Liber Chaos

LIBER CHAOS
Bl. Raymond Lull
Doctor Illuminatus




Part I

The Essence of Chaos
1. We understand that the essence of Chaos is divided into four parts, namely igneity, aereity, aqueity and terreity.
2. Now igneity contains in itself its own essential ignificative, ignificable, ignification and ignificatum. Aereity, likewise contains in itself its own aerificative, aerificable, aerification and aerificatum. The same applies, likewise, to aqueity and terreity.

3. The ignificative is an active form, and its own passive part, namely its own matter, is the ignificable, which is of the ignificative's own essence, and ignification is the act of the ignificative in the ignificable, and the ignificatum comprises the whole substantial fiery being naturally constituted in igneity; and this likewise applies to aereity, aqueity, and terreity.

4. In the essence of igneity, form is entirely contained in matter and vice-versa, and the same applies to the three other essences, and everywhere within the lunar sphere, all four essences are mixed in a mutual confusion of each one with the three others: as the ignificative and the ignificable join together in confusion they ignificate the aerificative and aerificable, and conversely they also aerificate; and as they ignificate the aqueificative and aqueificable, conversely they also aqueificate, and as they ignificate the terreificative and terreifiable, conversely they also terreificate. And thus, the four essences all move and are moved simultaneously and instantaneously throughout one another in so subtle a way, that all four are found mixed together in every infinitesimal point of the Chaos.

The Existence of Chaos

1. The ignificative, aerificative, aqueificative and terreificative essentially add up to one common form, which we call the universal form. Likewise, the ignificable, aerificable, aqueificable and terreificable essentially add up to one common matter, which we say is prime matter, and from both of these, namely the said form and matter, there results one existing being, one substantial entity, that we call Chaos.

2. What we call Chaos is the subject in which, and of which all natural beings within the lunar sphere consist, as it contains in itself all five universals, ten predicates, and all causal seeds, all created together in the very same instant with the prime Chaos; but note that these things add nothing at all to the essence of Chaos, rather, we say that they were created in the Chaos from which all things can be produced through various transmutations.

The Four Elements
1. There are four elements, namely fire, air, water and earth; they are the four powers through which the essence of Chaos essentially influences elemented things. And the four elements receive influence in the way that Chaos influences them with its four essences, namely igneity, etc. And so fire draws its own line, or point proceeding from Chaos into all the species within Chaos that essentially belong to the nature of igneity, and the same applies likewise to the other elements, each in its own way.
2. Fire contains in itself its own form and matter, which are of its own essence, and moreover, fire seeks to be one substantial entity, i.e., one simple body, with no extraneous essence standing between its own form and matter, and the other elements also seek this freedom for themselves. Therefore, to explain why each simple element seeks to be a simple body, we say that the four essences of Chaos were created simultaneously, and grouped in the confusion of Chaos, and blended in an exceedingly subtle mixture on account of the optimal concordance which they achieve, although not without some mutual contrariety. As opposites naturally repel one another, each of the four simple elements seeks to exist as a simple body on its own. Fire thus seeks the said concordance by ignificating the other elements to put an end to their opposition and break away from them; and the other elements do likewise, thus we understand how generation and corruption exist.

The Four Spheres
1. We say that Chaos is an entirely spherical entity, fully extended throughout four circular spheres set within each other. Now the sphere of fire is above the sphere of air which it encloses, and the sphere of air encloses the sphere of water below it, and the sphere of water encloses the sphere of earth, which we understand to be the center. What we call a sphere is simply the place that each element prefers for itself.
2. Further, the sphere of fire is the place where fire belongs, and the sphere of air is where air belongs, and so with the other elements. Therefore, fire seeks to be a simple body in its own sphere, but the essences of the spheres are more or less scattered, as it were, into places not their own as their mixture spreads throughout all of Chaos, and thus fire cannot break away to become a simple body on its own without any admixture of other elements. Consider, for instance, the soul: although it exists everywhere in the body, it has more power in some parts of the body than in others, and likewise, fire existing everywhere within Chaos is more essentially powerful in its own sphere, as this, rather than the sphere of any other element, is its natural place to be. And what we understand about fire likewise applies to the other elements, each in its own way.

3. As each element can move to its own sphere, each has the property of moving to its specific place and staying there, and thus, as the property of fire is to move quickly upward, because it is the lightest of the elements, its sphere exists above all the others.

4. Air, likewise, is a comparatively light element, but slower than fire, although it is quicker than water or earth. Therefore, air has its own region or sphere adjoining the sphere of fire.

5. Water, likewise, is heavier than air, but not as heavy as earth, which is the heaviest element of the four. And therefore, water has a sphere between the spheres of air and earth, and as the sphere of earth is the very lowest, we call it the center.

6. Fire, on account of its lightness and quickness, is an element that can disperse things, an that can be dispersed. The opposite of fire, namely water, is an element that can restrict things, and that can be restricted. Now, air is an element that seeks to fill things up, and seeks to enter into every empty place: thus it is called a filling element, and as such, air is opposed by the element that can be emptied or evacuated, namely earth, from which the other elements can develop and grow.

7. All four elements are both active and acted upon, each on its own and with the others, where fire, as the ignificative in its own sphere, ignificates its own essential ignificable so as to be one simple substantial entity, but as it cannot do this because of the admixture of the other elements, it goes on to ignificate the essences of the other spheres. Therefore none of the elements can accomplish its own perfection either within or outside of itself, for the said reason that the essences of Chaos, called the ignificative, the ignificable etc., produce one single confused body that entirely fills the concavity of the lunar sphere.

The Corporeal Nature and the Body of Chaos

1. Igneity does not exist on its own as a body, nor do aereity, etc. because if any of them existed per se as a body, one body would have to occupy the same space and number as another body, which is impossible, and although none of the four essences of this Chaos can be a separate body on its own, they nonetheless have a corporeal nature, so that from their common mixture the body called Chaos can result. Hence, neither fire nor any other element can exist alone in its own sphere, but once they are mixed together and digested, they can exist all together in any elemented thing as a body. And they can exist all together as the body of a man, a donkey, or a tree, etc. because of their common corporeal nature.

2. Chaos per se contains four essences, namely igneity, etc., and in every elemented thing, fire has its own innate, original and essential ignificative and ignificable with which it seeks to be a single and simple body existing per se, which it cannot be in any elemented thing as it is compounded with the other elements. This fire which is ignificative and ignificable, etc. in the being of Chaos is not the same as the fire whose influence has flowed from Chaos into elemented things, but neither the former nor the latter fire can exist in time as a simple body. And these things we have understood about fire equally apply to the other elements.

3. Further, just as the ignificative contains its own ignificable, the aerificative also contains its own aerificable, and the same applies to the aqueificative, etc. Now if fire were a simple body, air could not be passive under fire, etc. and thus, mixture could not occur, and without mixture there would be no generation, and without generation, no corruption, which is impossible.

4. Further, if fire were a simple body, it would burn up all other species with its excessive heat, as seen in the fact that fire in stones or in iron exists in small material quantities, not as readily sensed as earth, water and air, which exist in larger quantities in these minerals. Now if fire could exist in minerals in the same material quantity as earth, it would convert all the other elements to fire by burning them up, as it burns whatever is next to it, etc.

5. Further, a body cannot be made of form without matter, or of matter without form, and likewise, no element alone can constitute the body of Chaos, nor can any element alone become an elemented body, as this can only be done through the circle, the triangle and the square. If any element could indeed do this, Chaos would be destroyed and the simple elements could never move from their own spheres since no part could be severed from them, because each element would be self contained and perfect in itself.

6. Further, if a simple element were a simple body per se, there would be two reasons why fire could not descend to water and earth. Now if simple fire were a simple body per se, as we said, it would never want to diminish itself, and if it tried to lower a particle of itself down to the lower elements, this particle could never reach earth, as it could not penetrate the spheres of air and water. Now as the whole is stronger than any infinitesimal part, especially when facing opposition, it would be impossible, if simple fire were a body per se, and if water, its opposite element, were likewise a simple body, for any particle of fire to penetrate through the sphere of water, and this likewise applies to air, water and earth.

7. Fire is certainly warm and dry, air is moist and warm, water is cold and moist, and earth is dry and cold. Thus, if the simple elements existed as simple bodies per se, each element would have to have two qualities per se, namely fire would be warm and dry per se, and air moist and warm per se, and so with the others. And this is not possible, for if it were, two qualities would have to destroy one quality, and thus the heat and dryness of fire would destroy the moisture of air, all the way down to the sphere of earth, but then on the other hand, the dryness of earth could not resist the moisture of air and water, as fire could never cooperate with earth due to the other elements standing in the way.

8. Further, if any element existed as a simple body per se, the spheres would not mutually interpenetrate throughout Chaos, and thus none of the spheres could be entirely mobile, nor could any sphere entirely participate in natural operations, and each sphere would exist more in potentiality than in act, because its element could not entirely participate in mixture or any other natural operation. Therefore, fire would destroy the other elements with its superior velocity and natural appetite, and in this destruction, the very beginning, middle and end of nature would be destroyed, which is an impossibility.

9. Further, if the simple elements were simple bodies per se, they would not be so receptive to the influences of the heavenly bodies, nor could their parts be so readily mixed, digested and compounded, because the principle of majority in generation and corruption would be destroyed.

10. Further, supposing they were simple bodies, then each one would be perfectly self sufficient, and fire interfacing with air on its outer edge would display an unnatural appetite, as it would not be natural for fire to function by converting air to its own essence, and multiplying its species into infinitesimal particles containing air, etc. It is therefore obvious that the simple elements are not bodies existing each on its own.

11. If the matter of fire with its form constituted a simple body, the matter would be so crude and undigestible that it could neither be digested, nor allow any part of itself to be severed when entering composition, just as it would be unnatural for a hand to freely allow one of its fingers to be cut off.

12. As igneity, aereity, etc., produce one single being called Chaos, the entirety of the ignificative is active in the ignificable, aerificable, terreificable, etc. and vice versa, and likewise with the other elements, ensuring uninterrupted essential homogeneity throughout Chaos. But if each simple element were a body per se, the entirety of the ignificative and ignificable could not be actually active and passive everywhere in the Chaos, which would entail the destruction of essential fiery form and matter throughout Chaos, and the same would also happen to the other elements, which is an impossibility.

13. Further, if the simple elements were bodies per se, the Chaos would not consist of two essential parts, which are universal form and prime matter, as each element would be on its own, outside the essence of this Chaos. And the integral parts could not constitute one single Chaos existing under its essential parts, which is an impossibility. Similarly, the parts of the elements could not mutually interpenetrate, nor could different elements be in mutual agreement or opposition. Thus, nature would be defeated in its very principles, which is obviously impossible, etc. Without human intervention, compound fire would not appear as man produces fire artificially from iron and stone, which means that if fire were a simple body, it would burn up all substantial beings with its extreme heat. To prevent it from doing this, as we have said, compound fire is hemmed in, so it cannot make its appearance until it has been artificially brought forth. And these considerations on simplicity are sufficient for proving the point regarding elemental simplicity, namely that the elements cannot be simple bodies per se. Now we have spoken about the corporeal essence of the elements and elemented bodies. From this it can be understood that, as we said, no simple element exists as a body per se, although we say that they have a corporeal nature. And as they are all mixed together, we understand that they constitute a single body. Therefore, corporeal essence belongs to corporeal existence, and this corporeal essence exists in simple elements, as Chaos exists under corporeal essence, and this corporeal essence consists of igneity, aereity, etc. in the same way that the vegetative power exists in the trunk of a tree, where it does not exist as a body, although it is the essence of body in that vegetal being.

The Three Degrees of Chaos

1. The first degree of Chaos is a certain entity aggregated from igneity, aereity, aqueity and terreity. And in this being, there are causal seeds, namely natural genera, species, differences, properties, and acidents as well as universal form and prime matter, as we said, and also majority, equality, minority, beginning, middle, end, and all natural forms, both substantial and accidental. In this, what we call the first degree, God created whatever naturally exists in physical bodies. And this was done through the modes of potentiality, actuality, habit, disposition, appetite etc. so that this Chaos be sufficient for the natural agent to draw upon for whatever it needs, for the generation and conservation of species.

2. The second degree of the Chaos is in the creation of the first Lion, the first tree, and so forth, and even of the first man, as far as the body is concerned. By their creation, we mean their production as specific beings, even though the substance they were made of was already there before they were produced from it. The first degree transmits its influence into the second degree, by imparting its potential and habitual content, its disposition and capacity, like images reproduced in space. Therefore, the second degree is an instrument of the first degree, for without the second degree, the first degree could not operate perfectly, nor would the purpose for which the first degree was created be fulfilled. And this is because without the second degree, species would not exist in their individuals, nor could potential forms proceed into act, and so forth.

3. Now the third degree of the Chaos is in the succession that follows the second degree, such as the second humans, the second Lions, the second trees, or the third ones, and so on in an endless succession up to the present.

4. The second degree was the medium through which the first influenced the third, and this third degree has developed into an endless sequence, namely from the third to the fourth, the fourth to the fifth, etc. up to the present. Now the virtue of the first degree proceeds into the third degree, as the second degree multiplies its likeness through successive degrees. Like wax assuming the shape of letters on a seal, so does the third degree receive the impressions of the second through the virtue of the first. Therefore, each successive degree in turn receives its benefit from the first degree. And thus the first degree consists of universal form and matter, whence particular forms and matters descend, in accordance with the natural agent in every degree, where the end is successively pursued from one degree to the next.

The Motion of Chaos
1. The motion of Chaos proceeds into being successively: as one degree follows another, motion is initiated in passing from the first degree to the second, and from the second to the third, and from the third to the fourth, and from the fourth to the fifth, and so on with each degree. We see this in the generation of animated beings, now the first human begot the second, the second begot the third, and so on with each degree in turn.
2. Igneity is the essence of fire, hence its first motion consists in producing Chaos with the essences of the other elements, as the ignificatiive ignificates the ignificable, etc.

3. The second motion follows the first, given that God, in creating the first human, the first animals, etc. brought fire and the other elements out of the first degree into the second. And as God Himself transmitted the elemental influence from Chaos into the first animated beings, so did He provide a regulated process and line of influence for transmitting the elements from this Chaos into the second, third, and all the following generations of animated beings procreated from the first animated beings.

4. The first fire moves in the essence of Chaos as does the second fire, which exists potentially in Chaos and moves intensively within its specific mixture with air, water and earth, as for instance in human bodies, peppercorns, and other such things. This is more clearly apparent in material fire as it burns wood: this kind of fire moves in a way quite similar to the way the ignificative moves in its own natural innate ignificable.

5. The motion of fire proceeds intensively within fire in the ignificative, ignificable, ignification and ignificatum; and the motion of the ignificative, ignificable, etc. also extends into the essence of air, water and earth. Hence, this intensive motion generates an extended motion throughout all of natural mixture. And from natural extended motion, local motion is generated where fire moves in all directions, burning wood, heating iron and warming human bodies and other things, and generating and destroying the individuals of species with its fiery motion. The same likewise applies to way the other elements move. As fire moves in natural things, it follows the intent of the first degree of Chaos to transmit the influence of its essence and virtue to the other degrees without any interruption, so that simple fire is optimally configured to be as close as possible to its simple essence infused in Chaos. And because fire in Chaos cannot be a simple body per se, it seeks out its own simplicity within the mixture of Chaos, or in species derived from it, such as choleric things etc. But it cannot achieve its simplicity, because the other elements are mixed with it everywhere, and the very same applies likewise to all the other elements.

6. As the ignificative in a compound moves its own ignificable within its own essence, it moves the aerificable in the essence of air, the aqueificable in the essence of water, and the terreificable in the essence of earth, none of which can be moved without the presence of the aerificative, aqueificative etc. Therefore the elements move one another, and as their forms move one another, they move each other's matter so that mixture, digestion, and composition can proceed.

7. In composition, active substantial form moves with its own motion and also moves accidental forms in passive substantial matter. For instance: the ignificative with its own motion moves the quantificative, which is active quantity, in the quantificable which is passive quantity. The same likewise follows with the qualificative in the qualificable, and so with the other accidents, wherein motion is an accidental instrument existing under substantial natural motion for the generation of substance. If the natural motificative did not have its own intrinsic accidental motificable, namely quantity, quality etc. existing in passive motion, there would be no active quantity, quality etc. in matter. Now if the passive instrument is missing, then the active instrument must necessarily be missing too.

The Form and Matter of Chaos
1. Chaos is a composite of prime form and prime matter. Prime form is composed of four forms, namely the form of igneity, the form of aereity etc. And prime matter is a composite of four matters, just as prime form is a composite of four forms.
2. In the essence called igneity, there is one simple form and one simple matter, namely the ignificative and the ignificable, one of which is a purely active form and the other a purely passive form in our manner of speaking. This form and this matter are called substantial because they are apt to constitute substance, and the same applies to aereity, aqueity, etc.

3. Further, igneity has several accidental forms, both active and passive. The active ones are: quantifying, qualifying, relating, active, timing, locating, situating and habituating forms. The passive forms, likewise, are those that can be quantified, qualified, related, passive, timed, located, situated and habituated. And this also applies to the other essences of Chaos.

4. All the said forms proceed from substantial forms, so that the active accidental forms proceed from active substantial forms, namely the ignificative, aerificative, etc. And the passive accidental forms proceed from passive substantial forms, namely the ignificable, aerificable, etc. Hence, the ignificative produces active quantity in itself, and passive quantity in the ignificable. Here, the ignificative acts with its own instrument, namely with the motive and active quantity with which it moves moveable and passive quantity in the ignificable. This also applies to the other essences and actions of Chaos existing under the said four forms, as shown above.

5. Chaos stands under substantial prime form and prime matter and accidental forms and matters stand under this. Here we see how prime form and prime matter transmit their influence to their four general powers, namely the four elements and their accidents both inside and outside Chaos, as each element seeks simplicity by splitting away from the others, only to form new compounds by merging again into composition with the others: therefore prime form and prime matter are understood to exist throughout all of Chaos and all the individuals included in it, as explained above.

6. The form of fire has its own fiery matter on which it ceaselessly acts with its own innate instrumental forms, enabling their action and passion. And the other elements proceed likewise in all compound forms throughout Chaos. Hence, the ignificative has its own ignificable in itself, and another ignificable in the other essences, namely those of air, water and earth. And what we said about one element equally applies to the others in their different ways.

7. The ignificative has its own intrinsic ignificable, and accidentally has another ignificable in the other essences, as we said, and thus it proceeds from the generating agent through successive degrees in a straight line, namely through the first, second and third degrees of Chaos. This is how fire, together with the other essences, materially produces its newly aggregated form and matter. The new form had existed potentially and is brought into act in the new matter, as the time and number of this form are situated and habituated in Chaos through the process of generation and decay.

8. Now the substantial being of any elemented thing is composed of four forms and four matters, namely those of fire, air, etc., under one new common form distinct from the said four forms, and one new common matter likewise distinct from the said four matters. So the substantial elemented being that results from this, belongs to a species totally foreign to the species of fire, air, etc.

9. In any elemented thing, the ignificative has its own ignificable, and the aerificative has its own aerificable, and likewise with the other elements; from this substantial form and matter, elemented things result so that every one of the four elements is substantially present in every elemented thing. Indeed, no elemented substance could have substantial form and matter if the elements were not present in it with their own substantial forms and matters. And this does not mean that there are four bodies in elemented things, but rather one single body aggregated from a mixture of the four elements.

10. Active fiery form is the ignificative actively informing its own passive form, also called its passive matter, namely the very matter in which the agent acts with its own essence, and hence its active form and active matter are called form, and its passive form and passive matter are called matter.

11. The pure form of fire is one active form and there is another active form which is the entirety of substantial fiery being, or the fiery aggregate of matter and form, as pure fire ignites an alien ignificable in the other elements. Therefore there are different kinds of fiery action and fiery passion, and they cannot exist without each other for all of them are included in each and every choleric elemented thing.

12. Active form moves all of its matter to passion with its own active motion through all the passive matter. Now form moves matter to constitute substance, and the entirety of substance moves with an intent that is entirely in all of the substance. Otherwise, the entirety of substance would not exist in the two points called form and matter, and in their active and passive motion numerically identical to this matter and form.

13. The first human being actively produced form in the second human, and the second in the third through the influence of prime Chaos; the same likewise applies to all successive generations of animated beings on earth up to the present. And what we said shows how the father is an actively producing form, and the son is a form passively produced down the line of succession in the Chaos.

14. In substance, form is superior to matter, as seen in man, for the human soul is superior to the human body. However, since matter is entirely passive under form, a proportional equality arises between them, without which form and matter could not exist together as they would have no entity, which is false, because they are indeed distinct entities joined together through quantity, quality, etc.

The Simplicity and Composition of Chaos
1. Igneity, aereity, aqueity and terreity are simple essences, and the Chaos is their aggregate. Hence, Chaos is a compound made of simple parts in the same way that the ignificative is simple per se, and the ignificable is simple per se, and yet the whole essential fiery aggregate of the two is a compound. The same likewise applies to the other essences of this Chaos.
2. Now Chaos is an aggregate of several forms and matters. As a compound of these forms and matters, Chaos exists within one universal form composed of several simple forms, and one universal matter composed of several simple matters. Thus, as Chaos is comprised of simplicity and composition, the elements proceeding from Chaos are also situated in simplicity and in composition.

3. Simple fire, we say, is a substantial being in which simple fiery form and matter crave to be joined together in simple unity, in one number and one substantial being entirely apart from the other elements. We understand that compound fire arises as the forms of all the elements are mixed and make up a compound under one common form, and all their matters aggregate under one common matter in one fiery elemented entity. And the substantial elemented being exists as one simple number within common form and matter, even if it is composed of the said common form and matter.

4. As the ignificative receives dryness in its own ignificable, it also receives the subject of dryness, which is the terreificable. And consequently, fire also receives the terreificative that exists everywhere in the terreificable. Further, as fire receives earth, it also receives the subject of simple water in the aqueificable and aqueificative that come with earth. In turn, as earth receives simple water, it receives coldness. Likewise, the subject of air is carried over into fire along with the moisture infused by air into water, and through water into earth, and from earth into fire, and thus fire and earth form compounds in substantial beings. The same applies likewise to the other elements.

5. In a peppercorn, and also in air in the region of heat, while the form of fire moves its ignificable toward the aerificable, and thence toward the aqueificable and the terreificable, it also causes the aerificative to move the aerificable to convert to the ignificable. The aerificative, ignited or moved by fire, in turn moves the aqueificative which then moves the aqueificable to transmute into the ignificable. Likewise, the terreificative is moved by the aqueificative, moved in turn by the aerificative which is moved by the ignificative, and the terreificative moves the terreificable to transmute into the ignificable, and this is how the composition of hot and dry elements takes place.

6. In the composition of the elements, each part of each element must enter into all the other parts. In this way, composition can result from their simple parts. Hence, in the essence of fire, there is form in matter, and this form cannot exist in matter, nor vice versa, unless the form and matter of the other elements be present in the form and matter of fire and vice versa. Therefore the ignificative and the ignificable are simple things in themselves, even though they enter into composition with alien parts. And the same likewise follows regarding the other parts of the compound, as each part exists simply in itself, but as a composite in the other parts.

7. The rationale observed in substantial simplicity and composition also holds for accidental simplicity and composition. Now the ignificative simply has in itself intensive and active quantity, quality etc. And the ignificable, likewise, has intensive and passive properties, namely quantity, quality etc. And if the ignificative and the ignificable enter into substantial composition, then composition follows from active and passive intensity, whence extended and compound quantity, quality etc. can result. And this happens in all compounds and in all of Chaos as the accidents all exist within each other throughout all substance composed of form and matter.

8. In elemented beings, there is both simple and compound fire. Now simple fire exists as the ignificative, the ignificable, the ignification and the ignificatum, all of one essence and in one essence of simple fire. But because the ignificative ignites the ignificable of other essences, namely the essence of air, etc., compound fire is subsequently produced. And this happens because the integral parts, namely the simple elements are mixed, and once they have been mixed, they are digested, and once digested, they are composed under the essential parts, namely the form and matter belonging to some compound. And whatever has been said about fire, likewise applies to the other elements.

9. In the first degree of Chaos, there are causal seeds existing in their simplicity, such as genus, species etc. But in the second and third degrees, they enter into composition, for without their composition, it would be impossible to produce any substantial elemented beings.

10. Fire is simpler in its own sphere than in the spheres of the other elements. Now the ignificative and the ignificable of the same fiery essence are closer to a simple mutual conjunction when in their own sphere, than in the spheres of other elements. And this is because of the strong dominance of fire over the other elements, and because in its sphere all four elements are present in greater or smaller proportions, since every essence of Chaos is extended into it to a greater or lesser degree. Thus it follows that fire is composed of the other elements, otherwise, Chaos would not have each and every one of its essences in each and every one of its parts. And consequently, there would be no causal seeds, because any seeds of a cold complexion would be destroyed by the predominant heat of fire. And the same likewise follows for the qualities of the other elements.

The Generation and Corruption of Chaos
1. The fiery substance generated from the ignificative and the ignificable is generated from a single fiery essence, as the ignification is numerically identical to the ignificative and the ignificable. And this kind of generation proceeds within the essence of simple fire situated in the first degree of Chaos, as well as in the other elements. And because the Chaos is produced from this incorruptible generation, it is in itself a general, universal and incorruptible entity.
2. Generation begins in the first degree of Chaos, whence it descends and passes through the second degree into the third, as the first human generated the second in the third degree, not mainly from his own influence, but rather through the influence of the first degree.

3. In a hot and dry complexion or region, the ignificative generates the ignificable in the essences of air, water and earth. The ignificative does this as it corrupts the aerificable in air, the aqueificable in water, and the terreificable in earth. And it does so by producing a form from the first degree of Chaos through the second into the third degree of this same Chaos. And this form exists potentially in the said aerificable, etc. until it finally becomes actual by corrupting the aerificable, etc. and generating the ignificable, etc.

4. As an arrow shot from a bowstring is artificially impelled to move to its target following the imagination and the appetite of the archer, likewise, and much more accurately, the causal seeds proceed in a straight line from the first degree of Chaos as their influence flows from the natural agent generating specific form in specific matter. And the said specific form and matter are produced from causal seeds through the organ that serves as the instrument of the agent in the third degree when it receives within itself the influence proceeding from the first degree, for multiplying its own species in the fourth, as it passes through successive degrees, corrupting each preceding degree while generating the next.

5. Substance is generated in the following way: the ignificative gives rise to the ignificable, and both together give rise to the ignificatum; and this completes the work of generating the ignificatum. But because, as we have mentioned several times before, the generation of compounds cannot take place without the other elements, so the aerificable, aqueificable, etc. are corrupted in their essences, as the ignificable is generated from their essences in the essence of fire joined to fire's own ignificable. And the substantiated and generated compound results from this.

6. Accidental generation proceeds in the following way: from active quantity, quality etc. existing intensively in the ignificative, and from the passive quantity, quality etc. existing intensively in the ignificable, etc., and likewise for the other elements, there is one quantity, one quality etc. generated in every elemented thing and extending throughout all substance. And this generation proceeds without any corruption of substance.

7. From the form of fire, air, water, and earth, one specific common form is generated in elemented beings. And also, from their matter, one specific common matter is generated. Now this common form is identical to the said four forms, in the same way that the whole is merely the sum of its parts. And this likewise follows for matter. Now the species aggregated from the said form and matter is numerically different from the elements, because the essence of this species, namely the said common form and matter, is a medium between the said species and the essence of each element. And what we call the essence of each element is the ignificative and ignificable of fire, and the aerificative and aerificable of air, and likewise for the other elements.

8. In rational beings, the Embryo is generated at the same time in the vegetative and sensitive powers. In this way, throughout the whole instrument, there is a single extended quantity generated from the intensive quantity existing in the vegetative and sensitive powers. Indeed, if this were not so, substance would lack its own accidents, and vice versa. Consequently, flesh would not generate flesh, nor would Chaos transmit its influence as vehemently to a rational Embryo as to an irrational one. And this is impossible, and contrary to the nobility of the natural agent, and contrary to the magnitude of the relation between father and son. This would also be contrary to the good natural appetite and charity found in humans. Further, this would be contrary to the Incarnation of the Son of God, and the nobility of the Glorious Virgin who gave Him birth. And above all, this would be contrary to the union of divine nature with human nature, and contrary to the recreation of mankind through the death of Christ. It would also be contrary to the resurrection that we expect on the final day of judgment. Countless impossibilities would follow from this. Hence it is shown that the sensitive power is imparted by the generator, and not by the creator, although we must say that in the first and second degrees of Chaos, it came from the creator before descending successively through all the degrees to the present, and conserving radical moisture throughout.

9. Through an optimal participation between animal and vegetal essences, generation sometimes proceeds from corruption. This can be observed in the bodies of dead animals and the worms that they breed, or in locusts bred in the air, and eels in water, and mice in the ground, and so with many other things that occur on account of the maximal appetite that the vegetative and sensitive potentials have for existing together in compounds as they receive influence from the first degree of Chaos without the presence of any natural instrument. And Chaos introduces this influence on account of the maximal appetite which it has in these causal seeds.

10. Further, generation from seeds sometimes proceeds in the following way: from the matter of seeds corrupted in air, the numerous atoms that they divide into are borne aloft in the air. And on account of the air's subtlety of movement, these atoms join up with each other through their specific similarities, until their species is restored. Now as they are received, be it in the earth, or in a rock or in a tower, or in any other place where they can receive benefit from the first degree of Chaos, then from the matter of their species, a likeness belonging to this species is generated, namely a tree, or some other plant.