| 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: to the people. Indeed, Pope Gelasius commands that the
Sacrament be not divided (dist. II., De Consecratione, cap.
Comperimus). Only custom, not so ancient, has it otherwise.
But it is evident that any custom introduced against the
commandments of God is not to be allowed, as the Canons
witness (dist. III., cap. Veritate, and the following
chapters). But this custom has been received, not only against
the Scripture, but also against the old Canons and the example
of the Church. Therefore, if any preferred to use both kinds
of the Sacrament, they ought not to have been compelled with
offense to their consciences to do otherwise. And because 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 A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: Dejah Thoris, from her point of vantage upon the thoat,
cried out that she saw a great party of mounted men filing
down from a pass in the hills several miles away. Sola and I
both looked in the direction she indicated, and there, plainly
discernible, were several hundred mounted warriors. They
seemed to be headed in a southwesterly direction, which
would take them away from us.
They doubtless were Thark warriors who had been sent
out to capture us, and we breathed a great sigh of relief that
they were traveling in the opposite direction. Quickly lifting
Dejah Thoris from the thoat, I commanded the animal to lie
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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 Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: This reply quieted the boy for a while. Very closely watched
the old toad mother her stolen human son. When by chance he
started off alone, she shoved out one of her own children after
him, saying: "Do not come back without your big brother."
Thus the wild boy with the long, loose hair sits every day on
a marshy island hid among the tall reeds. But he is not alone.
Always at his feet hops a little toad brother. One day an Indian
hunter, wading in the deep waters, spied the boy. He had heard
of the baby stolen long ago.
"This is he!" murmured the hunter to himself as he ran to his
wigwam. "I saw among the tall reeds a black-haired boy at play!"
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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 Sophist by Plato: which includes under one class the most diverse sorts of things.
STRANGER: We know, of course, that he who professes by one art to make all
things is really a painter, and by the painter's art makes resemblances of
real things which have the same name with them; and he can deceive the less
intelligent sort of young children, to whom he shows his pictures at a
distance, into the belief that he has the absolute power of making whatever
he likes.
THEAETETUS: Certainly.
STRANGER: And may there not be supposed to be an imitative art of
reasoning? Is it not possible to enchant the hearts of young men by words
poured through their ears, when they are still at a distance from the truth
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