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has been the task of the world during the whole course of its history。 It is by working at this task
that civilised man has actually given reason an embodiment in law and government and achieved
consciousness of the fact。 Those who 'seek guidance from the Lord' and are assured that the
whole truth is directly present in their unschooled opinions； fail to apply themselves to the task of
exalting their subjectivity to consciousness of the truth and to knowledge of duty and objective
right。 The only possible fruits of their attitude are folly； abomination； and the demolition of the
whole ethical order； and these fruits must inevitably be reaped if the religious disposition holds
firmly and exclusively to its intuitive form and so turns against the real world and the truth present
in it in the form of the universal； i。e。 of the laws。 Still； there is no necessity for this disposition to
turn outward and actualise itself in this way。 With its negative standpoint； it is of course also open
to it to remain something inward； to accommodate itself to government and law； and to acquiesce
in these with sneers and idle longings； or with a sigh of resignation。 It is not strength but weakness
which has turned religious feeling nowadays into piety of a polemical kind； whether the polemic be
Connected with some genuine need or simply with unsatisfied vanity。 Instead of subduing one's
opinions by the labour of study； and subjecting one's will to discipline and so elevating it to free
obedience； the line of least resistance is to renounce knowledge of objective truth。 Along this line
we may preserve a feeling of abject humility and so also of self…conceit； and claim to have ready to
hand in godliness everything requisite for seeing into the heart of law and government； for passing
sentence on them； and laying down what their character should and must be； and of course if we
take this line； the source of our claims is a pious heart； and they are therefore infallible and
unimpeachable； and the upshot is that since we make religion the basis of our intentions and
assertions； they cannot be criticised on the score of their shallowness or their immorality。
But if religion be religion of a genuine kind； it does not run counter to the state in a negative or
polemical way like the kind just described。 It rather recognises the state and upholds it； and
furthermore it has a position and an external organisation of its own。 The practice of its worship
consists in ritual and doctrinal instruction； and for this purpose possessions and property are
required； as well as individuals dedicated to the service of the flock。 There thus arises a relation
between the state and the church。 To determine this relation is a simple matter。 In the nature of the
case； the state discharges a duty by affording every assistance and protection to the church in the
furtherance of its religious ends； and； in addition； since religion is an integrating factor in the state；
implanting a sense of unity in the depths of men's minds； the state should even require all its citizens
to belong to a church … a church is all that can be said； because since the content of a man's faith
depends on his private ideas； the state cannot interfere with it。 A state which is strong because its
organisation is mature may be all the more liberal in this matter； it may entirely overlook details of
religious practice which affect it； and may even tolerate a sect （though； of course； all depends on
its numbers） which on religious grounds declines to recognise even its direct duties to the state。
The reason for the state's liberal attitude here is that it makes over the members of such sects to
civil society and its laws； and is content if they fulfil their direct duties to the state passively； for
instance by such means as commutation or the performance of a different service。
Footnote： Quakers； Anabaptists； &c。； may be said to be active members only of civil society； and they may
be regarded as private persons standing in merely private relations to others。 Even when this position has
been allowed them； they have been exempted from taking the oath。 They fulfil their direct duties to the state in
a passive way； one of the most important of these duties； the defence of the state against its enemies； they
refuse outright to fulfil； and their refusal may perhaps be admitted provided they perform some other service
instead。 To sects of this kind； the state's attitude is toleration in the strict sense of the word； because since
they decline to recognise their duty to the state； they may not claim the rights of citizenship。 On one occasion
when the abolition of the slave…trade was being pressed with great vigour in the American Congress； a member
from one of the Southern States made the striking retort： 'Give us our slaves； and you may keep your Quakers。'
Only if the state is otherwise strong can it overlook and suffer such anomalies； because it can then rely
principally on the strength of custom and the inner rationality of its institutions to diminish and close the gap
between the existence of anomalies and the full assertion of its own strict rights。 Thus technically it may have
been right to refuse a grant of even civil rights to the Jews on the ground that they should be regarded as
belonging not merely to a religious sect but to a foreign race。 But the fierce outcry raised against the Jews；
from that point of view and others； ignores the fact that they are； above all； nien； and manhood； so far from
being a mere superficial； abstract quality （see Remark to § 209）； is on the contrary itself the basis of the fact
that what civil rights rouse in their possessors is the feeling of oneself as counting in civil society as a person
with rights； and this feeling of self…hood； infinite and free from all restrictions； is the root from which the
desired similarity indisposition and ways of thinking comes into being。 To exclude the Jews from rights； on the
other hand； would rather be to confirm the isolation with which they have been reproached … a result for which
the state refusing them rights would be blamable and reproachable； because by so refusing； it would
misunderstood its own basic principle； its nature as an objective and powerful institution （compare the end of
the Remark to § 268）。 The exclusion of the Jews from civil rights may be supposed to be a right of the highest
kind and may be demanded on that ground； but experience has shown that so to exclude them is the silliest
folly； and the way in which governments now treat them has proved itself to be both prudent and dignified。
Remark： But since the church owns property and carries on besides the practice of worship；
and since therefore it must have people in its service； it forsakes the inner for the worldly life and
therefore enters the domain of the state； and eo ipso comes under its laws。 The oath and ethical
ties generally； like the marriage bond； entail that inner permeation and elevation of sentiment
which acquires its deepest confirmation through religion。 But since ethical ties are in essence ties
within the actual rational order； the first thing is to affirm within that or