| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: in abuse of the gifts of God. But since human nature and natural
reason, as they call it, are naturally superstitious, and quick
to believe that justification can be attained by any laws or
works proposed to them, and since nature is also exercised and
confirmed in the same view by the practice of all earthly
lawgivers, she can never of her own power free herself from this
bondage to works, and come to a recognition of the liberty of
faith.
We have therefore need to pray that God will lead us and make us
taught of God, that is, ready to learn from God; and will
Himself, as He has promised, write His law in our hearts;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther: measure, and with what distinctions, he ought to chasten his own
body. He will fast, watch, and labour, just as much as he sees to
suffice for keeping down the wantonness and concupiscence of the
body. But those who pretend to be justified by works are looking,
not to the mortification of their lusts, but only to the works
themselves; thinking that, if they can accomplish as many works
and as great ones as possible, all is well with them, and they
are justified. Sometimes they even injure their brain, and
extinguish nature, or at least make it useless. This is enormous
folly, and ignorance of Christian life and faith, when a man
seeks, without faith, to be justified and saved by works.
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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 Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne: The second night she went to her bureau, and having ordered Bridget to
bring her up a couple of fresh candles and leave them upon the table, she
took out her marriage-settlement, and read it over with great devotion:
and the third night (which was the last of my uncle Toby's stay) when
Bridget had pull'd down the night-shift, and was assaying to stick in the
corking pin--
--With a kick of both heels at once, but at the same time the most natural
kick that could be kick'd in her situation--for supposing ......... to be
the sun in its meridian, it was a north-east kick--she kick'd the pin out
of her fingers--the etiquette which hung upon it, down--down it fell to the
ground, and was shiver'd into a thousand atoms.
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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 Proposed Roads To Freedom by Bertrand Russell: German Communist League, 8
German Working Men's
Association, 8
Germany, 144
Giles, Lionel, 36n.
God and the State, 48
Godwin, 207
Gompers, 76
Gospels, The, 187
Government, 111 ff., 198 ff.
representative, 117, 129 ff., 137 ff.
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