We shall so often have to recur to the discipline of secrecy alluded
to above, that we consider it necessary to speak of it briefly,
before we proceed further. The Pythagoreans, the Stoics, Plato, the
Epicureans and other ancient philosophers concealed their doctrines
from the uninitiated: the mysteries also of Osiris, Isis, Bacchus,
Ceres, Cybele etc. were carefully kept secret. There was no novelty
therefore for the ancients in the discipline of secrecy, the
institution of which in the Christian church is attributed by many
fathers to Christ himself, who directed that his disciples should not
"give what is holy to dogs, or cast pearls before swine". Matt. VII,
6. This injunction was observed by the whole church from the apostolic
age till the fifth century in the east, and the sixth century in the
west: it extended to dogmas as well as rites, and in particular to
those of the holy Trinity and the sacraments, especially the blessed
Eucharist[5]. For "those things" says St. Cyril of Alexandria "are
generally derided, which are not understood" adv. Julianum. The
pagans, at the instigation, it would appear, of the Jews and early
heretics, availed themselves of this secret discipline to charge
the Christians with the detestable crimes of Oedipus and Thyestes,
pretending that in their secret assemblies they murdered an infant
covered with flour, and drank his blood. (Cecilius ap. Minut. Fel.)
It was solely with the view of refuting these calumnies, that Justin
Martyr explained, in his apology addressed to Antoninus Pius, the
catholic doctrine of the eucharist. S. Blandina on the contrary
endured the most cruel torments rather than reveal it, though its
profession would have confuted the same odious calumnies; and S.
Augustine observes a similar reserve when answering the pagan Maximus
Madaurensis.

"Who" says the protestant Casaubon "is so little versed in the