Witchcraft in Medieval england

Witchcraft in Medieval England
"You shall not permit a sorceress to live" (Ex. 22:18).
Introduction
The ancient belief in witchcraft and magic has existed for a very long time, having been mentioned in the tales of Homer in ancient Greece and even in the Bible. Witches are supposed to be females that have supernatural powers for evil purposes. A male with such powers is called a warlock, sorcerer or wizard.
The Craze
The first man to take action against heretics was John XXII, who was Pope from 1316 to 1334. A century later, in 1484, Pope Innocent VIII issued the “Summis Desiderantes,” which condemned the practice of witchcraft, declaring it opposed to catholic faith. In Europe, the practice of witchcraft officially became a felony in 1543 and was made a capital offence in 1563. The situation immediately after 1563 was unclear due to lost records but it is estimated that from about 1560’s until around the 1630’s, this ancient belief in witchcraft got completely out of h...