The most active lives have so much routine as to preclude progress almost equally with the most inactive. Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson More Quotes From Ralph Waldo Emerson Luckily for us, now that steam has narrowed the Atlantic to a strait, the nervous, rocky West is intruding a new and continental element into the national mind, as we shall yet have an American genius. Ralph Waldo Emerson united-states mind america Let a man attain the highest and broadest culture that any American has possessed, then let him die by sea-storm, railroad collision, or other accident, and all America will acquiesce that the best thing has happened to him; that, after the education has gone far, such is the expensiveness of America, that the best use to put a fine person to is to drown him to save his board. Ralph Waldo Emerson sea men america Physical force has no value, where there is nothing else. Snow in snow-banks, fire in volcanoes and solfataras is cheap. The luxury of ice is in tropical countries, and midsummer days. The luxury of fire is, to have a little on our hearth; and of electricity, not the volleys of the charged cloud, but the manageable stream on the battery-wires. So of spirit, or energy; the rests or remains of it in the civil and moral man, are worth all the cannibals in the Pacific. Ralph Waldo Emerson fire men country There is no king or sovereign state Ralph Waldo Emerson sovereign kings hero The hero sees that the event is ancillary: it must follow him. Ralph Waldo Emerson heroines events hero The hero is a mind of such balance that no disturbances can shake his will, but pleasantly, and, as it were, merrily, he advancesto his own music, alike in frightful alarms and in the tipsy mirth of universal dissoluteness. Ralph Waldo Emerson balance hero mind Times of heroism are generally times of terror, but the day never shines in which this element may not work. Ralph Waldo Emerson shining hero time But whoso is heroic will always find crises to try his edge. Ralph Waldo Emerson crisis hero trying Savages cling to a local god of one tribe or town. The broad ethics of Jesus were quickly narrowed to village theologies, which preach an election or favoritism. Ralph Waldo Emerson savages village jesus A few years ago, the liberal churches complained that the Calvinistic church denied to them the name of Christian. I think the complaint was confession; a religious church would not complain. Ralph Waldo Emerson religious christian thinking The reverence for the Scriptures is an element of civilization, for thus has the history of the world been preserved, and is preserved. Ralph Waldo Emerson bible civilization history Do not shut up the young people against their will in a pew, and force the children to ask them questions for an hour against their will. Ralph Waldo Emerson sunday children school The Church seems to totter to its fall, almost all life extinct. On this occasion, any complaisance would be criminal which told you, whose hope and commission it is to preach the faith of Christ, that the faith of Christ is preached. Ralph Waldo Emerson criminals church fall To aim to convert a man by miracles is a profanation of the soul. A true conversion, a true Christ, is now, as always, to be madeby the reception of beautiful sentiments. Ralph Waldo Emerson miracle beautiful men Freedom is the essence of this faith. It has for its object simply to make men good and wise. Its institutions then should be as flexible as the wants of men. That form out of which the life and suitableness have departed should be as worthless in its eyes as the dead leaves that are falling around us. Ralph Waldo Emerson eye wise fall We ought to be cautious in taking even the best ascertained opinions and practices of the primitive Church for our own. If it could be satisfactorily shown that they esteemed it authorized and transmitted forever, that does not settle the question for us. We know how inveterately they were attached to their Jewish prejudices, and how often even the influence of Christ failed to enlarge their views. On every other subject succeeding times have learned to form a judgement more in accordance with the spirit of Christianity than was the practice of the early ages. Ralph Waldo Emerson practice views forever We must trust infinitely to the beneficent necessity which shines through all laws. Human nature expresses itself in them as characteristically as in statues, or songs, or railroads, and an abstract of the codes of nations would be an abstract of the common conscience. Ralph Waldo Emerson shining law song We legislate against forestalling and monopoly; we would have a common granary for the poor; but the selfishness which hoards thecorn for high prices, is the preventative of famine; and the law of self-preservation is surer policy than any legislation can be. Ralph Waldo Emerson self law common I remember the thought which occurred to me when some ingenious and spiritual foreigners came to America, was, Have you been victimized in being brought hither?--or, prior to that, answer me this, "Are you victimizable? Ralph Waldo Emerson united-states spiritual america American mind a wilderness of opportunities. Ralph Waldo Emerson united-states mind opportunity
