26 LETTERS TO

tants of heavep are recounted ; the son^ moon^ and rest of
the stars. These are of course fourth in the order of exist-
ing things^ and hold precedence among the inhabitants of
the physical universe. For the plants^ spoken of above,
from their being inseparably attached to the earth, should
be rather called habitations than inhabitants.^ And it was
rather incidentally, than of set purpose, that Moses made
mention of them before the stars ; in order to make it
plainly evident that the earth's fecundity does not depend
on the stars.'

We are to bear in mind, then, that the stars occupy the
first place among those inhabitants of the visible universe
which have a wider and more unrestricted motion, in virtue
of their region being the first of all. Also, that the universe
was briefly comprehended under the first day; on the
second, the heaven was established ; on the third, the earth
was fixed in its position, and girt about with sea, and
clothed with vegetation: — these three things, namely,
heaven, earth, and sea, being the only ones of which the
visible universe is popularly supposed to consist.
