Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/511

the death of man and the last resurrection, containeth the soul in secret receptacles: as everyone is worthy of rest or sorrow, according to that which it obtained whilst it lived in the flesh; but Ambrose in his book concerning the benefits of death, saith; The writing of Esdras calleth the habitations of the souls, store houses; which be 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 judgement 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 time is expected, the souls expect their due recompense; punishment remaining for some, glory for others; 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, concerning the last judgement, 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 confess to them, that I never knew them; by which speech it seemeth 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 appoynted 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