Transcendentalism, as viewed by
its disciples, was a pilgrimage from the idolatrous world of creeds
and rituals to the temple of the Living God in the soul. It was a
putting to silence of tradition and formulas, that the Sacred Oracle
might be heard through intuitions of the single-eyed and pure-hearted.
Amidst materialists, zealots, and sceptics, the Transcendentalist
believed in perpetual inspiration, the miraculous power of will, and a
birthright to universal good. He sought to hold communion face to face
with the unnameable Spirit of his spirit, and gave himself up to the
embrace of nature's beautiful joy, as a babe seeks the breast of a
mother. To him the curse seemed past; and love was without fear. "All
mine is thine" sounded forth to him in ceaseless benediction, from
flowers and stars, through the poetry, art, heroism of all ages, in
the aspirations of his own genius, and the budding promise of the
time. His work was to be faithful, as all saints, sages, and lovers
of man had been, to Truth, as the very Word of God. His maxims
were,--"Trust, dare and be; infinite good is ready for your asking;
seek and find. All that your fellows can claim or need is that you
should become, in fact, your highest self; fulfil, then, your
ideal.
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