the act of his existence, or he does not hear it at all. He does not hear it in the distraction, be it ever so profound and spiritual, in which he imagines that, while it may be true, it does not apply to him, the reference being to some other or others and not to himself. Other than in this actuality of the Word that is truly spoken and accepted dogmatics cannot at any point on its long way present its object, although many times it must apparently (but only apparently) go far astray from the concrete