▁major ▁controvers y ▁among ▁American ▁Un itar ian ▁the olog ians , ▁especially ▁among ▁those ▁present , ▁who ▁saw ▁the ▁speech ▁as ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁their ▁faith . ▁D issent ers ▁primarily ▁addressed ▁the ▁necessity ▁of ▁belief ▁in ▁the ▁historical ▁truth ▁of ▁the ▁Bib lic al ▁m ira cles , ▁but ▁the ▁response ▁involved ▁other ▁secondary ▁issues ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁Un itar ian ▁establishment ▁of ▁New ▁England ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Div inity ▁School ▁rejected ▁Em erson ' s ▁teach ings ▁out right , ▁with ▁Andrew s ▁N orton ▁of ▁Harvard ▁publishing ▁especially ▁force ful ▁ret ort s , ▁including ▁one ▁calling ▁Trans c endent al ism ▁" the ▁latest ▁form ▁of ▁inf idel ity ". ▁Henry ▁W are ▁Jr ., ▁one ▁of ▁Em erson ' s ▁ment ors ▁as ▁a ▁div inity ▁student ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁de cade ▁prior , ▁delivered ▁the ▁ser mon ▁" The ▁Person ality ▁of ▁the ▁De ity " ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁Although ▁the ▁ser mon ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁direct ▁attack ▁on ▁Em erson , ▁it ▁was ▁written ▁with ▁Em erson ▁in ▁mind ▁and ▁ref uted ▁the ▁new ▁t endency ▁to ▁think ▁of ▁God ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁" div ine ▁laws " ▁instead ▁of ▁as ▁a ▁being ▁who ▁plays ▁multiple ▁roles . ▁The ▁ser mon ▁was ▁also ▁circul ated ▁in ▁printed ▁form . ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁Category : 1 8 3 0 s ▁speech es ▁Category : Work s ▁by ▁Ralph ▁Wal do