Similarly　do　we　see　in　the　Christian　Religion；　thought　which　is　not　independent　first　placing　itself　in
  conjunction　with　the　form　belonging　to　this　Religion　and　acting　within　it　…　that　is　to　say；　taking　the
  Religion　as　its　groundwork；　and　proceeding　from　the　absolute　assumption　of　the　Christian
  doctrine。　We　see　later　on　the　opposition　between　so…called　faith　and　so…called　reason；　when　the
  wings　of　thought　have　become　strengthened；　the　young　eaglet　flies　away　for　himself　to　the　sun　of
  Truth；　but　like　a　bird　of　prey　he　turns　upon　Religion　and　combats　it。　Latest　of　all　Philosophy
  permits　full　justice　to　be　done　to　the　content　of　Religion　through　the　speculative　Notion；　which　is
  through　Thought　itself。　For　this　end　the　Notion　must　have　grasped　itself　in　the　concrete　and
  penetrated　to　concrete　spirituality。　This　must　be　the　standpoint　of　the　Philosophy　of　the　present
  time；　it　has　begun　within　Christianity　and　can　have　no　other　content　than　the　world…spirit。　When
  that　spirit　comprehends　itself　in　Philosophy；　it　also　comprehends　itself　in　that　form　which　formerly
  was　inimical　to　Philosophy。
  Thus　Religion　has　a　content　in　common　with　Philosophy　the　forms　alone　being　different；　and　the
  only　essential　point　is　that　the　form　of　the　Notion　should　be　so　far　perfected　as　to　be　able　to　grasp
  the　content　of　Religion。　The　Truth　is　just　that　which　has　been　called　the　mysteries　of　Religion。
  These　constitute　the　speculative　element　in　Religion　such　as　were　called　by　the　Neo…platonists
  being　initiated；　or　being　occupied　with　speculative　Notions。　By　mysteries　is　meant；　superficially
  speaking；　the　secret；　what　remains　such　and　does　not　arrive　at　being　known。　But　in　the　Eleusinian
  mysteries　there　was　nothing　unknown；　all　Athenians　were　initiated　into　them；　Socrates　alone　shut
  himself　out。　Openly　to　make　them　known　to　strangers　was　the　one　thing　forbidden；　as　indeed　it
  was　made　a　crime　in　the　case　of　certain　people。　Such　matters　however；　as　being　holy；　were　not　to
  be　spoken　of。　Herodotus　often　expressly　says　（e。g。　ii。　45…47）　that　he　would　speak　of　the　Egyptian
  Divinities　and　mysteries　in　as　far　as　it　was　pious　so　to　do：　he　knew　more；　but　it　would　be　impious
  to　speak　of　them。　In　the　Christian　Religion　dogmas　are　called　mysteries。　They　are　that　which　man
  knows　about　the　Nature　of　God。　Neither　is　there　anything　mysterious　in　this；　it　is　known　by　all
  those　who　are　partakers　in　that　Religion；　and　these　are　thus　distinguished　from　the　followers　of
  other　Religions。　Hence　mystery　here　signifies　nothing　unknown；　since　all　Christians　are　in　the
  secret。　Mysteries　are　in　their　nature　speculative；　mysterious　certainly　to　the　understanding　but　not
  to　reason；　they　are　rational；　just　in　the　sense　of　being　speculative。　The　understanding　does　not
  comprehend　the　speculative　which　simply　is　the　concrete　because　it　holds　to　the　differences　in　their
  separation；　their　contradiction　is　indeed　contained　in　the　mystery；　which；　however；　is　likewise　the
  resolution　of　the　same。
  Philosophy；　on　the　contrary；　is　opposed　to　the　so…called　Rationalism　of　the　new　Theology　which
  for　ever　keeps　reason　on　its　lips；　but　which　is　dry　understanding　only；　no　reason　is　recognizable　in
  it　as　the　moment　of　independent　thought　which　really　is　abstract　thought　and　that　alone。　When　the
  understanding　which　does　not　comprehend　the　truths　of　Religion；　calls　itself　the　illuminating　reason
  and　plays　the　lord　and　master；　it　goes　astray。　Rationalism　is　opposed　to　Philosophy　in　content　and
  form；　for　it　has　made　the　content　empty　as　it　has　made　the　heavens；　and　has　reduced　all　that　is；　to
  finite　relations　…　in　its　form　it　is　a　reasoning　process　which　is　not　free　and　which　has　no　conceiving
  power。　The　supernatural　in　Religion　is　opposed　to　rationalism；　and　if　indeed　the　latter　is　related　in
  respect　of　the　real　content　to　Philosophy；　yet　it　differs　from　it　in　form；　for　it　has　become　unspiritual
  and　wooden；　looking　for　its　justification　to　mere　external　authority。　The　scholastics　were　not
  supernaturalists　in　this　sense；　they　knew　the　dogmas　of　the　Church　in　thought　and　in　conception。　If
  Religion　in　the　inflexibility　of　its　abstract　authority　as　opposed　to　thought；　declares　of　it　that　〃the
  gates　of　Hell　shall　not　triumph　over　it；〃　the　gates　of　reason　are　stronger　than　the　gates　of　Hell；　not
  to　overcome　the　Church　but　to　reconcile　itself　to　the　Church。　Philosophy；　as　the　conceiving
  thought　of　this　content；　has　as　regards　the　idea　of　Religion；　the　advantage　of　comprehending　both
  sides　…　it　comprehends　Religion　and　also　comprehends　both　rationalism　and　supernaturalism　and
  itself　likewise。　But　this　is　not　the　case　on　the　other　side。　Religion　from　the　standpoint　of　idea；
  comprehends　only　what　stands　on　the　same　platform　as　itself；　and　not　Philosophy；　the　Notion；　the
  universal　thought　determinations。　Often　no　injustice　is　done　to　a　Philosophy　when　its　opposition　to
  Religion　has　been　made　matter　of　reproach；　but　often；　too；　a　wrong　has　been　inflicted　where　this　is
  done　from　the　religious　point　of　view。
  The　form　of　Religion　is　necessary　to　Mind　as　it　is　in　and　for　itself；　it　is　the　form　of　truth　as　it　is　for
  all　men；　and　for　every　mode　of　consciousness。　This　universal　mode　is　first　of　all　for　men　in　the　form
  of　sensuous　consciousness；　and　then；　secondly；　in　the　intermingling　of　the　form　of　the　universal　with
  sensuous　manifestation　or　reflection　…　the　representing　consciousness；　the　mythical；　positive　and
  historical　form；　is　that　pertaining　to　the　understanding。　What　is　received　in　evidence　of　Mind　only
  becomes　object　to　consciousness　when　it　appears　in　the　form　of　the　understanding；　that　is　to　say；
  consciousness　must　first　be　already　acquainted　with　these　forms　from　life　and　from　experience。
  Now；　because　thinking　consciousness　is　not　the　outward　universal　form　for　all　mankind；　the
  consciousness　of　the　true；　the　spiritual　and　the　rational；　must　have　the　form　of　Religion；　and　this　is
  the　universal　justification　of　this　form。
  We　have　here　laid　down　the　distinction　between　Philosophy　and　Religion；　but　taking　into　account
  what　it　is　we　wish　to　deal　with　in　the　history　of　Philosophy；　there　is　something　still　which　must　be
  remarked　upon；　and　which　partly　follows　from　what　has　been　already　said。　There　is　the　question
  still　confronting　us　as　to　what　attitude　we　must　take　in　reference　to　this　matter　in　the　history　of
  Philosophy。
  B。　The　religious　element　to　be　excluded　from　the　content　of　the　History　of
  Philosophy。
  i。　　Mythology　first　meets　us；　and　it　seems　as　if　it　might　be　drawn　within　the　history　of　Philosophy。
  It　is　indeed　a　product　of　the　imagination；　but　not　of　caprice；　although　that　also　has　its　place　here。
  But　the　main　part　of　mythology　is　the　work　of　the　imaginative　reason；　which　makes　reality　its
  object；　but　yet　has　no　other　means　of　so　doing；　than　that　of　sensuous　representation；　so　that　the
  gods　make　their　appearance　in　human　guise。　Mythology　can　now　be　studied　for　art；　&c。　But　the
  thinking　mind　must　seek　out　the　substantial　content；　the　thought　and　the　theory　implicitly　contained
  therein；　as　reason　is　sought　in　Nature。　This　mode　of　treating　mythology　was　that　of　the
  Neo…platonists　；　in　recent　times　it　has　for　the　most　part　become　the　work　of　my　friend　Creuzer　in
  symbolism。　This　method　of　treatment　is　combated　and　condemned　by　others。　Man；　it　is　said；　must
  set　to　work　historically　alone；　and　it　is　not　historic　when　a　theory　unthought　of　by　the　ancients；　is
  read　into　a　myth；　or　brought　out　of　it。　In　one　light；　this　is　quite　correct；　for　it　points　to　a　method
  adopted　by　Creuzer；　and　also　by　the　Alexandrians　who　acted　in　a　similar　way。　In　conscious
  thought　the　ancients　had　not　such　theories　before　them；　nor　did　anyone　maintain　them；　yet　to　say
  that　such　content　was　not　implicitly　present；　is　an　absurd　contention。　As　the　products　of　reason；
  though　not　of　thinking　reason；　the　religions　of　the　people；　as　also　the　mythologies；　however　simple
  and　even　foolish　they　may　appear；　indubitably　contain　as　genuine　works　of　art；　thoughts；　universal
  determinations　and　truth　for　the　instinct　of　reason　is　at　their　basis。　Bound　up　with　this　is　the　fact
  that　since　mythology　in　its　expression　takes　sensuous　forms；　much　that　is　contingent　and　external
  becomes　intermingled；　for　the　representation　of　the　Notion　in　sensuous　forms　always　possesses　a
  certain　incongruity；　seeing　that　what　is　founded　on　imagination　cannot　express　the　Idea　in　its　real
  aspect。　This　sensuous　form　produced　as　it　is　by　an　historic　or　natural　method；　must　be　determined
  on　many　sides；　and　this　external　determination　must；　more　or　less；　be　of　such　a　nature　as　not　to
  express　the　Idea。　It　may　also　be　that　many　errors　are　contained　in　that　explanation；　particularly
  when　a　single　one　is　brought　within　our　notice；　all　the　customs；　actions；　furnishings；　vestments；　and
  offerings　taken　together；　may　undoubtedly　contain　something　of　the　Idea　in　analogy；　but　the
  connection　is　far　removed；　and　many　contingent　circumstances　must　find　their　entrance。　But　that
  there　is　a　Reason　there；　must　certainly　be　recognized；　and　it　is　essential　so　to　comprehend　and
  grasp　mythology。
  But　Mythology　must　remain　excluded　from　our　history　of　Philosophy。　The　reason　of　this　is　found　in
  the　fact　that　in　Ph