Adv. Celsum, Lib. 1, n.7.T.1.-“One would think that Celsus sought to imitate the Jews, who, when the Gospel began to be preached, disseminated false reports against those who had embraced it: that the Christians sacrificed a little child, and eat its flesh together; that to do works of darkness, they extinguished the lights, and then abandoned themselves to impurity indiscriminately.” Ibid. Lib. vi. n. 28. “ We are traduced," said Tertullian, “as the most wicked of men; bound to each other by an oath of infanticide ; guilty of regaling ourselves from the flesh of the infant, which we have just slain. The imputation of these works is dated, as I have said, from the reign of Tiberius. Hatred of the truth began with Christianity ; it was detested as soon as produced to the world.” Apol. c. vii. p. 674. Paris, 1580.
The above passages fully establish these facts--1st; that during the five first Centuries an inviolable secrecy was observed in the Assemblies of the Christians.—2dly: that from this secrecy, and a hatred of the Christian name, arose the calumnies spread abroad against them; - and 3dly: that the origin of these calumnies, and of this discipline of the secret is to be dated from the first preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles.
What then, let me now ask, was concealed beneath this secrecy, relative to the mysteries of the Eucharist? mysteries of a nature so awful, that the Fathers did not hesitate to declare, that it was better to shed their blood than to publish them; and for which in fact, several did shed their blood, rather than reveal them! Evidently, it could be nothing less, than the Catholic Doctrine on this subject. In any other supposition, there could be no reasonable motive for this discipline.-" The Assemblies of the Christians were calumniated: they were charged with unheard-of crimes; the faithful were put to the torture to force from them the avowal of what passed clandestinely among them. Why not then throw open every door? Why not expose to the light the in-
