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| Chapter VII
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Chapter VII.
Moreover, since he frequently calls the Christian
doctrine a secret system (of belief), we must confute him on this point
also, since almost the entire world is better acquainted with what
Christians preach than with the favourite opinions of
philosophers. For who is ignorant of the statement that Jesus was
born of a virgin, and that He was crucified, and that His resurrection
is an article of faith among many, and that a general judgment is
announced to come, in which the wicked are to be punished according to
their deserts, and the righteous to be duly rewarded? And yet the
mystery of the resurrection, not being understood,3093
| 3093 The words, as they
stand in the text of Lommatzsch, are, ἀλλὰ
καὶ μὴν
νοηθὲν τὸ
περὶ τῆς
ἀναστάσεως
μυστήριον.
Ruæus would read μή
instead of μήν. This emendation has been
adopted in the translation. | 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 (revealed) 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 that he endeavours to calumniate the secret doctrines of
Christianity, seeing he does not correctly understand its
nature.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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