# An Examen of Witches/Chapter 9

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Chapter IX.
Of the Witch’s Renunciation of God, Baptism and Chrism.
As the brave soldier disarms his enemy so that he may become his prisoner, having nothing with which to defend himself; so, when Satan wishes to become our master, he makes us renounce God, Baptism and Chrism, because these are the weapons with which we can guard and defend ourselves against him, and the Evil One well knows this.
For, considering God in general, did not Satan say to Him, speaking of Job: Job 1.“Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast thou not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?” And the Royal Prophet says: Ps. 91.“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” And St. Paul, writing to the Romans, says: Rom. 8.“If God be for us, who can be against us?” And notably it has been observed several times that, when one has pronounced the name of God or of Jesus Christ in the witches’ assembly, v. Grillan.everything has at once vanished, both devils and persons and meats.
Bodin, Demonom. II. c. 4. Concil. Trid. Sessio 4. Bodin, ibid.As for Baptism, it sets us out of Satan’s power and is, as it were, a protection against all future ambushes and attacks. But here I must say that this Schemer causes the witch to renounce not only his first Baptism which he received in the name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, but ​makes him also be rebaptised in the name of the Devil and take another name. It would seem that he does this in order that the witch should be thereby persuaded that his first Baptism is wholly annulled, and that it can be of no more service to him.
Remy, lib. 3. Demonol. c. 6.For many witches, after they have fallen into the hands of justice, ask to be rebaptised: certainly Clauda Coirieres, Christofle of Aranthon, Pierre Vuillermoz, and several others have made such a request.
Of Chrism we may say much the same as of Baptism, that it is a sovereign antidote against the power of the Devil: and this is confirmed by the statements of witches, who say that, when they have transformed themselves into wolves and wish to kill and eat children, they cannot touch that part which has been anointed with the Holy Chrism. This I know from the confessions of Jacques Bocquet, Clauda Jamprost and Thievenne Paget. The Chrism is of such worth and virtue that St. Cyril the Bishop speaks of it in these words: “Just as the bread in the Eucharist is no longer bread but the Body of Jesus Christ after the words have been pronounced, so also this Holy Unguent can no longer be called a simple or common ointment after it has been consecrated, but is a gift of grace which brings to us and gives us the presence of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit, that is to say, His Divinity.” Ræmond, Antichrist, c. 39.And according to Pope Fabian this Holy Unguent was instituted by Jesus Christ after He had supped with His disciples.
But the Devil exacts even more conditions; for sometimes he forbids those who give themselves to him to say the Apostles’ Creed. He did so in ​the case of Pierre Bourgot, who confessed that the Devil required him to kiss his left hand, which was black, death-like, and quite cold. Antilde Colas also revealed that Satan commanded her to pray to him night and morning before she set about any other work, and that afterwards she might go to church and pray as much as she pleased.