that he, a man in a very exalted position in the Early Christian
Church, recognized, and actually taught, the Inner Teachings, or
Secret Doctrine of Mystic Christianity--that the Early Christian
Church was an organization 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