Agrippa: What concerning man after death, divers opinions

“And now the great image of me shall go under the earth……” – Dido

The following text is a chapter taken from The Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelious Agrippa. It is titled, “What concerning man after death, divers opinions.”

In this text, Agrippa details the ancient occult doctrines and opinions from various religions and Adepts throughout the Ages. I would like to point out where Agrippa shares some verses from different poems and mythologies that stood out in my mind as aligning with my work into the dark underworld of evil demons, disembodied spirits, and molds (fungi).

He first shares a verse from a poem by Lucretius who hath expressed:

What came from earth to earth returns again; What came from God, returns from whence it came.

The next verse is from a poem by Ovid who Agrippa said expressed it better when Ovid wrote:

Four things of man are spirit, soul, ghost, flesh; These four places keep and do possess.

The earth covers flesh, the ghost hovers over the grave, Orcus hathe the soul, stars do the spirit crave.

When speaking about when the spirit of man hath done ill, the spirt judgeth it, and leaves it to the pleasure of the devil, and the sad soul wanders about hell without a spirit, like an image, as Dido complains in Virgil:

And now the great image of me shall go under the earth……

Now, read the full text and see what Gnosis Agrippa can help you remember!

CHAP. XLI. What concerning man after death, diverse Opinions.

IN general it is appointed for all men once to die; death is fatal to all; but one is natural, another violent, another voluntarily received, another inflicted by humane laws for offences, or by God for sin, that they seem not to have ren∣dred a due to nature, but a punishment for sins; which (as the Hebrew Masters saith) God remitteth to none;

Whence the Assembly delivered to Ezechiah, that after the house of the Sanctuary was pulled down, although there remained not any order of judiciary execution, yet there should be a four∣fold kind of punishment by the which they might be con∣demned, that no man guilty of death should escape without retaliation; for he which had deserved to be stoned to death, was, God dispensing, either cast down headlong from the house, or trodden in pieces by wild beasts, or overwhelmed by ruin or fall;

but he which had deserved to be burned, was either consumed by burnings, or finished his life either by venomous bitings, or stings of a serpent, or by poison; but he which should die by the sword, was killed either by the violence of the jurisdiction, or by the tumult of the people or faction, or by the treachery of thieves; he that ought to be hanged, was suffocated either in the waters, or extinguished by some other strangling punishment; and by the ground of this doctrine, that great Origen supposed the Gospel of Christ to be declared, He who useth the sword shall perish by sword.

Moreover the Ethnic Philosophers pronounced that retaliation of this kind is Adrastia, viz. an inevitable power of divine laws, by the which in courses to come, is recompensed to every one according to the reason and merits of his former life; so as he who unjustly ruled in the former life, in the other life should relapse into a servile state; he which hath polluted his hands with blood, should be compelled to undergo retaliation; he that lived a brutish life, should be precipitated and revolved into a brutish body; of these things Plotinus writeth in his book of the proper Genius of every one; saying, whosoever have kept humane propriety, do again arise men: but whosoever have used sense only, do return brute animals:

yet so, as those who use sense especially together with wrath, do arise wild beasts; but whosoever use sense by concupiscence and pleasure, do return treacherous and gluttonous beasts: but if they shall live, not by sense together with them, so much as by the degeneration of sense, plants grow up again with them; for the vitals only, or chiefly, are living; & all their care was that they might be turned into plants.

But they which have lived being too much allured by music, not being depraved in other things, are born again musical animals; and they which have reigned without reason, become Eagles unless they have been tainted with any wickedness. But he which hath lived civilly and virtuously returns as a man. And Solomon himself in the Proverbs calls man sometimes a Lion, Tiger, Bear, a Boar. Sometimes a Hare, a hunting dog, a Cony;

sometimes a Pismire, a Hedgehog, a Serpent, a Spider; some∣times an Eagle, a Stork, a Cock, or any other bird, and many such as these. But the Cabalists of the Hebrews do not admit that souls are turned into brutes: Yet they do not deny but that they that have wholly lost their reason, shall in another life be left to a brutish affection and imagination: they assert also that souls are revolved hither thrice, and no more; because this number seems sufficient to suffice for the purgati∣on of sins, according to that of Job, He hath delivered my soul that it should not proceed to death, but should live, and see the light. Behold all these things doth God work three times through each, that he might reduce their souls from corruption, and illuminate them with the light of the living. But now let us see what the Ancients opinion is concerning the dead.

When man dies, his body returns into the earth, from which it was taken: the spirit returns to the heavens, from whence, it descended, as saith the Preacher, The body returns to the earth from whence it was, & the spirit returns to God that gave it; which Lucretius hath expressed in these verses;

What came from earth to earth returns again;
What came from God, returns from whence it came.
But Ovid expresseth it better in these verses.
Four things of man there are; Spirit, Soul, Ghost, Flesh;
These four lower places keep and do possess.
The earth covers flesh, the Ghost hovers over the grave.
Orcus hath the soul, Stars do the spirit crave;

The flesh being forsaken, & the body being defunct of life, is called a dead Carcass; Which as say the divines of the Hebrews, is left in the power of the Demon Zazel, of whom it is said in the Scripture, Thou shalt eat dust all thy daies; and els∣where, The dust of the earth is his bread.

Now man was created of the dust of the earth, whence also that Demon is called the lord of flesh, and blood, whilest the body is not expiated and sanctified with due solemnities. Hence not without cause the Ancients ordained expiations of Carcasses, that that which was unclean might be sprinkled with holy water, perfumed with incense, be conjured with sacred orations, have lights set by, as long as it was above ground, and then at length be buried in a holy place.

Hence Elpenor in Homer, I beseech thee (saith he) Ulysses, be mindful of mee, and leave mee not unburied, lest being unburied I become an ob∣ject of the Gods wrath. But the spirit of a man, which is of a sacred nature, and divine-offspring; because it is always faultless, becomes incapable of any punishment; But the soul if it hath done well, rejoiceth together with the spirit, and go∣ing forth with its Aerial Chariot, passeth freely to the quires of the Heroes, or reacheth heaven, where it enjoys all its senses, and powers, a perpetual blessed felicity, a perfect knowledge of all things, as also the divine vision, and possession of the kingdom of heaven, and being made partaker of the divine power bestows freely divers gifts upon these inferiors, as if it were an immortal God.

But if it hath done ill, the spirit judgeth it, and leaves it to the pleasure of the divel, and the sad soul wanders about Hell without a spirit, like an image, as Dido complains in Virgil;

And now the great image of mee shall go
Under the earth—

Wherefore then this soul being void of an intelligible es∣sence, and being left to the power of a furious phantasy, is ever subjected by the torment of corporeal qualities, know∣ing that it is by the just judgement of God, forever deprived of the divine vision (to which it was created) for its sins: the absence of which divine vision, as the Scripture testifies, is the ground of all evils, and the most grievous punishment of all, which the Scripture calls the pouring down of the wrath of God. This image therefore of the soul enters into the ghost as an Aerial body, with which being covered doth sometimes advise friends, sometimes stir up enemies, as Dido threatens Aeneas in Virgil saying.

I’ll hunt thee, and thee tortures I will give.

For when the soul is separated from the body, the perturbations of the memory and senses remain.

The Platonists say, that the souls, especially of them that are slain, stir up ene∣mies, mans indignation not so much doing of it, as the divine Nemesis and Demon foreseeing, and permitting of it. So the spirit of Naboth (as the masters of the Hebrews interpret it) because in the end of its life it went forth with a desire of revenge, was made, to execute revenge, the spirit of a lye, and went forth, God permitting it, a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets, until it made Achab go up unto Ramoth-Gilead And Virgil himself together with the Pythagoreans, and Platonists, to whom also our Austin assents, confesseth that separated souls retain the fresh memory of those things which they did in this life, and their will, whence he sings;

What care they Living had of horses brave
And Arms, the same doth follow them to the grave.

And Azazel in his book De Scientia Divina, and other Arabians, and Mahumatists which were Philosophers, think that the operations of the soul, being common to the con∣joyned body, impressed upon the soul a Character of use and exercise, which it being separated will use, being strongly im∣pressed to the like operations and passions which were not de∣stroyed in lifetime. And although the body and organ be corrupted, yet the operation will not cease, but like affections and dispositions will remain. And these souls the ancients call with a common name Manes, whereof those that were in this life innocent, and purified by moral virtues, were very happy; And of them as Virgil sings,

—That did for their country die,
With priests who in their lives vowed chastity,
And sacred Poets, who pleased Phoebus best,
Or by invented arts mans life assist,
And others in their memories renowned,—

Although they departed this life without the justification of faith, and grace, as may Divines think, yet their souls were carried without any suffering into happy pleasant fields; and as saith Virgil,

They went to places and to pleasant greens,
And pleasant seats the pleasant groves between.
Where they enjoy certain wonderful pleasures, as also
sensitive, intellectual and revealed knowledge;

also per∣haps they may be indoctrinated concerning faith, and justifi∣cation, as those spirits long since to whom Christ preached the Gospel in prison. For as it is certain that none can be saved without the faith of Christ, so it is probable that this faith is preached to many Pagans and Saracens after this life, in those receptacles of souls unto salvation, and that they are kept in those receptacles, as in a common prison, until the time comes when the great Judge shall examine our actions.

To which opinion Lactantius, Ireneus, Clemens, Tertullian, Austin, Ambrose, and many more Christian writers do assent. But those souls which are impure, incontinent, depart wicked, do not enjoy such happy dreams, but wander full of most hideous Phantasmes, and in worser places, en∣joying no free knowledge but what is obtained by concession, or manifestation, and with a continual fleshly desire are subjected by reason of their corporeal corruption to the sense of pain, and fear swords, and knives.

These without doubt Homer seemed to be sensible of, when in the eleventh book of his Odysseus he brings in the mother of Ulysses being dead, standing near to him offering sacrifice, but neither knowing him, or speaking to him, whilst he with his sword drawn did keep off ghosts from the blood of the sacrifice.

But after that Tyresia the prophetess advising of her, she had tasted of the sacrifice and had drunk the blood, she presently knew her son, and crying spake to him. But the soul of Tyresia the prophetesses, notwithstanding the drawn sword, even be∣fore she tasted the blood, knew Ulysses, and spake to him, and shewed him the ghost of his mother standing near to him. Whatsoever vices therefore souls have committed in the bo∣dies unexpiated in this life, they are constrained carrying the habits of them along with them, to purge themselves of them in hell, and to undergo punishment for them; which the Poet explains in these verses;

—When they die,
Then doth not leave them all their misery.
They having not repented of their crimes,
Must now be punished for their misspent times.

For as the manners and habits of men are in this life, such affections for the most part follow the soul after death, which then calls to mind those things which it did formerly do in its life, and then more intently thinks on them, for as much as then the divers offices of life cease, as those of nourishing, growing, generating, and various occupations of senses, and humane affairs and comforts, and obstacles of a grosser body.

Then are represented to the plantastick reason those species, which are so much the more turbulent and furious, by how much in such souls there lies hid an intellectual spark more or less covered, or altogether extinct into which are then by evil spirits conveyed species either most false, or terrible: whence now it is tormented in the concupiscible faculty, by the concupiscence of an imaginary good, or of those things which it did formerly affect in its life time, being deprived of the power of enjoying them, although it may seem to itself sometimes almost to obtain its delights, but to be driven from them by the evil spirits into bitter torments, as in the Poets, Tantalus from a banquet, Sardanapalus from embraces, Midas from gold, Sisyphus from power; and they called these souls hobgoblins, whereof if any taking care of household affairs lives and inhabits quietly in the house, it is called a household god, or familiar.

But they are most cruelly tortured in the irascible saculty with the hatred of an imaginary evil, into the perturbations whereof, as also false suspicions, and most horrible Phantasmes they then fall, and there are represented to them sad representations; sometimes of the heaven falling upon their head, sometimes of being consumed by the violence of flames, sometimes of being drowned in a gulfe, sometimes of being swallowed up into the earth some∣times of being changed into divers kinds of beasts sometimes of being torn and devoured by ugly monsters, sometimes of being carried abroad, through woods seas, fire, air, and through fearfull infernal places, and sometimes of being taken, and tormented by devils.

All which we conceive happens to them after death no otherwise then in this life to those who are taken with a phrensie, and some other melancholy distemper, or to those who are affrighted with horrible things seen in dreams, and are thereby tormented, as if these things did really happen to them, which truely are not reall• but only species of them apprehended in imagination: even so do horrible representations of sins terrifie those souls after death as if they were in a dream and the guilt of wickedness drives them headlong through divers places; which therefore Orpheus calls the people of dreams, saying, the gates of Pluto cannot be unlocked; within is a people of dreams; such wicked souls therefore enjoying no good places, when wandring in an Aeriall body, they represent any form to our sight, are called hags, and goblins, inoffensive to them that are good, but hurtfull to the wicked, appearing one while in thinner bodies another time in grosser, in the shape of divers animals, and monsters, whose conditions they had in their life time, as sings the Poet,

Then divers forms and shapes of brutes appear;
For he becomes a tiger, swine, and bear,
A scaly dragon, and a lioness,
Or doth from fire a dreadful noise expresse;
He doth transmute himself to divers looks,
To fire, wild beasts, and into running brooks.

For the impure soul of a man, who in this life contracted too great a habit to its body, doth by a certain inward affection of the elemental body frame another body to itself of the vapours of the elements, refreshing as it were from an easier matter as it were with a suck, that body which is con∣tinually vanishing; to which being moreover enslaved as to a prison, and sensible instrument by a certain divine Law, doth in it suffer cold, and heat, and whatsoever annoys the body, spirit, and sense, as stinks, howlings, wailings, gnashing of the teeth, stripes, tearings, and bonds, as Virgil sang;

—And therefore for their crimes
They must be punished, and for misspent times
Must tortures feel; same in the winds are hung,
Others to cleanse their spotted sins are flung
Into vast gulfs, or purged in fire—

And in Homer in his Necyomancy Alcinous makes this rela∣tion to Ulysses,

Of Tytius the dear darling of the earth,
We saw the body stretched nine furlongs forth
And on each side of whom a vultur great
Gnawing his bowels—

These souls sometimes do inhabit not these kinds of bodies only, but by a too great affection of flesh and blood trans∣mute themselves into other animals, and seise upon the bo∣dies of creeping things, and brutes, entering into them, what kind soever they be of, possessing them like Demons.

Pythagoras is of the same opinion, and before him Trisme∣gistus, asserting that wicked souls do oftentimes go into creep∣ing things, and into brutes, neither do they as essential forms vivifies and inform those bodies, but as an inmate dwell there as in a prison, or stand near them by a local in distance as an internal mover to the thing moved; or being tied to them are tormented, as Ixion to the wheels of serpents, Sysiphus to a stone; neither do they enter into brutes only, but sometimes into men, as we have spoken concerning the soul of Nabaoth which went forth a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophets.

Hence some have asserted that the lives, or spirits of wicked men going into the bodies of some men, have disturbed them, and sometimes slew them. Which is more fortunately granted unto blessed souls that like good Angels they should dwell in us, and enlighten us, as we read of Elias, that he being taken from men his spirit fell upon Elisha: and elsewhere we read that God took of the spirit which was in Moses, and gave it to 70. men.

Here lies a great secret, and not rashly to be revealed.

Sometimes also (which yet is very rare) souls are driven with such a madness that they do enter the bodies not only of the living, but also by a certain hellish power wander into dead Carkasses, and being as it were revived commit horrid wickednesses, as we read in Saxo Grammaticus, that Asuitus and Asmundus two cerrain men vowed one to the other, that he that should live longest should be buried with him that was first dead: at length Asuitus being first dead, is buried in a great vault with his dog, and horse, with whom also Asmundus by reason of his oath of friendship, suffered himself to be buried alive, (meat which he should for a long time eat, being brought to him;) in processe of time Eri∣cus King of Suecia passing by that place with an army, breaking up the tomb of Asuitus (supposing that there was treasure) the vault being opened, brought forth Asmundus: whom, when he saw having a hideous look, being smeared over with filthy corrupt blood which flowed from a green wound (for Asuitus being revived, in the nights, took off with often strugling his right ear) he commanded him to tell him the cause of that wound: which he declares in these verses;

Why doth my visage wan you thus amaze?
Since he that lives amongst the dead, the grace
Of beauty needs must loose; I know not yet
What daring Stygian fiend of Asuit
The spirit sent from hell, who there did eat
A horse, and dog, and being with this meat
Not yet suffie’d, then set his claws on me,
Pull’d off my cheek mine ear, and hence you see
My ugly, wounded, mangled bloody face;
This monstrous Wight returned not to his place
Without received revenge; I presently
His head cut off, and with a stake did I
His body thorough run—

Pausanias tells a story not unlike to this, taken out of the interpreters of the Delphi; viz. that there was a certain infernal Demon, which they called Eurinomus, who would eat the flesh of dead men, and devour it so that the bones would scarce be left.

We read also in the Chronicles of the Creten∣sians, that the ghosts which they call Catechanae were wont to return back into their bodies, and go in to their wives, and lie with them; for the avoiding of which, and that they might annoy their wives no more, it was provided in the common lawes that the heart of them that did arise should be thrust thorow with a nail, and their whole carcass be burnt. These without a doubt are wonderful things, and scarce credible, but that those laws, and ancient Histories make them credible.

Neither is it altogether strange in Christian Religion that ma∣ny souls were restored to their bodies, before the universal resurrection. Moreover, we believe that many by the singular favour of God are together with their bodies received to glory, and that many went down alive to hell. And we have heard that oftentimes the bodies of the dead were by the devils taken from the graves, without doubt for no other use then to be imprisoned, and tormented in their hands.

And to these prisons and bonds of their bodies there are added also the possessions of most filthy and abominable places, where are Aetnean fires, gulfs of water, the shakings of thunder, and lightning, gapings of the earth, and where the region is void of light, and receives not the rays of the Sun, and knows not the light of the Stars, but is always dark. Whi∣ther Ulysses is reported in Homer to come, when he sings,

Here people are that be Cymmerian named,
Drown’d in perpetual darkness, it is famed,
Whom rising, nor the setting sun doth see,
But with perpetual night oppressed be.

Neither are those meer fables which many have recorded of the cave of Patricius, of the den of Unlcan of the Aetnean caves, and of the den of Nursia, many that have seen and know them testifying the same. Also Saxo Grammaticus tells of greater things then these of the Palace of Geruthus, and of the cave of Ugarthilocus:

Also Pliny, Solinus, Pythias, Clearchus, of the wonderful prodigies of the Northern sea, of which Tacitus also in his history of Drusus shows that in the German sea there wandered souldiers by whom divers mi∣raculous unheard of things were seen, viz. the force of whirlpools, unheard of kinds of birds, sea monsters like men and beasts; and in his book of Germany he tells that the Heldusians, and Axions, who had the face of men, but their other parts were equal to beasts, did dwell there. Which without all doubt were the works of ghosts and devils. Of these also Clau∣dianus long time since sang,

In th’eextream bounds of France there is a place,
Encompass’d by the sea, where in his race
Fame saith Ulysses having tasted blood,
A secret people did descry where loud
And mournful plaints were heard of wandering spirits
Which did the country people much affright.

Aristotle relates of the Aeolian Islands near Italy, that in Lipara was a certain tomb, to which no man could go safe by night, and that there were Cymbals and shrill voices with certain absurd loud laughters; also tumults and empty sounds made, as the inhabitants did strongly aver; and that up∣on a time a certain young man being drunk went thither, and about night fell asleep neer the cave of the tombe, and was after the third day found by them that sought him, and was taken up for dead; who being brought forth, the solemnities of the funeral being ready, suddenly arose up, and told in order, to the great admiration of all, many things which he had seen and suffered.

There is also in Novergia a certain mountain most dreadful of all, surrounded by the sea, which commonly is called Hethelbergius, representing Hell, whence there are heard great bewailings, howlings, and scratchings a mile round about, and over which great vaulters and most black. Crows fly, making most horrible noyses, which forbid any to come near it: Moreover from hence flow two foun∣taines whereof the one is most intense cold, the other most in∣tense hot, far exceeding all other elements.

There is also in the same country toward the Southern corner thereof a Pro∣montory called Nadhegrin, where the Demons of the place are seen by all, in an aerial body. There is also in Scotland the Mountain Dolorosus, from whence are heard dreadfull lamentations: and in Thuringia there is a mountain called Horrisonus, where dwelt Sylvani, and Satyrs, as fame and experience teacheth, and faithful writers testify. There are in divers Countries and Provinces such like miracles as these. I will not relate here those things which I have seen with mine eyes, and felt with mine hands, least by the wonderful admirableness & strangeness of them I should by the incredulous be accounted a liar.

Neither do I think it fit to pass by what many of our age think concerning the receptacles of souls, not much differing from these which we have now spoken of: of which Tertullian in his fourth book against the heresies of Marcion saith, It is apparent to evey wise man, which hath ever heard of the Elysian fields that there is some locall deter∣mination, (which is called Abrahams bosome) for the re∣ceiving of the souls of his sons, and that that region is not ce∣lestial, yet higher then hell, where the souls of the just rest, untill the consummation of things restore the resurrection of all things with fulnes of reward. Also Peter the Apostle saith to Clemens asking him of these things, thou dost constrain mee O Clemens to publish something concerning things unutterable: Yet as far as I may, I will.

Christ, who from the beginning & always was, was always through each generation, though secretly, present with the godly, with those especially by whom he was desired and to whom he did most often appear. But it was not time, that the bodies then being resolved, there should be a resurrection: but this rather seemed a remuneration from God, that he that was found just, should remain longer in a body, or that the Lord should translate him (as we see clearly related in the scripture of some certain just men.)

After the like example God dealt with others, who pleased him well, and fulfilling his will were being translated to Paradise reserved for a kingdom. But of those who could not fullfill the rule of justice, but had some relique of wicked∣ness in their flesh, the bodies indeed are resolved, but souls are kept in good and pleasant regions, that in the resurrection of the dead, when they shall receive their bodies, being now purg∣ed by resolution, they may enjoy an eternal inheritance for those things which they have done well. Ireneus also in the end of his book which he wrote against the Heresies of the Valentini∣ans, saith:

Whereas the Lord went in the middle of the sha∣dow of death, where the souls of the dead were, and after rose again corporeally, and after resurrection was taken up, it is ma∣nifest that the souls of his disciples (for whom he worked these things) should go to some invisible place, appointed by God, and there tarry until the resurrection, afterwards receiving their bodies, and rising again perfectly, i e. corporeally, as the Lord arose, so shall they come into the presence of God; for no disciple is above his master; But every one shall be perfect as his Master.

Therefore even as our Master did not present∣ly fly and go away, but expected the time of his resurrection determined by the father; which is also manifested by Jonas, after three daies arising he is taken up; So also ought we to expect the time of our resurrection determined by God, fore∣told by the Prophets; and so rising again we shall be taken up, as many as the Lord shall account worthy of this honor; Lactantius Firmianus also agreeth to this, in that book of Divine institutions, whose title is of Divine reward;

Saying, let no man think, that ••e souls after death are presently judg∣ed; for they are all detained in one common custody, until the time cometh in which the great Judge shall examine de∣serts; then they whose righteousness shall be approved, shall receive the reward of immortality: but they whose sins and wickedness are detected, shall not rise again, but being desti∣nated for certain punishment, shall be shut up with the wicked angels into the same darkness of the same opinion are Austine, and Ambrose, who sayth in his Enchiridion, The time which is interposed betwixt the death of man and the last resurrecti∣on, containeth the soul in secret receptacles; as every one is worthy of rest or sorrow, according to that which it obtai∣ned whilst it lived in the flesh; but Ambrose in his book con∣cerning the benefits of death, saith;

The writing of Esdras calleth the habitations of the souls, store houses; which he meting with the complaints of man (because that the Just who have gone before, may seem, even to the day of Judgement viz. for a long time, to be wonderfully defrauded of their just recompense of reward) doth liken the day of judgment to a garland; for the day of reward is expected of all, that in the mean time both the conquered may be ashamed, and the conquerors may attain the palme of victory; therefore while the fulnes of times is expected, the souls expect their due recompense; punishment remaining for some, glory for o∣thers; and in the same place he calleth Hell a place which is not seen, which the souls go to being separated from the bodies; And in his second book of Cain and Abel, he saith, the soul is loosed from the body, and after the end of this life, is even as yet in suspence, being doubtfull of the judgement to come; To these assenteth that evangelical saying, concer∣ning the last iudgment, Christ saying in Matthew, Many shall say to mee in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out Devils?

And then I shall con∣fess to them, that I never knew them; by which speech it see∣meth to be clear, that even untill this day they were uncertain concerning their sentence, and by the confidence of miracles which they had performed in the name of Jesus, whilst they lived, to have bin in some hope of salvation; Therefore because the judgement of souls is deferred untill the last day, many Theologians think that satisfactory intercessions may help not only the Justified, but also the damned, before the appointed day of iudgment. So Trajan the Emperor was delivered from Hell by Saint Gregory, and Justified to salvation, though some think that he was not freed from the guilt of punishment, but the Justice of punishment was prorogued untill the day of iudgment;

But Thomas Aquinas saith it seemeth more pro∣bable, that by the intercessions of S. Gregory, Traian lived again, and obtained a gracious power by the which he was freed from the punishment and guilt of sin; and there are some Theologians who think, that by the Diriges for the dead nei∣ther the punishment nor the guilt is taken away or detracted, but that only some ease and asswagement of the pains is procured; and this by the similitude of a sweating porter, who by the sprinkling of some water seemeth to be eased of the weight of his burthen, or helped to carry it more easily, al∣though nothing of the burthen be taken off: Yet the common opinion of Theologians denieth that prayers or funeral Di∣riges do cause any favour for the guilty within the gates of Pluto: but seeing all these things are of an incomprehensible obscurity, many have vainly whet their wits in them:

Therefore we holding to the opinion of Austine, as he saith in the tenth book on Genesis, do affirm, That it is better do doubt concerning occult things, then to contend about uncertain things; for I doubt not but that that rich man is to be understood in the flames of pains, and that poor man in the refreshment of joyes; but how that flame of hell, that bosom of Abraham, that tongue of the rich man, that torment of thirst, that drop of cooling, are to be understood, it is hard∣ly found out by the modest searcher, but by the contentious never; but these things being for this present omitted, we hasten to further matters and will dispute concerning the restitution of souls.