Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/512

 probable, that by the intercessions of S. Gregory, Trajan 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 Dirges for the dead neither 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, although nothing of the burthen be taken off: Yet the common opinion of Theologians denyeth that prayers or funerall Diriges 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 on them: Therefore we holding to the opinion of Austine, as he saith in the tenth book on Genesis, do affirm, That it is better to doubt concerning occult things, then to contend about uncertain things; for