knowing of God be born into this Hierarchie, as into the Hierarchie that is next God, and it followeth. Seraphin is alway moueable about things diuine, & is hot, without ceasing, sharpe and passing seruent, alwaye of busie motion that boweth not, the bringer againe of subiects, actiuely exemplicatiue, making them hot, and rai••ng them into the likenesse of firie loue of heauen, cleansing offering not intermixed, and may not be quenched, and hath lightnesse of light, & property to giue light to make darknesse knowne, and to pursue it. These wordes be full diuine, and passe all mens wit, touching the darke and mysticall meaning of them. But yet as I may, though it be doubtful & beyond common skil, I shall vndertake somewhat to declare the meaning of these words. For it seemeth that Denis hath meant that the disclosing of the properties and office, maketh knowen to diuerse, discreation and participation of grace in the Angels that be named Seraphin. For the name of Seraphin meaneth moueable, & sayth so by liklyhoode, the kinde of firie loue, by the which the affection of an Angell, is moued and rauished, retourneth into God. But this mouing is quiet, causing, augmenting, and fulfilling. Also he moueth incessably, for such a loue falleth neuer, neither resseth to desire him, that he loueth. He is called hot; for ye strength of loue exciteth and moueth, as it were heate, to the feeling of swéetnesse. And therefore he putteth to Acutum, sharpe. For the strength of loue pearceth into the innest of the maker and creatour. And so: Acutum, sharpe, betokeneth a manner violence of loue, that entêreth and pearceth into the thing that is loued Also he saith, Super feruidum, passing feruent, for though the loue stretch into the innest of the Godhead, yet hee reaseth not to sée all about by affection: So that the thing that he taketh not at the full by the inwit, he comprehendeth somewhat by tast of contemplation. As a thing that boileth by strength welmeth and leapeth, and throweth & sheddeth it selfe all about: So the affection of an Angell forsaketh nothing, that hee taketh héede of, but the more he knoweth, the more he desireth to knowe. Hée sayth also, Inflexibilis motionis, moouing that faileth not, for though Angels loue moue into God, yet he is inflexible, stedfast, and faileth not. For he will not lese in no manner wise that thing that he loueth: and so he is moueable & ceaseth not, and that intentiue and inwardly. For he setteth his intent into the inward of God. And so he is alwaye moueable and resteth not in himselfe: but he is busie to set his intent in God, but inwardly that he fléete not outward, and he is in all, wise, inflexible & stable, and turneth neuer from him, to things that be without him. Also he saith, Suppositorum reductiuum, able to bring againe the neather. For an Angels loue stretcheth alway to the ouer, that is, to that aboue from whence the cause of his loue commeth: but he goeth not awaye from the loue of the neather. But he calleth & bringeth the neather orders to be partners of the illumination and brightnes of God. Also he saith, Docere actiuum et exemplificatiuum, he desireth to teach and giue good ensample: For his intent is not onelye to bring the neather orders to loue God, that is highest: but also by example he sheweth them that be of the neather orders, how and in what manner, he that is most good, shoulde be beloued aboue all things. And how men shall turne to God by loue, and doe all thing after his will. Therefore he saith, that the loue of them is heating & rearing vp into such a manner heate. For therefore they trauaile, that the neather orders burne and be seruent, though not all alike, but differently. And he saith not that, as though the lower Angells were cold or dead, but it is sayd, because the subiect orders are excited and stirred by them to the more larger affection of loue. And therefore it followeth. Igneum celitus & holocaustomatis purgatiuum. A firie thing of heauen, that pourgeth offering. For the fire of God lighteth the first Angels, that they may light other, and lighteneth them, from whose light other are become bright shining also, & purgeth them, that they may cleanse
