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"Intentionally Spreading The Plague" is to Calvin's Geneva as "Counterrevolutionary Activity" is to Stalin's USSR.

Hardy, har, har.... or maybe "Intentionally Spreading The Plague" is to Calvin as "Conspiracy to Murder using Biological methods" is to our United States. The executed spread an ointment with the plague on the doorlocks of peoples houses.

The official acts of the Council from 1541 to 1559 exhibit a dark chapter of censures, fines, imprisonments, and executions. During the ravages of the pestilence in 1545 more than twenty men and women were burnt alive for witchcraft, and a wicked conspiracy to spread the horrible disease.(722)

(722)Calvin himself states this fact in a letter to Myconius of Basel, March 27, 1545 (Opera, XII. 55; Bonnet, I. 428), where he says: "A conspiracy of men and women has lately been discovered, who, for the space of three years, had spread the plague through the city by what mischievous device I know not. After fifteen women have been burnt, some men have even been punished more severely, some have committed suicide in prison, and while twenty-five are still kept prisoners,—the conspirators do not cease, notwithstanding, to smear the door-locks of the dwelling-houses with their poisonous ointment. You see in the midst of what perils we are tossed about. The Lord hath hitherto preserved our dwelling, though it has more than once been attempted. It is well that we know ourselves to be under His care."

The witchcraft described was the "divining" of the ointment. But, you know, however you want to spin it works, too. /sarcasm