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The Tenth Lesson: The Secret Doctrine.1069
of the earlier teachings and reverently repeats the words of the Nicene
Creed, “I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life.”
* * *
That there is a Secret Doctrine of Christianity is not generally known to
the majority who claim the name of “Christian.” But it has always been known
to the mystics in and out of the church, and its flame has been kept steadily
alight by a few devoted souls who were chosen for this sacred task.
The Secret Doctrine of Christianity did not originate with Jesus, for He,
Himself, was an Initiate of Mysteries which had been known and taught for
centuries before His birth. As St. Augustine has said: “That which is called
the Christian Religion existed among the ancients and never did not exist,
from the beginning of the human race until Christ came in the flesh, at which
time the true religion which already existed began to be called Christianity.”
We would like to quote here a few paragraphs from the writings of a well
known writer on religious subjects, with which statement we heartily agree,
although our views on certain other points of teaching do not agree with
those of this writer. He says: “It may be said that in the present day these
doctrines are simply not taught in the churches; how is that? It is because
Christianity has forgotten much of its original teachings, because it is now
satisfied with only part, and a very small part, of what it originally knew. ‘They
still have the same scriptures,’ you will say. Yes, but those very scriptures tell
you often of something more, which is now lost. What is meant by Christ’s
constant references to the ‘Mysteries of the Kingdom of God’—by His
frequent statement to His disciples that the full and true interpretation could
be given only to them, and that to others He must speak in parables? Why
does He perpetually use the technical terms connected with the well known
mystery-teaching of antiquity? What does St. Paul mean when he says, ‘We
speak wisdom among them which are perfect’—a well known technical term
for the men at a certain stage of initiation? Again and again he uses terms
of the same sort; he speaks of ‘the wisdom of God in mystery, the hidden
wisdom which God ordained before the world began, and which none even