Sorcery is the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits. Sorcery is distinguished by some writers from witchcraft in that it may be practiced by anyone with the appropriate knowledge, using charms, spells, potions, and the like; whereas witchcraft is considered to result from an inherent mystical power and to be practiced by invisible means. Sorcery can be protective--for example, as a guard of property against theft. A practitioner of sorcery is called a sorcerer, or a wizard. The distinction between sorcery and witchcraft is not consistently or universally maintained. During the witch-hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries, courts frequently regarded witches and sorcerers alike as candidates for burning.