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,[1145] 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.
Footnote 1145:
The words, as they stand in the text of Lommatzsch, are, ἀλλὰ καὶ μὴν
νοηθὲν τὸ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως μυστήριον. Ruæus would read μὴ instead
of μήν. This emendation has been adopted in the translation.