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 admonition, that  it  is  good  to  conceal  the  king's  secret, and  that  pearls  are  not  to  be  cast  before  swine, the primitive  Christians  instituted  what  they  called the "  Discipline  of  the  Secret,"  according  to  which no sacrament,  and  least  of  all  the  Eucharist,  was  to be  administered  or  discussed  in  the  presence  of Pagans. Nevertheless, when  occasion  demanded, we find  even  the  earliest  Fathers  using  this  doctrine as a  first  and  universally  accepted  principle  of  belief whereon to  base  their  proofs  of  other  dogmas  or  their refutations of  heresy. St. Irenaeus,  for  example,  book 4, chapter  4,  convicts  Valentine  and  his  followers  of inconsistency  in  that,  while  admitting  that  Christ changed bread  into  His  body,  they  denied  His divinity and  His  power  to  make  all  things  out  of nothing. St. Cyril,  also,  arguing  against  the  same heretics, asserts  the  capability  of  our  bodies  for  immortality on  the  ground  that  in  holy  communion they are  so  assimilated  to  the  incorruptible  body  of Christ  that,  even  as  the  Eucharist  consists  of  corruptible accidents  and  an  incorruptible  substance,  so our  bodies,  corruptible  by  nature,  are  rendered  by hope  incorruptible. Three things  are  here  assumed: first, that  the  consecration  effects  a  real  change; second, that  corruptible  bread  becomes  the  incorruptible body  of  Christ;  and  third,  that  this  belief  was common alike  to  the  faithful  and  to  heretics. Without this threefold  assumption  the  arguments  of  the Fathers would  be  valueless. Again, SS.  Hilary  and Cyril disprove  the  contention  of  the  Arians  that  God the Father  and  Son  are  one  not  by  nature  but  by