Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

THE GOSPEL OF PHILOSOPHIC HEATHENISM 255mired; but its actual cross abominated. The onlyoutrage which Apollonius is described as having reallydared is the cutting off his hair and beard in dby order of Domitian, which is the feeblest psible imitation of the mocking and scourging of theDivine Original, while it is accompanied by the unfailingassurance of ultimate and painless delivery. The senseof the reality of an actual human life fails us throughoutin the supposed biography. Most of all is it wantingin the attempt to make the hero suffer, which istransparently counterfeit. Philostratus admitted thaperfect virtue must be suffering virtue. Plato's anticipation,however, of the torments the perfectly good manwould undergo in such an actual world as ours is far morevivid and lifelike than the feeble imitation of the realevent on which Philostratus ventured. He never succeedsin making us think that his hero is not imaginary.Most of all in the attempt to give him the glory withoutthe reality of suffering the imposture is evident.But the heathen had nothing in his mind to make thecross acceptable. It inflicted upon him the horrorwhich St. Peter before his conversion felt when hisMaster declared that He would undergo it. It hadnot for him that meaning and that power which ledSt. Peter afterwards to embrace it for himself.5. This whole state of mind will become most clearwhen we consider that doctrine of the soul's immortalitywhich Philostratus makes Apollonius teach afterhis death. For he represents him as appearing invision to a young man who had disputed the soul'spost-existence. This is the doctrine which the formof Apollonius returns to the earth to reveal to thedoubting disciple: " The soul is deathless, not thyproperty, but that of Providence, and when the body