INTRODUCTION. XC1X 



cherubim, and ascended into heaven, 1 from 

 whence it should seem that he had adopted 

 the opinion, that the heavens, and the clouds 

 were antitypes of the symbolical cherubim : 

 yet in another passage of his works, he ex- 

 pressly places the seraphim and cherubim 

 amongst the highest of the heavenly essences, 

 " As we know," says he, " that there is a 

 distinction of rank in the powers above, so 

 there are also differences of station and know- 

 ledge. The thrones, both the Seraphim and 

 the Cherubim, learn from God immediately, 

 as higher than all and nearest to God, and 

 they instruct the inferior orders but the low- 

 est rank are the angels, which are also the 

 instructors of men." 2 



It seems evident from this statement of the 

 opinions of both ancient Jews and Christians, 

 that the sculptured Cherubim, in their opinion, 

 represented physical as well as metaphysical 

 objects ; in fact, the most general interpreta- 

 tion seems to be that those powers that rule 

 under God, either in his physical universe, or 

 which, with regard to our planet, have power 

 in his church, or over his people ; and also 



1 Qucest. ad Antioch. cxxxvi. 



2 De commun. essent. ed. Paris, 1627, i. 238. 



