Litchfield enquirer., 1846-11-12
0. A. BrOwnSOn on Trans rudentalixm.

4
brownson was once transcendental.
'iSi of the cIondiest cast. He is now n
Homanist, and thus takes off his old asso.
cintcs and friends.
But after all what is the real sum and
substance OF Tranccndentalism, this lat.
est and Eobles: birth of Tune, as its
friends regard it, and from which we are
promised Inc universal palingunesia OF
man and nature-what IL ii when redu.
ced 10 ITS simple, positive teachings We
nave been led though tones of meta.
physical lore-we have been ullured by
brilliant PROMISES of il recovered Eden
we nave been tlattered by glowing des-
cripttons ofnur god-like powers, u tiinilies
anu tendencies we have been transport
20 by the assurance that we may dis
ptnse with priests, prophets, iniercessors
aud me- dators, and yourselves approach
THE Infinite One, face to ace. and drink
our supply at the primal Fountain OF
Truth i,sc!t-but now, having fingered till!
the Ascending sun eXhnlei the dew drops
and exhausted the gems Of precious stones
which sparkled in rich .profu>,on at our
feet, what is the real and positive value
OF what has so long detained and cham.
ed us? Things are y ha. they are, man
man is what he is, and by RICH,
use Of his faculties may be. do, AID
know all he can be, do, and know -
So far US we are wise, good and loving.
SO far as we have and know wisdom.
good ness, love-we have and know God
in SO TAR as he is wisdom, goodness, love
He who kno Ws more Of these, knows more
than he who knows less. II the puSses,-
ion OF wisdom goodness, love, be inspira-
ton, then he who has the most wisdom,
goddess, love, is the most inspircd-and
to be more INSPIRED, he must get more
wisdom, goodness and love. To be more
insp ired, he must be more inspired. If
white be while, then white is white. If
black be black then black is black; 1.-TWO
be two, then two are Two. Or in the grand
formulas from MIR. Parker, Goodness is
goodness and be good aud do good, and
you will be good and do good y If this
is not the whole of Transcendentalism
when Invested of its denials, its blasphe-
my and its impiety, und reduced 10 its
simple doSmatic teaching. then we have
grven days. weeks, months and years to
its study TO no purpose. Stated in plain,
simple terms, it is the vnriest common
place imaginable. II is merely much ado
about nothing, or q tempest in a teapot.
Dressed up IN the glnlering robes 0: Il
iawdry rhetoric, or wrapped in the mys-
tic folds OF an unusual and unintelligidls
dialect, it may impose ON the simple and
credulous but to attemptto satisfy ones
spiritual wants with it is as vain us TO at
.crnpt to fill ones self with the east wind
or 10 warm ones freezing hands on cold
wintry night by holding them up to the
moon. Yet its teachers are the great
lights Of this age Of light, before whom
all the great lights of past times pale as
the stars before the sun. Men aud wo-
men. through some mistake, moi in lu.
Eatic hospital, run after them with eager;
ness, hang with deligh, on their words,
and smack their lips as # feeding on hon.
eye Protest ant populations on whom the
sun of Reformation shines in its eff
ing, are about to hail it as the Tenth Az
altar, come to redeem tho world. Won,
terful teachers Wonderful people -
Wonderful age!
In conclusion while surveying the
mass Of absurcities and impieiy hsaped
together under the name of Transcend
entulism, and which attract so many and
oven some of our own friends whose kind
ness of heart, whose simple manners and
whose SOU, dness of Judgment on all other
subjects Command our love and esteem,
we have been fofcihly struck with the ut
ter impotence Of human reason 10 devise
scheme which reason herself shall NO,
laugh Ia scorn. As often as tnan has
| ATTEMPTED of himself alone TO build IL tow.
er which should reach to heaven, or te
connect by his own skill and labor. thu
earthly with the heavenly. and make
free and easy passage from one to the
other, the Lord has dcrided his impoten'
efforts, COMPOUNDED his language, and
made confusion more confused. Uniform
failure SHOULD teach US the folly Of thu:
attempt, and lead US to ask if that be not
the highes, reason to bow To the divine
reason, and the most perfec, freedom to
have no will but tha will OF God. Oh
Israel! thou destroyest myself; in me is
| thv haIpS ...