Raphael's Hierarchy

Hierarchy is an inextricably part of the pre-fallen world of John Milton’s Paradise Lost. God, omniscient and omnipotent, occupies the highest space while angels, humans, and various kinds of spirits fill out the ranks below Him; however, this model is far more complicated when the nature of material is taken into account. In Book 5, the Archangel Raphael, under God’s orders, comes to Eden to warn Adam (and Eve) of the dangers of Satan’s presence in Paradise and during his visit, Raphael tells Adam (and Eve) relates to Adam the events of the war in Heaven and the Creation of the Earth. But before Raphael begins his story, Adam inquires about how the food in Heaven compares to that on Earth and this questions prompts Raphael to discuss the
The differences between angel and human or human and animal, for example, are owing to the fact that they are “Endued with various forms, various degrees/ of substance, and in things that live, of life” with some being “more refined, more spiritous, and pure”. In the example, angel is more refined and spiritous than the human who is more refined and spiritous than the animal. Raphael then states that these “more refined” beings are “nearer to him placed or nearer tending”. The word “or” presents two possible relationships between God and purity. The former implies that one’s purity determines one’s closeness to God while the latter implies that those who are closer to God tend to be purer. The former view supporting the idea of free will determining one’s position in that how pure one is can be changed based on that person’s decisions while the latter seems to support the idea of predeterminism because one cannot control where they have been placed. However, it is possible for both of them to be true and this seems to be supported by Raphael’s next lines, saying “Each in their several spheres assigned,/Till body up to spirit work, in bounds/Proportioned to each kind”. Each kind occupies a specific sphere or position in the hierarchy with each position being “bound” or limited depending on that position as determined by God; however, while their position and bounds are preset by God, the body is able to “work” from its original state and change into spirit. The word “work” here is especially significant because it again places one’s position in the hierarchy on their actions and plays on the distinctly Catholic notion