In The Discovery of Witches, Matthew Hopkins - the Witch Finder General of England during the early 1600s - details the process by which he found and captured suspected witches. Hopkins' treatise is comprised of answers to various queries he had received by members of the public curious about his investigatory techniques in finding witches. This book answers a total of fourteen queries, with replies ranging from a few sentences to a few paragraphs in length. The book is an illustrative portrayal of a society fervently given to superstitions about the powers of witchcraft. At three hundred women killed, the efforts of Hopkins and his assistant John Stearne were prolific. Accorded status, Hopkins encountered opposition to his witch finding. That his 'investigations' required scant evidence to secure death sentences dismayed figures in the Church of England. Today, historians judge Hopkins as an opportunist who took advantage of unfounded suspicions to advance his own fame.

Starting in the 15th century, a fear of witchcraft and alternative practices grew into a hysteria. Because witches were suspected to be devil worshippers, they were considered heretics to the Christian church. Consequently, the Christians launched a crusade against these women and men. Matthew Hopkins was not only among the greatest supporters of this crusade, but also one of the most active participants. In just over a year, Matthew Hopkins, a self-proclaimed "Witchfinder General", killed over one hundred people. While the witch hunt hysteria infected much of the 17th century society in England, there were still those who opposed the accusations and discrimination against witches. After being criticized for his work, Hopkins decided to publish a guide to witch hunting, including methods to discover a witch, how to torture them into a confession, and how to prosecute them. Along with outlines of torture methods, such as sleep deprivation and forced physical activity, The Discovery of Witches also addressed the questions and concerns raised by those who did not support Hopkins. Under the guise of being a man of God, Hopkins claimed to have been sent on a divine mission to manipulate other religious groups into joining his cause. As Hopkin's practices brought him lucrative success, he rose to a short-lived power, but his published doctrine spread his influence for years after his death. The Discovery of Witches by Matthew Hopkins is a short text of immeasurable insight. Though now recognized as zealot propaganda, The Discovery of Witches depicts a chilling perspective of a heinous time in history, including the concerns of those who opposed it. While Hopkin's work immortalizes a fascinating yet repulsive historical movement, it also invites readers to reflect on the ways the spirit of his manipulation is still present in modern society. This edition of The Discovery of Witches by Matthew Hopkins features an eye-catching cover deign and is printed in an easy-to-read font, making it both readable and modern.

"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." EXOD. 22.18. If the Kingdom of Satan be divided, how can it stand? Matthew Hopkins was repeatedly put to task over his methods of witch hunting, the processes used, the measures he would take to cutting the festering sore out of the side of christendom. But in the end, this thug did little else than to inspire fear for one's neighbor, turning one friend against another, brother against brother, father against son. If the Kingdom of Heaven be divided, it stood for hundreds of years, feasting on its own entrails, seeking the weak and defenseless, condemning with evidence aquired under torturous means, leaving God as the final witness to the crimes against humanity committed in Jesus' name. The true translation of Exodus 22:18 is, "Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner of wells to live amongst you." Or, sayeth the editor of this work, a poisoner of minds, souls, and spirits. It is our opinion that the inquisition, in its many forms, has done more to darken the name of christianity, and being in the true spirit of Hopkin's own faulty logic, hath divided Christianity against itself -- how can it rightly stand? Certainly a God of Justice would not have such evil doers speak in His name so unjustly?

In The Discovery of Witches, Matthew Hopkins - the Witch Finder General of England during the early 1600s - details the process by which he found and captured suspected witches. Hopkins' treatise is comprised of answers to various queries he had received by members of the public curious about his investigatory techniques in finding witches. This book answers a total of fourteen queries, with replies ranging from a few sentences to a few paragraphs in length. The book is an illustrative portrayal of a society fervently given to superstitions about the powers of witchcraft. At three hundred women killed, the efforts of Hopkins and his assistant John Stearne were prolific. Accorded status, Hopkins encountered opposition to his witch finding. That his 'investigations' required scant evidence to secure death sentences dismayed figures in the Church of England. Today, historians judge Hopkins as an opportunist who took advantage of unfounded suspicions to advance his own fame.

Do you question the world around you? Do you follow the dictates of a Holy Book, or your own conscience? The genesis for Jeffrey M. Hopkins writing The Gideons came during a dinner table conversation when he was in Seventh Grade. His younger brother asked their mother, "If there were aliens, would they also have a Bible with stories about Jesus in it?" This got Jeffrey Hopkins thinking and led him on a spiritual journey from belief to scientific skepticism. The Gideons is that journey told through a tale of classic science fiction. As a precocious child, Isaac grows up in a mysterious cult and runs afoul of their adult rites. He finds himself alone in a wilderness he cannot explain, meeting all sorts of denizens of the forest, future megacities, even out of this world citizens of the Multiverse. Told in an astute narrative tone, The Gideons will make you ask the question, that Isaac also asks, "What is my place in all of this?" Hopefully, you come up with an answer.