Immobilizing Thieves

Pow-Wows, or Long Lost Friend, by John George Hoffman, [1820], at sacred-texts.com

HOW TO CAUSE MALE OR FEMALE THIEVES TO STAND STILL, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO MOVE BACKWARD OR FORWARD.

In using any prescriptions of this book in regard to making others stand still, it is best to be walking about; and repeat the following three times:

"Oh Peter, oh Peter, borrow the power from God; what I shall bind with the bands of a Christian hand, shall he bound; all male and female thieves, be they great or small, young or old, shall be spell-bound, by the power of God, and not be able to walk forward or backward until I see them with my eyes, and give them leave with my tongue, except it be that they count for me all the stones that may be between heaven and earth, all rain-drops, all the leaves and all the grasses in the world. This I pray for the repentance of my enemies."

Repeat your articles of faith and the Lord's Prayer. If the thieves are to remain alive, the sun dare not shine upon them before their release. There are two ways of releasing them, which will be particularly stated: The first is this, that you tell them, in the name of St. John, to leave; the other is as follows: "The words which have bound thee shall give thee free."