| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: although in the phraseology of Kant there could be no transcendental use of
them, or, in other words, they were only applicable within the range of our
knowledge. But into the origin of these ideas, which he obtains partly by
an analysis of the proposition, partly by development of the 'ego,' he
never inquires--they seem to him to have a necessary existence; nor does he
attempt to analyse the various senses in which the word 'cause' or
'substance' may be employed.
The philosophy of Berkeley could never have had any meaning, even to
himself, if he had first analyzed from every point of view the conception
of 'matter.' This poor forgotten word (which was 'a very good word' to
describe the simplest generalization of external objects) is now superseded
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Martin Luther: through His Son Jesus. All who give their faith to this Son of Mine, to them I
am God and Father. I accept, justify, and save them. All others abide under My
curse because they worship creatures instead of Me.
Without the doctrine of justification there can be only ignorance of God.
Those who refuse to be justified by Christ are idolaters. They remain under
the Law, sin, death, and the power of the devil. Everything they do is wrong.
Nowadays there are many such idolaters who want to be counted among the
true confessors of the Gospel. They may even teach that men are delivered
from their sins by the death of Christ. But because they attach more
importance to charity than to faith in Christ they dishonor Him and pervert
His Word. They do not serve the true God, but an idol of their own invention.
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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 The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: a joyful and confident conscience to stand before Him in prayer. For
where the heart is not in right relation towards God, nor can take such
confidence, it will nevermore venture to pray. But such a confident and
joyful heart can spring from nothing else than the [certain] knowledge
of the forgiveness of sin.
But there is here attached a necessary, yet consolatory addition: As we
forgive. He has promised that we shall be sure that everything is
forgiven and pardoned, yet in the manner that we also forgive our
neighbor. For just as we daily sin much against God and yet He forgives
everything through grace, so we, too, must ever forgive our neighbor
who does us injury, violence, and wrong, shows malice toward us, etc.
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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 Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare: Her azure veins, her alabaster skin,
Her coral lips, her snow-white dimpled chin.
As the grim lion fawneth o'er his prey,
Sharp hunger by the conquest satisfied,
So o'er this sleeping soul doth Tarquin stay,
His rage of lust by grazing qualified;
Slack'd, not suppress'd; for standing by her side,
His eye, which late this mutiny restrains,
Unto a greater uproar tempts his veins:
And they, like straggling slaves for pillage fighting,
Obdurate vassals. fell exploits effecting,
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