first creation of all things.

spirit. For although it has the most powerful body and soul, it is called spirit rather than body, because its body is most subtle and almost spiritual. Likewise, it is called spirit rather than soul, because its soul or Archäus the vital formative force of nature does not appear to the senses. Although all these aforementioned principles are more composed than the first principles or elements, they are nevertheless placed among the simple bodies: because no body can be dissolved back down to them. That is: it cannot be brought back to its previous simple essence, before it received the specified form of a mixed thing in one of the three kingdoms, such that it would cast off the substantial form of a mixed thing. Otherwise, it could be transformed into nothing at all, which is impossible. It is true that no procreation happens without the destruction of the form (for the procreation of one is the destruction of the other). But in the moment that the old form is destroyed, a new one is introduced, but not in a simpler degree of composition, and not for a single moment, otherwise it would finally become nothing at all. Although there is no absolute separation of the things mentioned, there is

The text on this page includes red underlining, likely from a previous owner of the manuscript or book emphasizing the definitions of spirit and form.