theosophistical

[English theosophist; -ical.] Theosophical. *the-os-ô-phize, v. i. [Eng. theosoph (y); -ize.] To treat of or to practice theosophy. IMG:content-0993.png:[blocks in formation] of which the chief are: (1) The system of the Fire-philosophers or Rosicrucians (q. v.), who claimed to be able, by a miraculous intuition of the properties of the so-called element of fire, to provide a solution, not only for every difficulty of physics, but also for every doubtful problem in the spiritual world. The leader of this movement was Para cels us (1493-1541); it gained many adherents on the Continent, and had a celebrated advocate in England in the person of Robert Fludd (1574-1637). These Theosophists a erted that God, who is unchangeable, acts in the kingdom of grace just as he does in the kingdom of nature; so that whoever understands how natural bodies, in particular the metals, are changed, understands also what pa es in the soul in regeneration, sanctification, and renovation. (2) A form of Christian mysticism, which, excluding the dialectic proce es of philosophy and the claims of authority and revelation, profe ed to derive its knowledge of God from direct and immediato intuition and contemplation, or from the immediate communication of God himself. Traces of 4060 this belief are to be found in the early history of the Church, but the name Theosophy, in this connection, is applied chiefly to the system developed from the writings of Jacob Böhme, or Böhmen (1575-1624), a shoemaker of Görlitz, sometimes called the "Teutonic Philosopher." He studied the Scriptures diligently, acquired some notions of chemistry and natural science, saw visions, as he believed, and came at last to consider his speculations on the Deity and origin of things as given to him by in ternal illumination. According to Böhme, finite existences are an efflux from the One Infinite exist ence, and such efflux, manifesting itself in fire, light, and spirit, is a nece ary attribute of God's own being. Angels and men owe their origin to the divi no fire, from which light and love are generated in them. This triune life is the perfection of being, and the lo of it constituted the fall of angels and men. Christ restored to men the germ of paradisiacal life, which is po e ed by all through the new birth and His indwelling. No man can be lost excopt by the willful destruction of the germ of the divine life. Böhme's Theosophy, however, was at the bottom thoroughly Christian. Henry More (1614-87), to some extent, adopted Böhme's opinions, as did William Law (1686-1761), the author of A Serious Call to a Devout Life . 1881; Saturday Review, Sept. 3, 1881.) (1) Of late years theosophy has attracted widespread attention in both hemispheres, and intimate relations have existed between the leaders of the movement; owing to facility of correspondence and travel the theosophists have been enabled to act more in unison, and the names of the leaders of the faith have become familiar to the reading public of the whole world. Some ridicule has attached to the belief on account of the extravagant expre ions of some of its alleged followers, who are utterly incapable of appreciating any portion of its teachings which at all tend to metaphysics or mysticisms. *the-o-tech-nic, adj . [Eng. theotechn(y): -ic.] Pertaining to the action or intervention of the gods; operated or carried on by the gods. *the-o-tech-nỹ, s. [Gr. theos =God, and technē =art.] The supernatural beings introduced into any piece of literary composition. "The personages of the Homeric theotechny, under which name I include the whole of the supernatural beings, of whatever rank, introduced into the poems."Gladstone: Juventus Mundi, ch. vii. thê-ô-the-ca, s. [Prefix theo-, and Gr. theke a case, a receptacle.] The same as MONSTRANCE (q. v.). The-ot-o-kos, s. [Eccles. Gr. theotokos bringing forth or giving birth to God: theos =God, and tokos = bringing forth; tik to to bring forth.] Church Hist. & Theol .: A title of the Virgin Mary. The word itself does not occur in the New Testa ment, but its equivalent ("the mother of my Lord") is found (Luke i. 43). As an ecclesiastical term it was adopted at the Councils of Ephesus (A. D. 431), and Chalcedon (A. D. 451), to a ert the divinity of our Lord's Person. "The title Theotokos , a igned to the Ble ed Virgin by eminent Fathers before the Nestor i an controversy (see Bright: Hist. Church , p. 302), and by the whole Church ever since the Council of Ephesus, is e entially a tribute to Christ's personal glory."-Liddon: Bampton Lectures (ed. 11th), p. 261. (Note d.) *theow, s . [A. S.] A slave. *theow-man, s . [A.S.] A slave, a serf, a bond man. *ther, adv . [THERE.] *ther-a-bout-en, adv. [THEREABOUT.] *ther-a-gain, adv . [English there , and again .] Against that. ther-a-pen-çỹ, subst. [THERAPEUTIC.) Thorapeutics. "And contrasted this with the hopele scepticism of the present day, as illustrated by the conspicuous absence of therapeucy from the proceedings of the late Inter national Medical Congre ."-London Daily News. ther-a-peut, subst. [THE RAPE UTE.] One of the The rape ute (q. v.). "Philo on the E enes and The rape uts."-Saturday Review , Nov. 5, 1881, p. 585. Ther-a-peu-tæ, s . pl . [Gr. the rape utes =a servant; therapeuō to serve.] Church Hist.: A term applied to a body of Egyptian Jews by Philo in his Contemplative Life . They there arose about the end of the first century, and gave themselves up entirely to contemplation of the Deity, performing none of the duties of active life. but living in solitary cells like hermits, and meeting every Saturday, which they kept as a great holiday, for devotion in common, after which they again retired to their respective semneia or cells, and spent their time in their customary speculations. Eusebius (Hist. Eccles ., lib. ii., ch. xvii.) claims them as Christian monks established by St. Mark, though without using the word The rape ute, and says, "Who can doubt that Philo is speaking about the customs of our people?" Others have called them Contemplative E enes [ESSENE]; Lange thought they were Oriental philosophers of melancholy temperament who had imbibed Jewish notions; and Jablonski considered them Egyptian priests addicted to astrology. "I agree entirely with those who regard the The rape ute as being Jews claiming to be true disciples of Moses, and as being neither Christians nor Egyptians. In reality, they were wild and melancholy enthusiasts, who led a life incongruous alike with the law of Moses, and of sober reason."- Mosheim : Eccles. Hist . (ed. Reid), p. 15.