Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE GOSPEL OF PHILOSOPHIC HEATHENISM249ascribes to Apollonius is not a simple copy of thecharacter of Christ, but a heathen reflection of it. Itis so drawn as to be to the Greek and Roman heathenswhat Christ is to Christians. We have an adequatereason for this double imitation in the fact that theChristian society was, at the moment he wrote, in thehighest degree aggressive, advancing, and influential.He wished to show that his own heathenism could doas well or better. If Christ went about doing goodfor three years in one small country, Apollonius shoulddo the same for sixty years through the whole regionfrom Syria to Spain, from Eome to India and Ethiopia.If Christ worked miracles and cast out evil spirits,Apollonius should do as much. If Christ could despiseexternal goods, practise continence, face betrayal,danger, and death, the heathen champion should matchHim in this. Christ's birth even and disappearancefrom the earth should have their parallel, nay, beoutdone, as his biographer might think, by those ofApollonius. And Apollonius should remain throughouttrue to his Hellenic race, should stand throughout onhis own ground. For, as we have said, it is not asimple copy which he sought to make.We have just been specifying the very striking pointsof similarity which this pretended life of Apolloniusoffers to the life of Christ. Let us now glance at thepoints of contrast, which no less illustrate the designof Philostratus, and the state of the mental conflictthen carried on.I. The doctrine which runs through the whole bookis the relationship of the human soul with the divinity.The ethereal light-substance, which is the supremeGod, is shared also by every human soul. Apolloniusthought ta^ i-i v it * V the W -*-» \-s highest MA «*, wisdom of the Indian Brahrnans