development；　that　is　to　say；　which　puts　its　matter　into　stone；　canvas；　or　words　as　is　done　by
  modern　art；　which；　in　dealing　either　with　religious　or　with　historical　objects；　takes　as　its
  groundwork　ideas　and　thoughts　which　are　already　there。　The　consciousness　of　this　Religion　is
  rather　the　product　of　thinking　imagination；　or　of　thought　which　comprehends　through　the　organ　of
  imagination　alone　and　finds　expression　in　its　forms。
  If　the　infinite　Thought；　the　absolute　Mind；　has　revealed　and　does　reveal　itself　in　true　Religion；　that
  in　which　it　reveals　itself　is　the　heart；　the　representing　consciousness　and　the　understanding　of　what
  is　finite。　Religion　is　not　merely　directed　to　every　sort　of　culture。　〃To　the　poor　is　the　Gospel
  preached；〃　but　it　must　as　being　Religion　expressly　directed　towards　heart　and　mind；　enter　into　the
  sphere　of　subjectivity　and　consequently　into　the　region　of　finite　methods　of　representation。　In　the
  perceiving　and；　with　reference　to　perceptions；　reflecting　consciousness；　man　possesses　for　the
  speculative　relations　belonging　to　the　absolute；　only　finite　relations；　whether　taken　in　an　exact　or　in
  a　symbolical　sense；　to　serve　him　to　comprehend　and　express　those　qualities　and　relationships　of
  the　infinite。
  In　Religion　as　the　earliest　and　the　immediate　revelations　of　God；　the　form　of　representation　and　of
  reflecting　finite　thought　cannot　be　the　only　form　in　which　He　gives　existence　to　Himself　in
  consciousness；　but　it　must　also　appear　in　this　form；　for　such　alone　is　comprehensible　to　religious
  consciousness。　To　make　this　clearer；　something　must　be　said　as　to　what　is　the　meaning　of
  comprehension。　On　the　one　hand；　as　has　been　remarked　above；　there　is　in　it　the　substantial　basis
  of　content；　which；　coming　to　Mind　as　its　absolute　Being；　affects　it　in　its　innermost；　finds　an
  answering　chord；　and　thereby　obtains　from　it　confirmation。　This　is　the　first　absolute　condition
  necessary　to　comprehension；　what　is　not　implicitly　there　cannot　come　within　it　or　be　for　it　…　that　is；
  a　content　which　is　infinite　and　eternal。　For　the　substantial　as　infinite；　is　just　that　which　has　no
  limitations　in　that　to　which　it　is　related；　for　else　it　would　be　limited　and　not　the　true　substantial。　And
  Mind　is　that　alone　which　is　not　implicit；　which　is　finite　and　external；　for　what　is　finite　and　external　is
  no　longer　what　is　implicit　but　what　is　for　another；　what　has　entered　into　a　relation。　But；　on　the
  other　hand；　because　the　true　and　eternal　must　be　for　Mind；　become　known；　that　is；　enter　into　finite
  consciousness；　the　Mind　for　which　it　is；　is　finite　and　the　manner　of　its　consciousness　consists　in　the
  ideas　and　forms　of　finite　things　and　relations。　These　forms　are　familiar　and　well　known　to
  consciousness；　the　ordinary　mode　of　finality；　which　mode　it　has　appropriated　to　itself；　having
  constituted　it　the　universal　medium　of　its　representation；　into　which　everything　that　comes　to
  consciousness　must　be　resolved　in　order　that　it　may　gave　and　know　itself　therein。
  The　assertion　of　Religion　is　that　the　manifestation　of　Truth　which　is　revealed　to　us　through　it；　is　one
  which　is　given　to　man　from　outside；　and　on　this　account　it　is　also　asserted　that　man　has　humbly　to
  assent　to　it；　because　human　reason　cannot　attain　to　it　by　itself。　The　assertion　of　positive　Religion　is
  that　its　truths　exist　without　having　their　source　known；　so　that　the　content　as　given；　is　one　which　is
  above　and　beyond　reason。　By　means　of　some　prophet　or　other　divine　instrument；　the　truth　is　made
  known：　just　as　Ceres　and　Triptolemus　who　introduced　agriculture　and　matrimony；　for　so　doing
  were　honoured　by　the　Greeks；　men　have　rendered　thanks　to　Moses　and　to　Mahomed。　Through
  whatever　individual　the　Truth　may　have　been　given；　the　external　matter　is　historical；　and　this　is
  indifferent　to　the　absolute　content　and　to　itself；　since　the　person　is　not　the　import　of　the　doctrine。
  But　the　Christian　Religion　has　this　characteristic　that　the　Person　of　Christ　in　His　character　of　the
  Son　of　God；　Himself　partakes　of　the　nature　of　God。　If　Christ　be　for　Christians　only　a　teacher　like
  Pythagoras；　Socrates　or　Columbus；　there　would　be　here　no　universal　divine　content；　no　revelation
  or　knowledge　imparted　about　the　Nature　of　God；　and　it　is　regarding　this　alone　that　we　desire　to
  obtain　knowledge。
  Whatever　stage　it　may　itself　have　reached；　the　Truth　must　undoubtedly　in　the　first　place　come　to
  men　from　without　as　a　present　object；　sensuously　represented；　just　as　Moses　saw　God　in　the　fiery
  bush；　and　as　the　Greek　brought　the　god　into　conscious　being　by　means　of　sculpture　or　other
  representations。　But　there　is　the　further　fact；　that　neither　in　Religion　nor　in　Philosophy　does　this
  external　form　remain；　nor　can　it　so　remain。　A　form　of　the　imagination　or　an　historical　form；　such　as
  Christ；　must　for　the　spirit　be　spiritual；　and　thus　it　ceases　to　be　an　external　matter；　seeing　that　the
  form　of　externality　is　dead。　We　must　know　God　〃in　Spirit　and　in　Truth。〃　He　is　the　absolute　and
  actual　Spirit。　The　relation　borne　by　the　human　spirit　to　this　Spirit　involve　the　following
  considerations。
  When　man　determines　to　adopt　a　Religion　he　asks　himself；　〃What　is　the　ground　of　my　faith？〃　The
  Christian　Religion　replies　…　〃The　Spirit's　witness　to　its　content。〃　Christ　reproved　the　Pharisees　for
  wishing　to　see　miracles；　the　Spirit　alone　comprehends　Spirit；　the　miracle　is　only　a　presentiment　of
  that　Spirit；　and　if　the　miracle　be　the　suspension　of　natural　laws；　Spirit　itself　is　the　real　miracle　in　the
  operations　of　nature。　Spirit　in　itself　is　merely　this　comprehension　of　itself。　There　is　only　one　Spirit；
  the　universal　divine　Spirit。　Not　that　it　is　merely　everywhere；　it　is　not　to　be　comprehended　as　what
  is　common　to　everything；　as　an　external　totality；　to　be　found　in　many　or　in　all　individuals；　which　are
  essentially　individuals；　but　it　must　be　understood　as　that　which　permeates　through　everything；　as
  the　unity　of　itself　and　of　a　semblance　of　its　〃other；〃　as　of　the　subjective　and　particular。　As　universal；
  it　is　object　to　itself；　and　thus　determined　as　a　particular；　it　is　this　individual：　but　as　universal　it
  reaches　over　this　its　〃other；〃　so　that　its　〃other〃　and　itself　are　comprised　in　one。　The　true　universality
  seems；　popularly　expressed；　to　be　two　…　what　is　common　to　the　universal　itself　and　to　the
  particular。　A　division　is　formed　in　the　understanding　of　itself；　and　the　Spirit　is　the　unity　of　what　is
  understood　and　the　understanding　person。　The　divine　Spirit　which　is　comprehended；　is　objective；
  the　subjective　Spirit　comprehends。　But　Spirit　is　not　passive；　or　else　the　passivity　can　be
  momentary　only；　there　is　one　spiritual　substantial　unity。　The　subjective　Spirit　is　the　active；　but　the
  objective　Spirit　is　itself　this　activity；　the　active　subjective　Spirit　is　that　which　comprehends　the
  divine；　and　in　its　comprehension　of　it　it　is　itself　the　divine　Spirit。　The　relation　of　Spirit　to　self　alone　is
  the　absolute　determination；　the　divine　Spirit　lives　in　its　own　communion　and　presence。　This
  comprehension　has　been　called　Faith；　but　it　is　not　an　historical　faith；　we　Lutherans　…　I　am　a
  Lutheran　and　will　remain　the　same　…　have　only　this　original　faith。　This　unity　is　not　the　Substance　of
  Spinoza；　but　the　apprehending　Substance　in　self…consciousness　which　makes　itself　eternal　and
  relates　to　universality。　The　talk　about　the　limitations　of　human　thought　is　futile；　to　know　God　is　the
  only　end　of　Religion。　The　testimony　of　the　Spirit　to　the　content　of　Religion　is　itself　Religion；　it　is　a
  testimony　that　both　bears　witness　and　at　the　same　time　is　that　witness。　The　Spirit　proves　itself；　and
  does　so　first　in　the　proof；　it　is　only　proved　because　it　proves　itself　and　shows　or　manifests　itself。
  It　has　farther　to　be　said；　that　this　testimony；　this　inward　stirring　and　self…consciousness；　reveals
  itself；　while　in　the　enshrouded　consciousness　of　devotion　it　does　not　arrive　at　the　proper
  consciousness　of　an　object；　but　only　at　the　consciousness　of　immersion　in　absolute　Being。　This
  permeating　and　permeated　Spirit　now　enters　into　conception；　God　goes　forth　into　the　〃other〃　and
  makes　Himself　objective。　All　that　pertains　to　revelation　and　its　reception；　and　which　comes　before
  us　in　mythology；　here　appears；　everything　which　is　historical　and　which　belongs　to　what　is　positive
  has　here　its　proper　place。　To　speak　more　definitely；　we　now　have　the　Christ　who　came　into　the
  world　nearly　two　thousand　years　ago。　But　He　says；　〃I　am　with　you　even　unto　the　ends　of　the　earth；
  where　two　or　three　are　gathered　together　in　My　Name；　there　will　I　be　in　the　midst。〃　I　shall　not　be
  seen　of　you　in　the　flesh；　but　〃The　Spirit　of　Truth　will　guide　you　into　all　Truth。〃　The　external　is　not
  the　true　relation；　it　will　disappear。
  The　two　stages　have　here　been　given；　the　first　of　which　is　the　stage　of　devotion；　of　worship；　such
  as　that　reached　in　partaking　of　the　Communion。　That　is　the　perception　of　the　divine　Spirit　in　the
  community　in　which　the　present；　indwelling；　living　Christ　as　self…consciousness　has　attained　to
  actuality。　The　second　stage　is　that　of　developed　consciousness；　when　the　content　becomes　the
  object；　here　this　present；　indwelling　Christ　retreats　two　thousand　years　to　a　small　corner　of
  Palestine；　and　is