1662, Henry More, “A brief discourse of the nature, causes, kinds, and cure of enthusiasm”, in A collection of several philosophical writings, 2nd edition, London: Flesher, page 30, or, § xliv:
What can it be but […]Hypochondria that lifts up the Mind to such high comparisons from a supposition so false and foolish? But I have observed generally of Chymists[sic] and Theosophists, as of feveral other men more palpably mad, that their thoughts are carried much to Astrology, it being a fancifull study built upon very slight grounds, and indeed I do not queftion, but a relique of the ancient superstition and Idolatry amongst the rude Heathens, which either their own Melancholy, or something worse, instructed them in.
1791, Enfield William, “Of the theosophists”, in The history of philosophy : from the earliest times to the beginning of the present century : drawn up from Brucker's Historia critica philosophia, London: Printed for J. Johnson, →OCLC, pages 488–489:
Theosophists. […] neither contented with […] human reason, […] profess to derive a mysterious and divine philososophy manifested only to the chosen favourites of heaven. […] They ascribe […] that they are able to […] use of the element of fire, in the chemical art, […] to discover […] essential principles of bodies, and to disclose […] mysteries in the physical world. They […] pretend to an acquaintance with […]celestial beings which form the medium of intercourse between God and man, and to a power of obtaining from them, by the aid of magic, astrology, and other similar arts, various kinds of information and assistance.
1856, Robert A. Vaughan, Hours with the mystics : a contribution to the history of religious opinion, volume 1, London: John W. Parker, →OCLC, page 45:
[…] the theosophist is one who gives you a theory of God, or of the works of God, which has not reason, but an inspiration of his own for its basis.
1867, “Theosophism or Theosophy”, in William Fleming, editor, The vocabulary of philosophy, mental, moral, and metaphysical with quotations and references; for the use of students, 2nd edition, New York: Sheldon, →OCLC, page 524:
1874, Albert G. Mackey, “Fire Philosophers”, in An encyclopaedia of freemasonry and its kindred sciences : comprising the whole range of arts, sciences and literature as connected with the institution, volume 1, Philadelphia: Moss, →OCLC, page 277:
See Theosophists.
1874, Albert G. Mackey, “Fire-Worship”, in An encyclopaedia of freemasonry and its kindred sciences : comprising the whole range of arts, sciences and literature as connected with the institution, volume 1, Philadelphia: Moss, →OCLC, page 278:
In the Medieval ages there was a sect of "fire-philosophers" — philosophi per ignem — who were a branch or offshoot of Rosicrucianism, with which Freemasonry has so much in common. These fire-philosophers kept up the veneration for fire, and cultivated the "fire-secret," not as an idolatrous belief, but modified by their hermetic notions. They were also called "theosophists," and through them, or in reference to them, we find the theosophic degrees of Masonry, which sprang up in the eighteenth century.
Fire-Philosophers, or Philosophi per ignem, […] The distinguishing tenet from which they derived this appellation was, that the intimate essences of natural things were only to be known by the trying efforts of fire, directed in a chemical process. They were also called Theosophists, from their declaring against human reason as a dangerous and deceitful guide, and representing a divine and supernatural illumination as the only means of arriving at truth.
