history of philosophy-第23章

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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　an　individual　historically　manifested　far　away　at　Nazareth　or　Jerusalem。　It　is　the
same　thing　in　the　Greek　Religion　where　the　god　present　in　devotion　changes　into　prosaic　statues
and　marble；　or　in　painting；　where　this　externality　is　likewise　arrived　at；　when　the　god　becomes
mere　canvas　or　wood。　The　Supper　is；　according　to　the　Lutheran　conception；　of　Faith　alone；　it　is　a
divine　satisfaction；　and　is　not　adored　as　if　it　were　the　Host。　Thus　a　sacred　image　is　no　more　to　us
than　is　a　stone　or　thing。　The　second　point　of　view　must　indeed　be　that　with　which　consciousness
begins；　it　must　start　from　the　external　comprehension　of　this　form：　it　must　passively　accept　report
and　take　it　up　into　memory。　But　if　it　remain　where　it　is；　that　is　the　unspiritual　point　of　view：　to
remain　fixed　in　this　second　standpoint　in　this　dead　far…away　historic　distance；　is　to　reject　the　Spirit。
The　sins　of　him　who　lies　against　the　Holy　Ghost　cannot　be　forgiven。　That　lie　is　the　refusal　to　be　a
universal；　to　be　holy；　that　is　to　make　Christ　become　divided；　separated；　to　make　Him　only　another
person　as　this　particular　person　in　Judea；　or　else　to　say　that　He　now　exists；　but　only　far　away　in
Heaven；　or　in　some　other　place；　and　not　in　present　actual　form　amongst　His　people。　The　man　who
speaks　of　the　merely　finite；　of　merely　human　reason；　and　of　the　limits　to　mere　reason；　lies　against
the　Spirit；　for　the　Spirit　as　infinite　and　universal；　as　self…comprehension；　comprehends　itself　not　in　a
〃merely〃　nor　in　limits；　nor　in　the　finite　as　such。　It　has　nothing　to　do　with　this；　for　it　comprehends
itself　within　itself　alone；　in　its　infinitude。

If　it　be　said　of　Philosophy；　that　it　makes　reality　the　subject　of　its　knowledge；　the　principal　point　is
that　the　reality　should　not　be　one　outside　of　that　of　which　it　is　the　reality。　For　example；　if　from　the
real　content　of　a　book；　I　abstract　the　binding；　paper；　ink；　language；　the　many　thousand　letters　that
are　contained　in　it；　the　simple　universal　content　as　reality；　is　not　outside　of　the　book。　Similarly　law
is　not　outside　of　the　individual；　but　it　constitutes　the　true　Being　of　the　individual。　The　reality　of　my
Mind　is　thus　in　my　Mind　itself　and　not　outside　of　it；　it　is　my　real　Being；　my　own　substance；　without
which　I　am　without　existence。　This　reality　is；　so　to　speak；　the　combustible　material　which　may　be
kindled　and　lit　up　by　the　universal　reality　as　such　as　objective；　and　only　so　far　as　this　phosphorus　is
in　men；　is　comprehension；　the　kindling　and　lighting　up；　possible。　Feeling；　anticipation；　knowledge
of　God；　are　only　thus　in　men；　without　such；　the　divine　Mind　would　not　be　the　in　and　for　itself
Universal。　Reality　is　itself　a　real　content　and　not　the　destitute　of　content　and　undetermined；　yet；　as
the　book　has　other　content　besides；　there　is　in　the　individual　mind　also　a　great　amount　of　other
matter　which　belongs　only　to　the　manifestation　of　this　reality；　and　the　individual　surrounded　with
what　is　external；　must　be　separated　from　this　existence。　Since　reality　is　itself　Spirit　and　not　an
abstraction；　〃God　is　not　a　God　for　the　dead　but　for　the　living；〃　and　indeed　for　living　spirits。

　　　　　The　great　Creator　was　alone
　　　　　And　experienced　desire；
　　　　　Therefore　He　created　Spirits；
　　　　　Holy　mirrors　of　His　holiness。
　　　　　The　noblest　Being　He　found　no　equal；
　　　　　From　out　the　bowl　of　all　the　spiritual　world；
　　　　　There　sparkled　up　to　Him　infinitude。　

Religion　is　also　the　point　of　view　from　which　this　existence　is　known。　But　as　regards　the　different
forms　of　knowledge　existing　in　Religion　and　Philosophy；　Philosophy　appears　to　be　opposed　to　the
conception　in　Religion　that　the　universal　mind　first　shows　itself　as　external；　in　the　objective　mode　of
consciousness。　Worship；　commencing　with　the　external；　then　turns　against　and　abrogates　it　as　has
just　been　said；　and　thus　Philosophy　is　justified　through　the　acts　and　forms　of　worship；　and　only
does　what　they　do。　Philosophy　has　to　deal　with　two　different　objects；　first　as　in　the　Religion
present　in　worship；　with　the　substantial　content；　the　spiritua