| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ion by Plato: of poets, and uses them as his ministers, as he also uses diviners and holy
prophets, in order that we who hear them may know them to be speaking not
of themselves who utter these priceless words in a state of
unconsciousness, but that God himself is the speaker, and that through them
he is conversing with us. And Tynnichus the Chalcidian affords a striking
instance of what I am saying: he wrote nothing that any one would care to
remember but the famous paean which is in every one's mouth, one of the
finest poems ever written, simply an invention of the Muses, as he himself
says. For in this way the God would seem to indicate to us and not allow
us to doubt that these beautiful poems are not human, or the work of man,
but divine and the work of God; and that the poets are only the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass: to feel that slavery is right; and he can be brought
to that only when he ceases to be a man.
I was now getting, as I have said, one dollar and
fifty cents per day. I contracted for it; I earned it;
it was paid to me; it was rightfully my own; yet,
upon each returning Saturday night, I was compelled
to deliver every cent of that money to Master Hugh.
And why? Not because he earned it,--not because
he had any hand in earning it,--not because I owed
it to him,--nor because he possessed the slightest
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: earth; besides this only One I regard nothing else as God; for there is
no one else who could create heaven and earth.
But for the learned, and those who are somewhat advanced [have
acquired some Scriptural knowledge], these three articles may all be
expanded and divided into as many parts as there are words. But now for
young scholars let it suffice to indicate the most necessary points,
namely, as we have said, that this article refers to the Creation: that
we emphasize the words: Creator of heaven and earth But what is the
force of this, or what do you mean by these words: I believe in God the
Father Almighty, Maker, etc.? Answer: This is what I mean and believe,
that I am a creature of God; that is, that He has given and constantly
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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 King James Bible: to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great,
and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
CH2 28:14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the
princes and all the congregation.
CH2 28:15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took
the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them,
and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and
anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and
brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then
they returned to Samaria.
CH2 28:16 At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to
King James Bible |
