Esoteric Christianity, or The Lesser MysteriesBesant, Annie
Religion
Esoteric Christianity, or The Lesser Mysteries
Besant, Annie
Christianity -- Miscellanea; Mysticism; Theosophy
Celsus complaining that sinners were brought into the Church, Origen
answers that the Church had medicine for those that were sick, but also
the study and the knowledge of divine things for those who were in
health. Sinners were taught not to sin, and only when it was seen that
progress had been made, and men were "purified by the Word," "then and
not before do we invite them to participation in our Mysteries. For we
speak wisdom among them that are perfect."[129] Sinners came to be
healed: "For there are in the divinity of the Word some helps towards
the cure of those who are sick.... Others, again, which to the pure in
soul and body exhibit the 'revelation of the Mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began, but now is made manifest by the Scriptures
of the prophets,' and 'by the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,' which
'appearing' is manifested to each one of those who are perfect, and
which enlightens the reason in the true knowledge of things."[130] Such
appearances of divine Beings took place, we have seen, in the Pagan
Mysteries, and those of the Church had equally glorious visitants. "God
the Word," he says, "was sent as a physician to sinners, but as a
Teacher of Divine Mysteries to those who are already pure, and who sin
no more."[131] "Wisdom will not enter into the soul of a base man, nor
dwell in a body that is involved in sin;" hence these higher teachings
are given only to those who are "athletes in piety and in every virtue."
Christians did not admit the impure to this knowledge, but said:
"Whoever has clean hands, and, therefore, lifts up holy hands to God ...
let him come to us ... whoever is pure not only from all defilement,
but from what are regarded as lesser transgressions, let him be boldly
initiated in the Mysteries of Jesus, which properly are made known only
to the holy and the pure." Hence also, ere the ceremony of Initiation
began, he who acts as Initiator, according to the precepts of Jesus, the
Hierophant, made the significant proclamation "to those who have been
purified in heart: He, whose soul has, for a long time, been conscious
of no evil, especially since he yielded himself to the healing of the
Word, let such a one hear the doctrines which were spoken in private by
Jesus to His genuine disciples." This was the opening of the "initiating
those who were already purified into the sacred Mysteries."[132] Such
only might learn the realities of the unseen worlds, and might enter
into the sacred precincts where, as of old, angels were the teachers,
and where knowledge was given by sight and not only by words. It is
impossible not to be struck with the different tone of these Christians
from that of their modern successors. With them perfect purity of life,
the practice of virtue, the fulfilling of the divine Law in every detail
of outer conduct, the perfection of righteousness, were--as with the
Pagans--only the beginning of the way instead of the end. Nowadays
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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