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

The first PART.

Sect. I.

IT is a principle of the Platonists, That every created thing hath a threefold being; Causal, Formal, Participated. In the Sun there is no heat, that being but an elementary quality, not of Celestiall nature: yet is the Sun the cause and Fountain of all hear. Fire is hot by nature, and its proper form: Wood is not hot of its self, yet is capable of receiving that quality by Fire. Thus hath heat its Causall being in the Sun, its Formall in the Fire, its Participated in the Fuel. The most noble and perfect of these is the Causal: and therefore Platonists assert, That all excellencies are in God after this manner of being; That in God is nothing, but from him all things; That Intellect is not in him, but that he is the original spring of every Intellect. Such is Plotinus's meaning, when he affirms,* 1.1 God neither understands nor knows; that is to say, after a formall way, As Dionysius Areopagita, God is neither an In∣tellectuall nor Intelligent nature, but unspeakably exalted above all In∣tellect and Knowledge.

Sect. II.

PLatonists distinguish Creatures into three degrees. The first comprehends the corporeall and visible; as Heaven, Elements, and all compounded of them: The last the invisible, incorporeal, absolutely free from bodies, which properly are called Intel∣lectual (by Divines, Angelicall) Natures. Betwixt these is a middle nature, which though incorporeall, invisible, immortall, yet moveth bodies, as being obliged to that Office; called, the

rationall Soul; inferiour to Angells, superiour to Bodies; subject to those, regent of these: Above which is God himselfe, author and principle of every Creature, in whom Divinity hath a ca∣suall being; from whom, proceeding to Angells, it hath a for∣mall being, and thence is derived into the rationall Soul by participation of their lustre: below which, no nature can assume the Title of Divine.

Sect. III.

THat the first of these three Natures cannot be multiplyed, who is but one, the principle and cause of all other Divini∣ty, is evidently proved by Platonists, Peripateticks, and our Di∣vines. About the second (viz.) The Angelick and Intellectuall, Platonists disagree. Some (as Proclus, Hermias, Syrianus, and ma∣ny others) betwixt God and the rationall Soul place a great number of creatures; part of these they call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Intelligi∣ble, part intellectuall; which termes, Plato sometimes confoun∣deth, as in his Phaedo. Plotinus, Porphyrius, and generally the most refined Platonists, betwixt God and the Soul of the World, as∣signe only one Creature, which they call the Son of God, be∣cause immediately produced by him. The first opinion complies most with Dionysius Areopagita, and Christian Divines, who as∣sert the number of Angells to be in a manner infinite. The second is the more Philosophick, best suiting with Aristotle and Plato, whose sense we only purpose to expresse; and therefore will de∣cline the first path (though that only be the right) to pursue the latter.

Sect. IV.

VVE therefore, according to the opinion of Plotinus, con∣firmed not only by the best Platonists, but, even by Aristotle, and all the Arabians, especially Avicenna, affirm, That God from eternity produced a creature of incorporeall and in∣tellectuall nature, as perfect as is possible for a created being, beyond which, he produced nothing; for, of the most perfect cause, the effect must be most perfect, and the most perfect can be but one; for, of two or more, it is not possible but one should be more or lesse perfect than the rest, otherwise they would not be two, but the same. This reason for our opinion I rather choose, then that which Avicen alledges, founded upon this principle, That from one cause, as one, can proceed but one ef∣fect. We conclude therefore, that no creature but this first minde proceeds immediately from God: for, of all other effects issuing from this minde, and all other second causes, God is only the mediate efficient. This by Plato, Hermes, and Zoroaster, is called the Daughter of God, the Minde, Wisdome, Divine Reason, by some interpreted the Word; not meaning (with our Divines) the Son of

God, he not being a creature, but one essence coequall with the Creator.

Sect. V.

ALL understanding agents have in themselves the form of that which they design to effect: as an Architect hath in his minde a figure of the building he undertakes, which as his pat∣tern he exactly strives to imitate: This Platonists call the Idea or Exemplar, believing it more perfect, then that which is made after it: and this manner of Being, Ideal, or Intelligible, the o∣ther Materiall and Sensible: So that when a Man builds a house, they affirm there are two, one Intellectuall in the Workmans mind; the other sensible, which he makes in Stone, Wood, or the like; expressing in that matter the form he hath conceiv'd: to this Dante alludes.

••None any work can frame, Unless himself become the same.

Hereupon they say, though God produced only one creature, yet he produced all, because in it he produced the Ideas and forms of all, and that in their most perfect being, that is the Ideal, for which reason they call this Mind, the Intelligible World.

Sect. VI.

AFter the pattern of that Mind they affirm this sensible World was made, and the exemplar being the most perfect of all created things, it must follow that this Image thereof be as perfect as its nature will bear. And since animate things are more perfect then the inanimate; and of those the rational then the irrationall, we must grant, this World hath a Soul perfect above all others. This is the first rationall Soul, which, though incorpo∣reall, and immateriall, is destin'd to the function of governing and moving corporeall Nature: not free from the body as that mind whence from Eternity it was deriv'd, as was the mind from God. Hence Platonists argue the World is eternall; its soul being such, and not capable of being without a body, that also must be from eternity; as likewise the motion of the Hea∣vens, because the Soul cannot be without moving.

Sect. VII.

THe antient Ethnick Theologians, who cast Poeticall vails over the face of their mysteries, expresse these three natures by other names. Coelum they call God himself; he produc'd the first Mind, Saturn: Saturn the Soul of the World, Iupiter. Coelum imples Priority, and excellence, as in the Firmament, the first Heaven. Saturn signifies Intellectuall nature, wholly imploy'd in

contemplation; Iupiter active life, consisting in moving and go∣verning all subordinate to it. The properties of the two latter a∣gree with their Planets: Saturn makes Men Contemplative, Iu∣piter Imperious. The Speculative busied about things above them; the Practick beneath them.

Sect. VIII.

WHich three names are promiscuously used upon these grounds: In God we understand first his Excellence, which as Cause, he hath above all his effects; for this he is called Coelus. Secondly, the production of those effects, which denotes conversion towards inferiours; in this respect he is sometimes called Iupiter, but with an addition, Optimus, Maximus. The first Angelick nature hath more names, as more diversity. Every crea∣ture consists of Power and Act: the first, Plato in Philebo, calls In∣finite: the second, Finite: all imperfections in the Mind are by reason of the first; all perfections, from the latter. Her operati∣ons are threefold. About Superiours, the contemplation of God; about the knowledge of herself; about inferiours, the production and care of this sensible World: these three proceed from Act. By Power she descends to make inferiour things; but in either re∣spect is firm within her self. In the two first, because contempla∣tive, she is called Saturn: in the third, Iupiter, a name principally applyed to her power, as that part from whence is derived the act of Production of things. For the same reason is the soul of the World, as she contemplates her self or superiours, termed Sa∣turn; as she is imployed in ordering worldly things, Iupiter: and since the government of the World belongs properly to her; the contemplation to the Mind; therefore is the one absolutely called Iupiter, the other Saturn.

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.

Sect. X.

NExt that of the World, Platonists assign many other rational souls. The eight principall are those of the heavenly Spheres; which according to their opinion exceeded not that number; con∣sisting of the seven Planets, and the starry Orb. These are the nine Muses of the Poets: Calliope (the universall soul of the World) is first, the other eight are distributed to their severall Spheres.

Sect. XI.

PLato asserts,* 1.2 That the Author of the World made the mundane, and all other rationall souls, in one Cup, and of the same Elements; the universall soul being most perfect, ours least: whose parts we may observe by this division: Man, the chain that ties the World to∣gether, is placed in the midst: and as all mediums participate of their extreams, his parts correspond with the whole World; thence called Microcosmus. In the World is first Corporeall Na∣ture, eternall in the Heavens; corruptible in the Elements, and their compounds, as Stones, Mettals, &c. Then Plants. The third degree is of Beasts. The fourth rationall souls. The fifth Angeli∣call minds. Above these is God, their origine. In man are likewise two bodies; one eternall, the Platonists Vehiculum coeleste, imme∣diately inform'd by the rational soul: The other corruptible, sub∣ject to sight, consisting of the Elements: Then the vegetative fa∣culty, by which generated and nourished. The third part is Sensitive and motive. The fourth Rational; by the

Latine Peripateticks believ'd the last and most noble part of the Soul: yet, above that is the Intellectuall and Angelick; the most excellent part whereof, we call the Souls Union, immediately joyning it to God, in a manner resembling him; as in the other Angels, Beasts, and Plants. About th••se Platonists differ, Pro••lus and Porphyrius only allow the rationall part to be Immortall▪ Zenocrates and Speusippus the sensitive also; Numenius and Plo∣tinus the whole Soul.

Sect. XII.

IDeas have their casuall being in God, their formall in the first Minde, their participated in the rationall Soul. In God they are not, but produced by him in the Angelick nature, through this communicated to the Soul, by whom illuminated, when she re∣flects on her intellectuall parts, she receives the true formes of things, Ideas. Thus differ the Souls of Men from the Celestiall: these in their bodily functions recede not from the Intellectuall, at once contemplating and governing. Bodies ascend to them, they descend not. Those employ'd in corporeall office are de∣priv'd of contemplation, borrowing science from sence, to this wholly enclin'd, full of errors: Their only means of release from this bondage, is, the amatory life; which by sensible beauties, exciting in the soul a remembrance of the Intellectuall, raiseth her from this terrene life, to the eternall; by the flame of love re∣fined into an Angell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ennead. 6. lib. 7. 37.
• * 1.2

  In ••imaco.