The history of philosophy, in eight parts by Thomas Stanley.

Sect. IX.

THis World therefore (as all other creatures) consisteth of a Soul and Body: the Body is all that we behold, compoun∣ded of the four Elements. These have their casuall being in the Heavens, (which consist not of them, as sublunary things; for then it would follow that these inferiour parts were made before the Celestiall, the Elements in themselves being simple, by con∣course causing such things as are compounded of them:) Their formal being from the Moon down to the Earth: Their partici∣pate and imperfect under the Earth, evident in the Fire, Air, and Water, experience daily finds there; evinc'd by naturall Philo∣sophers: to which the antient Theologians aenigmatically allude by their four infernall Rivers, Acheron, Cocytus, Styx, and Phlegeton.

We may divide the body of the World into three parts: Ce∣lestiall, Mundane, Infernall: The ground why the Poets ••eign

the Kingdom of Saturn to be shar'd betwixt his three Sons, Iupi∣ter, Neptune, and Pluto: implying only the three-fold variation of this corporeall World; which as long as it remains under Sa∣turn, that is, in its Ideal Intellectual being, is one and undivided; and so more firm and potent: but falling into the hands of his Sons, that is, chang'd to this material Being, and by them divided into three parts, according to the triple existence of bodies, is more infirm and lesse potent, degenerating from a spiritual to a corporeal estate. The first part, the heavenly, they attribute to Iupiter; the last and lowest to Pluto; the middle to Neptune. And because in this principality is all generation and corruption, the Theologians express it by the Ocean, ebbing or flowing continual∣ly: by Neptune understanding the Power or deity that presides over Generation. Yet we must not imagine these to be different souls, distinctly informing these three parts: the World her self being one, can have but one Soul; which as it animates the subterrane∣all parts, is called Pluto; the sublunary Neptune; the celestiall, Iupiter. Thus Plato in Philebo averrs by Jove is understood a regall soul, meaning the principall part of the World which governs the other. This opinion, though only my ow••••, I suppose is more true then the expositions of the Grecians.