this concourse of elements may signify, and to what it may tend, cannot be understood by mere external observation, but only by deeper insight. According to our opinion, which we have already frankly declared in another place, Christianity has never yet attained a general and public existence in its purity and truth; although it has, at all times, attained a true life here and there in individual minds. But this is not inconsistent with the assertion which we also make, that it has had an active and efficient life in History, in preparing the way for itself and in bringing about the conditions necessary to its public existence. He who possesses a mere historical knowledge of this preliminary activity, but is ignorant of its real nature and tendency, necessarily confounds the accidental with the essential and the means with the end; and he can never arrive at a true comprehension even of this preliminary activity itself. The part which Christianity has to play in the History of the World,—for of this only have we now to speak,—is not yet concluded; and whoever cannot enter into the meaning of the whole vast Drama should not presume to pass any judgment upon it. In like manner, to avail ourselves of a kindred example, the part which has been assigned to the Reformation in human History, of which we have already had occasion to speak in a very limited connexion, is by no means concluded.
After this preliminary remark, the application of which will soon become apparent, let us now proceed to our task. Christianity itself must and ought to become the governing or creative principle of the State as exemplified in a New Era. We must, in the first place, answer this question,—In what way can Christianity accomplish this, and on what ground does it rest its claim to do so? I reply,—Its operation may be regarded in a double aspect:—it is partly absolute, as that of true and genuine Christianity; and partly contingent, determined by the position of things
