils worshippers and highlighting how the witches were thought to have conducted themselves. The belief in witches was an explosive force and witchcraft expanded after the Renaissance. Trevor-Roper believes that the church exploited pagan beliefs. The theory of Satan's Kingdom was produced with it's hierarchy of demon's and witches. Witchcraft was known as the new diabolical religion and the persecution of apparent witches began. This theory was used in the trial of witches and in judicial torture. H.C. Lea points out that some ...

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