| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon: of the reserving of the ecclesiastical penalty, and not of the
reserving of the guilt.
Whence have the bishops the right to lay these traditions upon
the Church for the ensnaring of consciences, when Peter, Acts
15, 10, forbids to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples,
and Paul says, 2 Cor. 13, 10, that the power given him was to
edification not to destruction? Why, therefore, do they
increase sins by these traditions?
But there are clear testimonies which prohibit the making of
such traditions, as though they merited grace or were
necessary to salvation. Paul says, Col. 2, 16-23: Let no man
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Christ in Flanders by Honore de Balzac: been lit with thousands of wax-tapers, a little cresset, that she
might see to read her prayers through the hours of night.
"There is no faith left in the earth! . . ." she said.
In such a perilous plight did I behold the fairest and the greatest,
the truest and most life-giving of all Powers.
"Wake up, sir, the doors are just about to be shut," said a hoarse
voice. I turned and beheld the beadle's ugly countenance; the man was
shaking me by the arm, and the cathedral lay wrapped in shadows as a
man is wrapped in his cloak.
"Belief," I said to myself, "is Life! I have just witnessed the
funeral of a monarchy, now we must defend the church."
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: others?
Clearly.
And if it be greater and less and equal, it will be of equal and more and
less measures or divisions than itself and the others, and if of measures,
also of parts?
Of course.
And if of equal and more and less measures or divisions, it will be in
number more or less than itself and the others, and likewise equal in
number to itself and to the others?
How is that?
It will be of more measures than those things which it exceeds, and of as
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: [Enter ALGERNON and CECILY hand in hand. They come slowly up to
JACK.]
JACK. Good heavens! [Motions ALGERNON away.]
ALGERNON. Brother John, I have come down from town to tell you
that I am very sorry for all the trouble I have given you, and that
I intend to lead a better life in the future. [JACK glares at him
and does not take his hand.]
CECILY. Uncle Jack, you are not going to refuse your own brother's
hand?
JACK. Nothing will induce me to take his hand. I think his coming
down here disgraceful. He knows perfectly well why.
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