| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: capabilities he may have in him, however small, should have their
fair and full chance of development. But the cause of the wrong is
not the existence of a caste, or a privileged class, or of anything
save the plain fact, that some men will be always able to pay more
for their children's education than others; and that those children
will, inevitably, win in the struggle of life.
Meanwhile, in this fact is to be found the most weighty, if not the
only argument against manhood suffrage, which would admit many--but
too many, alas!--who are still mere boys in mind. To a reasonable
household suffrage it cannot apply. The man who (being almost
certainly married, and having children) can afford to rent a 5 pound
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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 Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: forgive sin without and even before our prayer (for He has given us the
Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever thought
about it). But this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept
such forgiveness. For since the flesh in which we daily live is of such
a nature that it neither trusts nor believes God, and is ever active in
evil lusts and devices, so that we sin daily in word and deed, by
commission and omission by which the conscience is thrown into unrest,
so that it is afraid of the wrath and displeasure of God, and thus
loses the comfort and confidence derived from the Gospel; therefore it
is ceaselessly necessary that we run hither and obtain consolation to
comfort the conscience again.
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