--(what do I
See now, suppose you, there where you see rock {470}
Round us?)--I know not; such was the effect,
So faith grew, making void more miracles
Because too much: they would compel, not help.
I say, the acknowledgment of God in Christ
Accepted by thy reason, solves for thee {475}
All questions in the earth and out of it,
And has so far advanced thee to be wise.
Wouldst thou unprove this to re-prove the proved?
In life's mere minute, with power to use that proof,
Leave knowledge and revert to how it sprung? {480}
Thou hast it; use it and forthwith, or die!

--
472. So faith grew, making void more miracles: the outward
manifestations of spiritual powers (du/namis, `power', `act of power',
and shmei^on, `sign', `token', are the original words in the N. T.,
which are translated `miracle') gave place to subjective proof.
Christianity was endorsed by man's own soul. To this may be added,
that even the historical bulwarks of Christianity may, ere long,
be dispensed with.

474-481. These verses may be taken as presenting Browning's
own conclusion as to the whole duty of man, in a spiritual direction.
And see the quotation from `Christmas Eve' and the remarks which follow,
on pp. 63 and 64. {In etext, Chapter II, Section 3 of Introduction.}
--

"For I say, this is death and the sole death,
When a man's loss comes to him from his gain,
Darkness from light, from knowledge ignorance,
And lack of love from love made manifest; {485}
A lamp's death when, replete with oil, it chokes;
A stomach's when, surcharged with food, it starves.
With ignorance was surety of a cure.
When man, appalled at nature, questioned first
`What if there lurk a might behind this might?' {490}
He needed satisfaction God could give,
And did give, as ye have the written word:
But when he finds might still redouble might,
Yet asks, `Since all is might, what use of will?'
--Will, the one source of might,--he being man {495}
With a man's will and a man's might, to teach
In little how the two combine in large,--
That man has turned round on himself and stands,
Which in the course of nature is, to die.

"And when man questioned, `What if there be love {500}
Behind the will and might, as real as they?'--
He needed satisfaction God could give,
And