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the Church Fathers, the older profane historians, etc., to Innocent’s Zauber-Bulle witchcraft bull and the Hexen-Hammer Malleus Maleficarum; in short, until we arrive at the great, horrifying spectacle of the later witch trials—with its Buhlteufel spirit-lovers, tortures, and pyres—which, in history, certainly stands as uniquely and incomparably tragic for all time.

We remark at the end of this paragraph, with regard to the present entire second division, that concerning the different cultural stages, the entire long period with which it deals—namely from the beginning of Christianity to the first half of the eighteenth century—belongs to the period of objectivization and dogmatism, however diverse and manifold the modifications may be in which the subject of our investigation is presented therein.

II.

As we now take up the continuation of our investigation from the beginning of Christianity, we must immediately say a few words in praise of this, the most spiritual and purest of all positive religions.

In the time of Jesus, the belief in the countless multitude, the almost unlimited power, and the extraordinary influence of demons had risen to the highest level. It had, in fact, reached a point where things had to change