All this seems to me very strongly to support my view of the origin of alchemy, which requires a specifically Christian mysticism only for this specific concept of the Philosopher's Stone in its fully-fledged form. At any rate, the development of alchemical doctrine can be seen to have proceeded concomitantly with the development of mystical philosophy and theology. Those who are not prepared here to see effect and cause may be asked not only to formulate some other hypothesis in explanation of the origin of alchemy, but also to explain this fact of concomitant development.英文原著 · 《Bygone Beliefs》
"Some Characteristics of Mediaeval Thought," and the two essays on Alchemy, have appeared in _The Journal of the Alchemical Society_. In others I have utilised material I have contributed to _The Occult Review_, to the editor of which journal my thanks are due for permission so to do. I have also to express my gratitude to the Rev. COLLINS, and others to be referred to in due course, for permission here to reproduce illustrations of which they are the copyright holders. I have further to offer my hearty thanks to Mr B. ROWBOTTOM and my wife for valuable assistance in reading the proofs.英文原著 · 《Bygone Beliefs》
Alchemy, with its four Aristotelian or scholastic elements and its three mystical principles--sulphur, mercury, salt,-- must be cited as the outstanding product of the combined influence of mysticism and scholasticism: of mysticism, which postulated the unity of the Cosmos, and hence taught that everything natural is the expressive image and type of some supernatural reality; of scholasticism, which taught men to rely upon deduction and to restrict experimentation to the smallest possible limits.英文原著 · 《Bygone Beliefs》
[1] In the following excursion we will wander again in the alchemical bypaths of thought, and certain objections to this view of the origin and nature of alchemy will be dealt with and, I hope, satisfactorily answered.英文原著 · 《Bygone Beliefs》
Whether or not we shall ever transmute lead into gold, I believe there is a very true sense in which we may say that alchemy, purified by its death, has been proved true, whilst the materialistic view of Nature has been proved false.英文原著 · 《Bygone Beliefs》
[1] THOMAS NORTON: _The Ordinal of Alchemy_. (See _The Hermetic Museum_, vol. 15 and 16.)英文原著 · 《Bygone Beliefs》
For example: Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan Made a greater contribution to the discredited field of alchemy Than Halbert Vanderplatt made to neurobiology.美剧 · 《The Big Bang Theory》