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A Series of Lessons in Mystic Christianity1076
having a Mystic Centre for the few, and Common Outer for the multitude.
Can there be any doubt of this after reading the above words from his pen?
But not only St. Clement so wrote and taught, but many others in
authority in the Early Christian Church likewise voiced their knowledge of,
and approval in, the Inner Teachings. For example, Origen, the pupil of St.
Clement, a man whose influence was felt on all sides in the early days of
the Church. Origen defended Christianity from the attacks of Celsus, who
charged the Church with being a secret organization which taught the Truth
only to a few, while it satisfied the multitude with popular teachings and
half-truths. Origen replied that, while it was true that there were Inner
Teachings in the Church which were not revealed to the general public, still
the Church, in that respect, was but following the example of all teachers of
Truth, who always maintained an esoteric side of their teachings for those
fitted to participate in them, while giving the exoteric side to the general
body of followers. He writes: “And yet the Mystery of the Resurrection, not
being understood, is made a subject of ridicule among unbelievers. In these
circumstances, to speak of the Christian doctrine as a secret system is altogether
absurd. But that there should be certain doctrines, not made known to the
multitude, which are divulged after the exoteric ones have been taught, is
not a peculiarity of Christianity alone, but also of philosophic systems in
which certain truths are exoteric and others esoteric. Some of the hearers
of Pythagoras were content with his ipse dixit; while others were taught in
secret those doctrines which were not deemed fit to be communicated to
profane and insufficiently prepared ears. Moreover, all the Mysteries that
are celebrated everywhere throughout Greece and barbarous countries,
although held in secret, have no discredit thrown upon them, so that it is in
vain he endeavors to calumniate the secret doctrines of Christianity, seeing
that he does not correctly understand its nature.”
“I have not yet spoken of the observance of all that is written in the Gospels,
each one of which contains much doctrine difficult to be understood, not
merely by the multitude, but even by certain of the more intelligent, including