68 ONTOLOGY. 



C. STOCHIOLOG Y. 



FUNCTIONS OF THE ELEMENTS. 



1 . Functions of the 



317. The spiritual activity of aether manifests itself as 

 a process of combustion, which appears as fire. The 

 combination of the substance with light and heat is fire ; 

 the elements have therefore originated by a process of 

 combustion. All matter has undergone combustion, and 

 indeed aether has been submitted to the same process. 

 The process of fixation of the aether or the process of 

 condensation, is consequently a process of combustion. 



313. Each heavenly body has originally burnt, was 

 nothing but fire ; the Vulcanic has preceded the Neptu- 

 nian agency. It was, however, the primary process of 

 combustion, through which the at present combustible 

 matters first originated. The present volcanoes must 

 not be regarded as synonymous with the primary com- 

 bustion. There it was not Vesuvii that burnt, but 

 aether. 



319. What has not been burnt upon the planet, is 

 again reduced. A something that has not originally 

 suffered combustion is a contradiction. The metal is 

 therefore not the Original, as for obvious reasons also, 

 the solid cannot proceed directly out of the aether, with- 

 out having been first gaseous and fluid. The pro- 

 cesses of combustion upon the planet are all secondary, 

 are imitations of the primary combustion in matter, in 

 the elements. Fire consists of the combinations of the 

 three activities, gravity, light, and heat, which are now 

 to be separately considered. 



a. GRAVITY. 



320. The functions of gravity are exhibited princi- 

 pally in the motion of the heavenly bodies, and are 



