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A Series of Lessons in Mystic Christianity1070
of the princes of this world know’—a statement which could not by any
possibility have been truthfully made if he had been referring merely to
ordinary Christian teaching which is openly preached before all men. His
immediate followers, the Fathers of the Church, knew perfectly well what
he meant, for they all use precisely the same phraseology. Clement of
Alexandria, one of the earliest and greatest of all, tells us that ‘It is not lawful
to reveal to the profane persons the Mysteries of the Word.’”
“Another consideration shows us clearly how much of this early teaching
has been lost. The church now devotes herself solely to producing good
men, and points to the saint as her crowning glory and achievement. But
in older days she claimed to be able to do much more than that. When
she had made a man a saint, her work with him was only just beginning, for
then only was he fit for the training and teaching which she could give him
then, but cannot now, because she has forgotten her ancient knowledge.
Then she had three definite stages in her course of training—Purification,
Illumination and Perfection. Now she contents herself with the preliminary
Purification, and has no Illumination to give.”
“Read what Clement says: ‘Purity is only a negative state, valuable chiefly
as the condition of insight. He who has been purified in Baptism and then
initiated into the Little Mysteries (has acquired, that is to say, the habits
of self-control and reflection) becomes rife for the Greater Mysteries for
the Gnosis, the scientific knowledge of God.’ In another place he says:
‘Knowledge is more than faith. Faith is a summary knowledge of urgent truths,
suitable for people who are in a hurry; but knowledge is scientific faith.’ And
his pupil Origen writes of ‘the popular, irrational faith’ which leads to what
he calls physical Christianity, based upon the gospel history, as opposed to
the spiritual Christianity conferred by the Gnosis of Wisdom. Speaking of
teaching founded upon historical narrative, he says, ‘What better method
could be devised to assist the masses?’ But for those who are wise he has
always the higher teachings, which are given only to those who have proved
themselves worthy of it. This teaching is not lost; the church cast it out