nd philosophical truths which I have acquired
and verified, I attribute the appearance to its true cause, refraction of
light. When in passing from room to room in the dark, with my arms
outspread, I run my nose against the edge of a door, I do not therefrom
conclude that my nose is longer than my arms! When I see a man stumble in
the street, I do not at once set him down as a drunkard, not considering
that to be sufficient evidence, although some of our Washingtonian friends
do; but I compare that fact with the state of the streets, and what I know
of his previous life, and judge accordingly.'

Well, said I, you are an excellent transcendentalist; one after my own
heart, in morals, philosophy and religion. To be a transcendentalist is
after all to be _only_ a sensible, unprejudiced man, open to conviction at
all times, and spiritually-minded. I can well understand that, when you
condemn transcendentalism, you object not to the principle, but to the
practice, in the superlative degree, of that principle. Transcendentalism
is but an abstract mode of considering morals, philosophy, religion; an
application of the principles of abstract science to these subjects. All
metaphysicians are transcendentalists, and every one is transcendental so
far as he is metaphysical. There are as many different modifications of
the one as of the other, and probably no two transcendentalists ever
thought alike; their creed is not yet written. You certainly do not
condemn spiritualism, but ultra spiritualism you seem to abhor.

'Precisely so. I did not yesterday give you the meaning which I attached
to transcendentalism; in truth, practically you meant one thing by that
term, and I another, though I now see that in principle they are the same.
The spiritualism which I like, looks through nature and revelation up to
GOD; that which I abhor, condescends hardly to make use of nature at all,
but demands direct converse with GOD, and declares that it enjoys it too;
a sort of continual and _immediate_ revelation. Itself is its own
authority. The ultra-spiritualist contains within himself the fulness of
the Godhead. He allows of nothing external, unless it be brother spirits
like himself. He has abolished nature, and to the uninitiated seems to
have abolished GOD himself, although I am charitable enough to believe
that he has full faith in GOD, after his own fashion. He claims to be
inspired; to be equal to JESUS; nay superior; for one of them lately