Nat
An evil spirit. (See Burma.) N Naylor theological principles of its votaries were concerned, but strongly united in its general principles.
It is with Nicholas of Kusa, who died in 1464, that mysticism triumphs over scholasticism. Nicolas is the protagonist of super-knowledge, or that higher ignorance which is the knowledge of the intellect in contra-distincton to the mere knowledge of the understanding. His doctrines coloured those of Giordano Bruno and his theosophy certainly preceded that of Paracelsus. The next great name we meet with in mysticism is that of Boehme (q.v.), who once and for all systematised German philosophy. The Roman Church produced many mystics of note in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, notably Francis of Sales, Mme. Guyon and Molinos, -the last two of which were the protagonists of Quietism, which set forth the theory that there should be no pleasure in the practice of mysticism, and that God did not exist for the enjoyment of man. Perhaps the greatest students of Boehme were William Law (q.v.), 1686 to 1761, and Saint Martin (q.v.), 1743 to 1803. 66
But all mysticism is not necessarily identified with sect, although undoubtedly its strongholds in this country to-day are to be found in certain circles of the Church of England. There are still with us mystics who, professing no definite theological tenets, are yet mystics in virtue of their desire for unity with, or proximity to the Deity, by what they call magical" methods. These are obscure, and are probably the result of personal experiences, which it is not given to everyone to comprehend; but which, nevertheless, may be very real indeed. For a good summary of such mysticism the reader is referred to Mr. A. Ε. Waite's Azoth or the Star in the East; See also Evelyn Underhill's Mysticism and The Mystic Way.