Berlin, 1780

Editor's preface

I published the first half of this essay in my Contributions. I am now in a position to add the rest.

The author has placed himself on a hill, from which he believes he can see rather more than the prescribed course of his present day's journey.

But he does not call on any hasty traveller, who wishes only to reach his overnight lodging, to deviate from his path. He does not expect that the view which delights him should also delight every other eye.

And so, I should think, we could very well leave him to stand and wonder where he stands and wonders!

But what if he were to bring back from that immeasurable distance, which a soft evening glow neither wholly conceals nor wholly reveals, a pointer I have often felt in need of!

I mean this. – Why should we not see in all the positive religions simply the process whereby the human understanding in all places can alone develop, and will develop further still, instead of reacting with either mockery or anger to one of them? If nothing in the best of worlds deserves this scorn, this indignation on our part, why should the religions alone deserve it? Can God's hand be at work in everything except in our errors?