Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE GOSPEL OF PHILOSOPHIC HEATHENISM 241the Roman Empire from end to end as a public teacherprecisely at the time that the Author of Christianityand His immediate disciples began to propagate theChristian religion. Then, as to place, his sojourn isdwelt upon at Ephesus, Athens, Corinth, and Koine, ateach of which cities he is said to work a notable miracle.But there is something much more remarkable in theway in which he is said to visit Rome. There weretwo emperors who persecuted the Christians at Romeduring the supposed duration of his life, and he visitsRome twice precisely at the time of these two persecutions,and expressly to measure himself, as it were,with the tyranny of Nero and Domitian. Apolloniusfirst goes to Rome just before Nero visits Greece, and-boldly preaches his philosophy there at the momentother philosophers are flying from Nero, also at thetime when the great Apostles Peter and Paul lay downtheir lives. But Apollonius after preaching withoutfear departs without molestation. The very Tigellinus,who is the instrument of Nero's cruelty to the Christians,acknowledges and venerates his power. ThusApollonius departs unscathed out of the furnacewhich consumed the chief Christian teachers, proceedingon his course to Spain with the tranquilsuperiority of a higher nature. Again, some twenty-five years later he returns to Rome, and this time itis exactly at the moment that Domitian is puttingto death his relation Flavius Clemens and otherChristians. Domitian tries his hand likewise uponApollonius, and brings him to a public trial on acharge of conspiracy and other accusations, amongwhich is one of being a god. The emperor is constrainedto acquit him, when the philosopher, as ifdisdaining so to escape, and to accept a tyrant'sVOL. III.Q