New-York tribune., 1876-05-16

Christ VAS 80 earnestly insisted the synla'y was
represented beng of 50 Liudred ana oigto
tiat I'm reading works of the masters oi New hi,i
tbcOl0gy. ieqscS an enort 20 loI.c' @ tA, 80 of the
five isis of their faith not TIE natural pdss W ~
Philosopher, hut the supernatural one oi INC ",!T' -
The spiritual writings oi Jouathaa Edwtts, c . tnc
sc on the Religious an ctiOns" eSpeciaiN pr'a'r " &
sweetest spirit OF ideasm. Indeed Wnen'nS'f Wnen't fjib II
doXy read s wings and rose mo ne es @ III an1 the
lost itself in the sptre where lne H tlism
divine were fun concurrence lIal ~ NJ ,,if,,
simply claimed for al men what Protestant
claimed ioI Hs own eject. j,
MIR. Frotbinghan's criticism of the attitude OF the
Untariaus is no less keen and searching he u'o'S
the germs of IranscendentallSm from theH hiSI
b.r,lv pcrcertible sproutug, in the utteTances of
Encrson Alcott Browuson, and Ripley, to their full
blossonng in the address of the frstnamed gentle
man 20 the Divinity School at Cambridge III 1888.
His statement of the new creed Of we may 50 call
ii) will Ice q surprise TO those who were repcIed ut
tho time, by tie cries of "iniidelity" and "nnati-
cism.r from making themselves acquainted with its
character Although those cries would probably
not now be repeated yet something of the old od,um
still clings 10 the name of Transcendentalist," and
therefore lis religious significance, as simply aud
tuthfully explained by Mr. rockingham, viii be
interesting to our readers
The pure TranSceudentaiss saw everywhere evidence
ot Inc o. eancss or the soul Christianity they REGARDED
as ts clrcf mlnifes alton Impcrcc; Transcendeuai>s
there were, who used the fundamental pOstuates o tie
Tanscendenial philosophy TO confirm er tlth 10 SUPER
natural realities. Thor TransccudeutaliSm amounted
merely To ths that had a natural capacity f'r re-
ving supernatural truths when presented by revea-
tion. The rSs OF such truths even in germ; TIE
power 10 unfold them naturally by process OF mental or
spiritual growth; the faculty TO s'lz, define; sAape'
lcsitin ate and cnthrone them, they denied ILe soul
according 10 them, recipient. not originating or
creative. They connutd TO he Christians OF Tue Ivan,
cereal stamp; Shanp4hS oi special 90 -,
hgh and grac hearty believers IN me divinity 0 he
rist and the saving influence Of the Holy Ghost hels-
ng thc peculiar pr3tion Of the ible and the per-
>Onal need OF regeneration. The wsest teachers Of
orthodoxy belonged TO ths school.
Tie pure IutuSccudcntllist went much further. Ac-
coIding to him. the seeds Of trnn, If not the out!n
forms OF truth, were coutan1d IN tie soul ITSELF an
icady L" tNlaud III bIoom ana 1ed4l, as ic INC -t 2
ana heat OF the upper world SIR hchchn DSb! icHlts
tnat in Padua lie visited the laboratory OF iaiuouS
physician and was there shown small pie o me ashes
under glass. On tie application OF Il gentle heat, II
ity parts being perfectly distinct in f0sm and wei
defined i'm Character Daring h' appca Ion "l 'ie neat
witAdTawa! OF the heat IT became dust aShn 80 ac-
oording 10 The Transcendentais the spiritual beng ol
surface OF material eXiscnce-wbcn gradOusly shoAe
upon by knowledge and love, puts on divine atl3utes
gows with beauty, paptItes with joy, gives out na'hcs
marks of a celestial grace The soul when awakened,
uttero oracles of wisdom, sings, p.o heSies, hinels
decaOgue ,pronounces boattudes discourse grd! ol
God and divine things, performs wonders OF hcilh- on
sick bodies AID wandering minds, rises 10 hSh's oI
hcroisn' and SanillucsS. .,
From this point of vision 1t was easy to survey me
history OF man kind and, in the various religions OF the
world efforts of the soul TO express itself m scrip
u0Its embltnS doc,Fln,s altar loIlhs aIcn.oc'To, N.Y.
painting. moods and demonstrations OF Ecty. Inc
TanScendent2st rendered fu justice to all these st,
ed thtH admired tielh, confessed helt inspiration. VI
these faiths Christianity was cheeriuiy acknowledged 10
Oe ne queen Ihe supremacy OF Jesus was Granted Wlt
ChthuSldSlh ms teachings were acctptu ~ 'io
expressions Of religious truth His miracles were re-
gdrdcd the natural achievements Ot soul or such
originality aud force
Our own early memories are still sufficiently clear
this point to confirm the entire correctness OF
Mr. Frothingham's statement. The practical appl-
cation of the Trlnscendenta faith to life.
pfed in the history of the Brook Farm Association,
receives a new and profound interest, when we fully
understand the aims of its projectors. Tie complete
story of the attempt should still be told, If possible
We appreciate the with which Mr.. frothing-
ham has treated il but with all respect for the pr
vacv of individual lives should think it possible
to describe in more satisfactory detail the working
of the experiment. The chapter devoted to this
subject is more Ineligible to those who have already
some acquaintance with it than to the large class OF
readers who know no more than the name of Brook
Farm The constitution, now published for the first
time explains the basis hut the particular forms o1
| the organization are lacking. However, both the
| merits and defects of the plan are very frankly
! and integently stated, that the reader
is enabled to comprehend its temporary success and
final failure The former due TO the rare asso-
citation of 50 many intellectual and enthusiastic men
and women the latter followed, partly through tie
conflict of the very ndvidualitics df character
which they sought to develop, but mainly, we sus-
pect, from the migrating of Fouriers social system
what was practically, an improved form OF society,
TO the reconstruction Of society original basis.
The faith of those who believed in the possibility OF
such reconstruction at that time boundess; they
were dazzled by its daring and highly imaginative
character and courageously staked their all in the
effort to realize 1t. Mr.. rockingham does no more
han Justice to the high moral and intellectual tone
of the Brook Farm community, and his slight picture
| of its life ought to shame the old slander and
! caricatuTe out of memory.
Five chapters-each of which is in itself an ad-
mirable essay-are devoted to the chiefs of Trans
scepdentalism. as follows: The Seer Ralph Waldo
Emerson; the Mystic, Amos Bronson Alcott the
Critic, Margaret Fuller the Preacher, Theodore
Parker: and the Man of Letters, George Ripley.
Each of these five characters is sketched with a
large sympathetic Discrimination i'll which the
two dead share equally with the three living.
They are allowed to Illustrate their own views
and the selections from their writings are made
with a certainty and aptnesS, which show that
Mr. rockingham has written out of the fullness of
his knowledge 1t is refreshing to read again
Margaret Fullers wise and generous utteraDces on
the Rights of Women, and to contrast them with
the harsh arraignment of man, with which so many
women now assa ears. We Commend these
brief passages TO the consideration of the latter =
"Mau is not willingly ungcnerons. He wants Ialth
and love because he Is yet himself elevated being
lie cries with sneerng skeptici>m Give us slg! But
II the sign appears his ewes glsten, ana lie Oners ho
| merely approval but homage" -,
"In America women are much better situated tian
men. books allowed, with more uule 10 READ
thoIn They have time TO think, aud no tradti0ns cham
them. heir empOymcns are more favorable TO the IN
ward life than those OF men. Men are courteous 70
them; praise them often check them seldom In this
country is yeneratcd, wherever secn the character
which Goethe spoke of Ideal: The excellent
woman is she wHO, if her husband dies, can DE father
to the children"
A chapter on the Minor Prophets" of Trans
cendentasm, and another on its expression in Lit
eratlre close the work. The necessary index IS