LIBER CHAOS Bl. Raymond Lull Doctor Illuminatus

Part I

Universal and Particular Chaos

2. The first degree is universal, and from it, through creation, proceeds the second degree in which were created all the species universal to all individuals and all species in the third degree of Chaos, which in turn are universal to all their individuals in the third degree. Therefore the first degree of Chaos is universal to the second and the second is universal to the third.

3. The difference which Chaos receives from the ignificative, aerificative etc. and from the ignificable, aerificable, aqueificable and terreificable, is universal to all the differences existing in elemented nature in the third degree of Chaos. The same applies to all the properties and accidents which the Chaos receives in itself from its own essence, as these properties and accidents are universal to all the properties and accidents of elemental nature in the third degree of Chaos.

4. The substance of Chaos is universal to all the substances in the third degree of Chaos, which are its particulars, and just as this substance is universal to all the substances in the third degree, likewise all the accidents of this prime substance are universal to all the accidents of substances in the third degree, so that there is one universal substance which is universal to all natural substances, and one quantity universal to all quantities, one quality universal to all qualities, and so on with all the accidents in elemented nature.

5. The substance of a wheat grain in which many wheat grains potentially exist, is universal to all future substances generated by this grain; and what applies to the substances applies in the same way to the accidents, now the accidents of the generative grain are general to all the accidents of its generables, but understand that this occurs with help from the first degree of Chaos which instills its essence in the said grain, which we say is universal, but without the influence of the Chaos, this grain could in no way be universal on its own.

6. From the parts of fire present in a stone, in iron and in the air, when the stone is struck, particular fire is extracted, since the first degree of Chaos exists as a universal in the said parts, and this is a simple universal of the nature of igneity, which nonetheless exists in a compounded and mixed state in the stone, iron and air from which it is extracted as well as in the kindling in which it is kindled. Likewise, this air we breathe is universal to the breath of all animals; and water in rainwater, dew, springs, rivers and in the sea, is universal to all liquid bodies; and earth, which we call the center, is universal to all solid bodies, as we mentioned above in the chapter on mixture and virtue.

7. The Chaos instills universal matter into a tree, and the natural agent receives this influx of matter in the tree by differentiating it into branches, leaves and fruit, and in this way it specifies the universal so that the said matter becomes particular in the third degree of Chaos, but as a universal can never be entirely received by particulars, so likewise the first degree of Chaos can never be totally received in the third, whence it is clearly obvious that a universal is a principle which exists beyond particulars; however, we do not mean to say that the universal has no particularity of its own, but we mean that it is universal with respect to the existence of the things that are made or can be made from it, because if there were no principle in natural things, with the sole exception of the particulars in the third degree of Chaos, the entire first degree of Chaos would convert into the third, which is impossible.

8. Our senses clearly tell us that man receives an influence of air through five senses, namely through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. Air is a single entity, and its influence is diffused when man receives it through specification, because his sensitive faculty has five diverse ways of receiving the air available to them in common, and this shows clearly enough that the universal communicates itself to a vast number of particulars of various species that live in air; the same is likewise understood about species which live in water, as water communicates with their five particular sensitive faculties.

9. When scions of pear and peach are grafted onto an apple tree, the form and matter which then are universal to the pear and the peach are naturally transmuted into another essence, namely the form and matter of pear and peach as the natural agent generates from the universal the particulars in which the form and matter of the universal are specified, because in the graft the specific form and specific matter of the pear and the peach are grafted onto the influx of the specific form and specific matter of this particular apple tree, which give rise to a universal with respect to the various grafted species which are particular and specific, and to which the essence of the apple tree as such communicates itself universally, and is received in particular ways with respect to the said essences of pear and peach.

10. The vegetative power communicates itself universally to four specific powers which exist in it, namely the appetitive, retentive, digestive and expulsive powers which exist universally on the outside but in particular ways on the inside; inasmuch as it is on the outside, the vegetative power exists in a confused state in potentiality in the first degree of Chaos, but inasmuch as it is on the inside, it exists as something specific the third degree of Chaos. And this is enough about particulars and universals.