What is Reverend Hale's main qualification for the job of discerning witchcraft?
A) He has already identified many witches.
B) He is recognized everywhere as an expert on witchcraft.
C) He identified a woman as a witch in his own church, and she was
shown to be guilty.
D) He identified a woman as a witch in his own church, and she was
shown to be not guilty.

D) He identified a woman as a witch in his own church, and she was  shown to be not guilty.

Explanation:

It is said that Reverend John Hale has identified a woman to be a witch year before in his parish in Beverly. The woman in question turned out to be not guilty, but “a mere pest”. Still, Reverent Hale thinks of himself as qualified to detect satanic doings and witchcraft, and others think of him in this manner as well.

Even though Reverend Parris of Salem knows the woman of Beverly did not turn out to be a witch, he still called Reverend Hale to look into the matter. He presents him as having experience in demonic arts, and Mrs. Putnam agrees.

Therefore, his false accusation still remains as his qualifier and we can see how people tend to believe church Reverends even when they wrong.

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