THE FIRST BOOK. 41 



history of the creation, the confused mass and matter of 

 heaven and earth was made in a moment ; and the order 

 and disposition of that chaos or mass was the work of six 

 days ; such a note of difference it pleased God to put upon 

 the works of power, and the works of wisdom ; wherewith 

 concurreth, that in the former it is not set down that God 

 said, Let there be heaven and earth, as it is set down of 

 the works following ; but actually, that God made heaven 

 and earth : the one carrying the style of a manufacture, 

 and the other of a law, decree, or counsel. 10 



To proceed to that which is next in order from God 

 to spirits ; we find, as far as credit is to be given to the 

 celestial hierarchy of that supposed Dionysius the senator of 

 Athens, the first place or degree is given to the angels of love, 

 which are termed seraphim ; the second to the angels of light, 

 which are termed cherubim ; and the third, and so following 

 places, to thrones, principalities, and the rest, which are all 

 angels of power and ministry ; so as the angels of knowledge 

 and illumination are placed before the angels of office and 

 domination. 20 



To descend from spirits and intellectual forms to. sensible 

 and material forms ; we read the first form that was create^ 

 was light, which hath a relation and correspondence in 

 nature and corporal things to knowledge in spirits and 

 incorporal things. 



So in the distribution of days, we see, the day wherein 

 God did rest, and contemplate his own works, was blessed 

 above all the days wherein he did effect and accomplish 

 them. 



After the creation was finished, it is set down unto us, 30 

 that man was placed in the garden to work therein ; which 

 work, so appointed to him, could be no other than work of 

 contemplation ; that is, when the end of work is but for 

 exercise and experiment, not for necessity ; for there being 

 then no reluctation of the creature, nor sweat of the brow, 

 man's employment must of consequence have been matter of 



