Mid-Term History Exam Coursework Essay Research Paper Term Paper

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1 Witches have been accused of making a "pact with the Devil". What do you know about this phenomenon?
“Making pacts with the devil” served as a link between the practice of harmful magic and the worship of the Devil. This was a belief that witches always made agreements with the devil. This was the main belief among the secular elite and the clergy of early modern Europe. Witches would also make a lot of promises with the devil during the assemblies. According to this belief, those witches who made agreements with the devil also worshipped him during the night at isolated locations (Grimassi). In these pacts, human beings would make agreements with the Devil they worshipped. In return, the Devil could provide wealth and other forms of earthly power. The pact with the Devil was a practice of magic. The witches would also offer sacrifices to the devil.
2 What were the major changes in the criminal procedure and what were their consequences?
In the 13th century, the European courts used a system of criminal procedures that made all crimes difficult to prosecute especially the concealed crimes. This procedural system was referred to as accusatorial. This system was not successful because criminals could not be prosecuted. Sometimes the trial could be manipulated in favor of the defendant. However, at the beginning of the 13th century, new techniques were adopted. These techniques adopted a better role in human judgment in the criminal procedure. The change stimulated the revival of the study of Roman law in the 11th and 12th centuries. The church also prohibited clerics from engaging in ordeals of the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215. The clerics were supposed to bless the entire judicial procedure. The new criminal procedures took effect during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries throughout Europe. The new system was referred to as inquisitoria...