om teacher to teacher.
The Gospel gives, it will be noted, the allegorical mystic explanation,
that which we have called The Lesser Mysteries, but the deeper meaning
was said to be given only to the Initiates.

Again, Jesus tells even His apostles: "I have yet many things to say to
you, but ye cannot bear them now."[42] Some of them were probably said
after His death, when He was seen of His disciples, "speaking of the
things pertaining to the kingdom of God."[43] None of these have been
publicly recorded, but who can believe that they were neglected or
forgotten, and were not handed down as a priceless possession? There was
a tradition in the Church that He visited His apostles for a
considerable period after His death, for the sake of giving them
instruction--a fact that will be referred to later--and in the famous
Gnostic treatise, the _Pistis Sophia_, we read: "It came to pass, when
Jesus had risen from the dead, that He passed eleven years speaking with
His disciples and instructing them."[44] Then there is the phrase, which
many would fain soften and explain away: "Give not that which is holy to
the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine"[45]--a precept which
is of general application indeed, but was considered by the early
Church to refer to the secret teachings. It should be remembered that
the words had not the same harshness of sound in the ancient days as
they have now; for the words "dogs"--like "the vulgar," "the
profane"--was applied by those within a certain circle to all who were
outside its pale, whether by a society or association, or by a
nation--as by the Jews to all Gentiles.[46] It was sometimes used to
designate those who were outside the circle of Initiates, and we find it
employed in that sense in the early Church; those who, not having been
initiated into the Mysteries, were regarded as being outside "the
kingdom of God," or "the spiritual Israel," had this name applied to
them.

There were several names, exclusive of the term "The Mystery," or "The
Mysteries," used to designate the sacred circle of the Initiates or
connected with Initiation: "The Kingdom," "The Kingdom of God," "The
Kingdom of Heaven," "The Narrow Path," "The Strait Gate," "The
Perfect," "The Saved," "Life Eternal," "Life," "The Second Birth," "A
Little One," "A Little Child." The meaning is made plain by the use of
these words in early Christian writings, and in some cases even outside
the Christian pale. Thus the t