204. It seems as if things prior must be less perfect than things
subsequent, that is, things simple than things composite; but things
prior out of which things subsequent are formed, that is, things simple
out of which things composite are formed, are the more perfect. The
reason is that the prior or the simpler are more naked and less covered
over with substances and matters devoid of life, and are, as it were,
more Divine, consequently nearer to the spiritual sun where the Lord
is; for perfection itself is in the Lord, and from Him in that sun which
is the first proceeding of His Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, and from
that in those things which come immediately after; and thus in order
down to things lowest, which are less perfect as they are farther removed.
Without such preeminent perfection in things prior and simple, neither
man nor any kind of animal could have come into existence from seed, and
afterwards continue to exist; nor could the seeds of trees and shrubs
vegetate and bear fruit. For the more prior anything prior is, or the
more simple anything simple is, the more exempt is it from injury,
because it is more perfect.

205. IN SUCCESSIVE ORDER THE FIRST DEGREE MAKES THE HIGHEST, AND THE
THIRD THE LOWEST; BUT IN SIMULTANEOUS ORDER THE FIRST DEGREE MAKES THE
INNERMOST, AND THE THIRD THE OUTERMOST.

There is successive order and simultaneous order. The successive order
of these degrees is from highest to lowest, or from top to bottom. The
angelic heavens are in this order; the third heaven there is the highest,
the second is the middle, and the first is the lowest; such is their
relative situation. In like successive order are the states of love and
wisdom with the angels there, also states of heat and light, and of the
spiritual atmospheres. In like order are all the perfections of the