LIBER CHAOS Bl. Raymond Lull Doctor Illuminatus

Part I

The First and Second Acts of Chaos

2. Chaos is the first act, and the four simple elements transmitting their influence from this Chaos are the second act. Now as the four essences unite together to produce Chaos, this same Chaos then divides itself and produces four simple elements. Therefore, Chaos dividing itself is the first act, and the four simple elements constitute the second act. 

3. Simple fire is the first act, and compound fire is the second act which occurs when the ignificative, as it enters by infusion into its own ignificable, is infused into air, water and earth, and produces the act of ignification in itself and in the other elements; and as one element proceeds in this way, understand that every one of the other elements follows the same process.

4. Compound fire, air, water and earth entering into composition in any elemented thing are the first act. And this elemented thing, which is but the compound being of these four, is the second act. Now as the parts of the elements intensively penetrate one another in greater or lesser proportions by way of composition, the elements in the compound constitute another species, which is not a species of any of the four elements. 

5. The form of fire, the form of air, the form of water and the form of earth taken together are the first active act, and the second active act is the common form of the elemented thing composed of them. Likewise, the first passive act consists in the matters of fire, air, water and earth, and the second passive act is the common matter of the elemented thing. 

6. Likewise, the common form and common matter of an elemented thing are the first act of the said elemented thing. But the whole elemented thing aggregated from these two, or the being of the substantial elemented thing, is the second act. 

7. Further, a grain of wheat is the first act, and the ear that is produced from it is the second act, and likewise with other substantial things like these. 

8. Further, substance is the first act, but common quantity, quality, etc. are the second act. For substance to exist, accidents must be accidentally present in it. 

9. Intense active quantity and intense passive quantity are the first act, and the extended quantity aggregated from both is the second act. The same also applies to quality, etc. 

10. In a mixture whose parts all interpenetrate one another, the entrance of each part into every other part is the first act of place, time, motion, action, passion and relation. But these accidents, namely place etc. are the second act, proceeding by means of substance and of the said principles beneath which mixture exists from the first degree of Chaos through to the last, as we said. 

From what we said, it is clear enough how one act can be called the first act, and how another act can be called the second act. It is also clear how the first act is said to be prior to the subsequent act, and how the subsequent act is said to follow upon the preceding act, while the influence of Chaos exists contiguously through all the degrees, and distinctly through diverse essences in the division of acts and degrees.