Great chain of being

The great chain of being is a hierarchical structure of all matter and life, thought by pre-modern Christian philosophers to have been decreed by God. The chain begins with God and descends through angels, humans, animals and plants to minerals.

• Of Nature’s Chain how regular the Links!
  Matter by slow Gradations downward sinks;
  And intermediate Changes gently pass
  From lightsome Æther to the dullest Mass.
  Or climb by the same Steps from lumpish Clay
  To the bright Liquid, and the fine-spun Ray.
  Dissolving Earth in fluid Moisture glides,
  And Rocks transform’d flow down in silver Tides.
  Dilating Streams in vap’ry Columns rise,
  And sweating Seas will gild the distant Skies.
  Dispersing Clouds to nobler Forms aspire,
  Refine to Æther, or ferment to Fire.
  Things only differ as condense, or rare.
  Impurer Skies will thicken into Air;
  Air when too gross will falling Drops increase,
  And hang in lucid Pearls on weeping Trees.
  The glewy Substance, that no longer flows,
  Stagnates to Slime; and slimy Matter grows
  To earthly Mould; that hard’ning turns to Stone.
  So All is diff’rent, and yet All is One.
  • Oppian, Halieutica I. 409-20.
    William Diaper, Oppian’s Halieuticks (1722)