THEORY.

On the principles of nature in a universal sense, and how all things are extracted from a confused mass Original: "massa confusa," referring to the initial state of chaos before creation., by comparison to the great world The Macrocosm or the universe.; concerning the four elements and the four primordial main principles: and concerning all things, by reducing them through the great form of the world to our mastery, which is the minor form, just as a minor world The Microcosm, referring here to the alchemical work itself as a reflection of the universe. through a miracle.

He calls the causes of things here—namely body and soul—this form. See page 84.

CHAPTER III.

The natural principles, both primordial and those that follow in the work of nature, are universally all the extremes that can exist, along with their intermediate points. We shall declare the nature of these primordial principles under the power of nature and of God, the supreme king and celestial emperor, who alone in Trinity is without beginning and without a creator. He is superior to the succession of all the aforementioned principles, which are named "extremes" and "means" The "extremes" are the pure elements or qualities, while "means" are the mixtures that form physical reality. in the works of nature. This nature the supreme God first created from nothing, out of his pure generosity and will, in a certain pure substance which is called the quintessence Original: "essentia quinta," the "fifth essence" or ether that transcends the four physical elements.,

A circular diagram consisting of three concentric rings around a center labeled "Nature." The outermost ring is labeled "Angels," the next ring is labeled "Heaven," and the ring immediately around the center is labeled "World." A radial section is drawn from the center through the rings toward the upper right, indicating a path of influence or division.

in which all nature is comprised. From the better and purer part of this substance, divided into three parts, the Most High created the angels; from the second part, he created the heavens, planets, and stars. And from the third, less pure part, he made the lower world.

And this the "son of doctrine" A traditional address to the student or initiate. ought to understand, not exactly as we hand it down [in steps], but rather how the whole was created simultaneously by the will of the superior God, without any operation of succession and without any preceding matter that would look toward a succession of kinds. For otherwise, it would not be a creation, nor a divine operation, which regards the creation of a scientific entity coming into being through creation from nothing into a true, substantial entity. Therefore, my son, this which—

A circular diagram representing the four elements and their qualities. The outer ring is divided into four quadrants: "Fire" (top), "Air" (right), "Water" (bottom), and "Earth" (left). Between the elements are written their corresponding qualities: "Hot and Dry" (between Fire and Air), "Moist and Hot" (between Air and Water), "Cold and Moist" (between Water and Earth), and "Dry and Cold" (between Earth and Fire). The central circle contains the text: "Earth, the part of nature concerning the elements."

A 4 This is a signature mark used by printers to keep the pages of a book in the correct order.