| 释义 |
mystical, a.|ˈmɪstɪkəl|
Also 5–8 misti-, 6 myste-, mysty-.
[Formed as mystic a.: see -ical.]
1. Having a certain spiritual character or import by virtue of a connexion or union with God transcending human comprehension: said esp. with reference to the Church as the Body of Christ, and to sacramental ordinances. (Cf. mystic a. 1.)
1529More Suppl. Soulys Wks. 327/2 Christes mistical body that is his church. 1549Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion, All they whyche bee of the misticall body of thy sonne. 1550Senonoys tr. Godly Saiyngs (1846) 118 The mystycal or sacramental breade. 1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxvii. §7 A true..participation of Christ, who thereby imparteth himselfe..as a misticall head vnto euery soule that receiueth him. 1633G. Herbert Temple, Ch., Superl., Approach, and taste The churches mysticall repast. 1660Coke Power & Subj. 77 These two individual persons, by the law of God, are made one mystical person, of which the husband is head. 1845Encycl. Metrop. II. 901/1 This mystical body, the Catholic Church. 1864Neale Seaton. Poems 165 They eat the mystical supper.
b. (Spiritually) allegorical or symbolical.
a1500Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.) viii. 333 Dauid..prophesied that kinges from Tharsis and Araby with misticall giftes shall come and present that Lord. 1529More Dyaloge i. Wks. 160/2 The misticall gestures and seremonies vsed in the masse. 1530Palsgr. Introd. p. xvi, The nombre of thre, whiche of all other is most..mystycall. 1555Saunders Let. in Coverdale's Lett. Martyrs (1564) 204 Though he stand behynd the wal and hyde himselfe (as Salomon saieth in his mystical ballade). 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. xi. 12 To make up the rotundity of so sacred, and mystical a number. 1690T. Burnet Th. Earth iii. Concl. 113 'Tis plain to me in the Apocalypse, that Mystical Babylon is to be consum'd by fire. 1861E. Garbett Bible & its Critics i. 32 The mystical horseman in the Apocalypse.
c. In the interpretation of Scripture, applied to the spiritual or allegorical sense which is held to underlie the obvious or literal meaning.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 4 b, Leest he wolde lene all togyder to the litteral sense of scripture, and not to y⊇ spiritual or mistical sense. 1553Wilson Rhet. 62 b, Some do use after the literal sense to gather a misticall understandyng. 1662–3South Serm. (1727) V. 53, I profess not myself either skilled, or delighted, in mystical Interpretations of Scripture. 1860Pusey Min. Proph. 620 S. Jerome gives here the mystical meaning.
2. Having an unseen, unknown, or mysterious origin, character, effect, or influence; of dark import, obscure meaning, or occult influence. Now rare or Obs. (Cf. mystic a. 5.)
a1500–34Coventry Corpus Chr. Plays (1902) 12/341 Were mystecall vnto youre heryng,—Of the natevete off a kyng. 1533Elyot Cast. Helthe (1539) 33 In the serchyng out of secrete and misticall thynges, their wyttes excellyd. 1587Golding De Mornay (1592) Ep. Ded. p. v, Least the matters which in some cases are misticall enough of themselues by reason of their owne profoundnesse, might haue ben made more obscure. 1643Milton Soveraigne Salve 21 While they mature..such their mysticall and pernicious designes. 1727S. Shuckford Hist. World I. Pref. p. l, Instead of supporting them with Reason and Argument, they had them expressed in mystical Sentences. 1743Bulkeley & Cummins Voy. S. Seas 104 [He] has not only traduc'd us, but made the whole affair so dark and mystical, that [etc.]. 1824S. E. Ferrier Inher. xxxiv, Struck with the mystical fragments of speech she had bestowed on him. 1829Scott Anne of G. i, I would..we had that mystical needle which mariners talk of. 1848Lytton Harold x. i, That illness had been both preceded and followed by mystical presentiments of the evil days [etc.].
†b. Of a person: Obscure in speech or in style.
1471Ripley Comp. Alch. in Ashm. (1652) 111 Though I dare not here plainly the knot unbinde, Yet in my writeing I wyll not be so Mysticall, But that [etc.]. 1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 18 Such mysticall Mist-all and Misse-all Interpreters. 1626Bacon Sylva §96 A Physitian, that would be Mysticall, prescribeth, for the Cure of the Rheume, that a Man should walk Continually upon a Camomill-alley; Meaning, that he should put Camomill within his Socks.
3. Connected with mysterious or occult rites or practices. (Cf. mystic a. 2.)
1577tr. Bullinger's Decades iii. vi. 386/2 Their mysticall apparaile, & their sundrie offices. 1582Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 48 Too you for wytnesse do I cal; you mystical altars. 1667Milton P.L. v. 620 Mystical dance, which yonder starrie Spheare Of Planets and of fixt in all her Wheeles Resembles nearest. 1740C'tess of Hertford Corr. (1806) II. 10 The Court and army danced what they called a mystical dance. 1801Campbell Lochiel's Warn. 55 'Tis the sunset of life gives me mystical lore, And coming events cast their shadows before. 1869F. W. Newman Misc. 192 Their smell when burnt, and the mystical cloud of smoke, were universally esteemed.
†4. Secret, unavowed, concealed; = mystic a. 3.
1611Second Maiden's Trag. ii. i. in Hazl. Dodsley X. 419 Confess, thou mystical panderess! a1687Petty Pol. Anat. (1691) 38 This is the State of the External and Apparent Government of Ireland... But the Internal and Mystical Government of Ireland is thus.
5. = mystic a. 4. Also, pertaining to or characteristic of mystics (see mystic n. 2); relating to, or of the nature of, mysticism.
1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 572 So many are the interpretations in their mysticall Theologie, that Truth must needs be absent, which is but One. 1647Cressy Exomologesis lxxv. 635 Mysticall Theology being nothing else in generall but certaine rules by the practise whereof a vertuous Christian might atteine to a nearer..conversation with God. 1655Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. xvi. 179 His soul imployed in mysticall meditations. c1710Burnet Autobiogr. in Suppl. Hist. (1902) 473 With my ascetick course of life I joined the reading all the Misticall Authors I could find; in particular all Teresa's works. 1841D'Israeli Amen. Lit. (1859) II. 50 The mystical Pythagoras, and the allegorising Plato. 1844W. G. Ward Ideal Chr. Ch. 326 Mystical theology is the ascetic theology of those, who are unusually advanced in the Christian course, and leading a life of unearthly and noble sanctity. 1884Encycl. Brit. XVII. 129/2 The intuition or ecstasy or mystical swoon which appears alike among the Hindus, the Neo-Platonists, and the mediæval saints. 1904Illingworth Chr. Char. ix. 182 Both [St. Paul and St. John] were men the basis of whose life was profoundly mystical. |