Jesus. There is not so much as an obscure or general description of any men met with by him, whom any can suspect to be christians of any denomination, either catholics or heretics. Whereas I think, that if Philostratus had written with a mind averse to Jesus Christ, he would have laid hold of some occasion to describe and disparage his followers, as enemies to the gods, and contemners of their mysteries and solemnities, and different from all other men.

Nor is there any resemblance between Jesus and Apollonius. Apollonius travelled from Spain to the Indies, a Gadibus ad Gangem. Our Lord never travelled abroad: he never was out of the small tract of the land of Israel, excepting when he was carried into Egypt to avoid the design of Herod upon his life: and he ate and drank and dressed like other men, without any affectation of austerities like those of the Pythagoreans. Nor was John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, like them: there was somewhat austere in his character, but he likewise ate animal food, and wore animal clothing. "He had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey," Matt. iii. 4. Nor has Philostratus told any such wonderful works of Apollonius, as should make out any tolerable resemblance between Jesus and him in that respect.

е

Huet is the person who has taken the most pains to show this. He affirms, that Philostratus transferred many things from the history of Christ into his life of Apollonius: and he has alleged a great number of particulars; but to me they appear so slight, and so inadequate to the purpose, as to deserve little regard.

f

For instance, of our Lord it is said, Luke ii. 52," that he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men." And Philostratus says, that Apollonius in early life, as he grew up, gave proof of great ingenuity, and a strong memory, and was much taken notice of,'

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But, first of all, what is there extraordinary in this? Has not the like been said of innumerable men who have afterwards made a figure in the world? And, secondly, here is an imitation of Pythagoras, of whom the same is said by thes writers of his life.

e Ex historiâ Christi pleraque in suan Apollonii vitam transtulit. Huet. ib. f Quod de Christo scriptum legisset Philostratus. Et Jesus proficiebat sapientiâ et ætate'-idcirco scripsit Apollonium procedentibus annis egregia ingenii et memoriæ dedisse specimina, et formæ elegantiâ omnium in se oculos convertisse. Ib. num. iv. p. 661. 8 Πυθαγορα δ' εκ παιδων εis waσav μaðŋow ovτos Evoves, K. λ. Porph. de Vit. Pyth. num. i. Vid. et Diog. Laërt. lib. viii. sect. 2. et Jambl. de Vit. Pythag. num. 9, 10.

h

Again: Jesus ascended to heaven:' nor would Philostratus, says Huet, have his Apollonius inferior to him in 'that respect.'

Nevertheless here is no resemblance at all; nor can there be any. According to all the gospels, Jesus was publicly crucified at Jerusalem and it was in all the ancient creeds received by all catholic christians in general, that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried the third day he rose again from the dead, and 'ascended into heaven.' But Philostratus did not know, when, or where, or how Apollonius died, nor at what age: how is it possible then that there should be here any resemblance? Concerning the manner of his death, if indeed he died, there are various reports. But Damis says nothing Nor does Damis inform us of his age: but some say ' he lived to be eighty years old, others more than ninety, some more than an hundred. Some say he died at Ephe'sus, others say he died at Lindus, others at Crete, and that having gone into the temple there, he disappeared in a 'wonderful manner: and that there were heard virgins singing this ode: "Come from the earth, Come to heaven, come. So writes Philostratus.

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k

Surely this is all uncertainty, and nothing to be depended upon; as Huet himself, and other learned men of the best note, have acknowledged.

But though this is all uncertainty, and here is no resemblance of Jesus Christ, here is an imitation of the writers of the life of Pythagoras; who either give no account of his death, or say, there m are different accounts in several authors of the manner of his death. And some said he died in the eightieth year of his age, others in the ninetieth year;

n

h Jesus ascendit in cœlum: nec hac parte inferiorem esse Apollonium suum voluit Philostratus. Huet. ib. num. iv. p. 662.

Περι γαρ τροπε καθ' όν ετελευτα, είγε ετελεύτα, πλειες μεν λογοι. Δαμιδι de odev εintai-Philost. I. viii. cap. 29, 30.

k

-nec uspiam postea comparuisse. Quæ quam inconcinne et absurde conficta sint, clarissime patefaciunt ea, quæ a Philostrato præmissa sunt. Nam quo ætatis anno decesserit Apollonius, ignorari ait,-discrepantes, quoque esse de loco obitûs ipsius sententias, Ephesi aliis, aliis Lindi, aliis in Cretâ interîsse narrantibus, sepulcrum vero ejus nullibi gentium reperiri. Huet. ib. p. 662.

Quando, et quo mortis genere obierit, incertissimum est. Philostratus ipse hic nihil explorati scire profitetur. Quare justo confidentiores habendi sunt, qui in tempore mortis ejus constituendo elaborârunt, &c. &c. Moshem. ubi supr. sect. 4.

m Vid. Diog. Laërt. lib. viii. segm. 39, 40, 41.

n

* Ο γεν Πυθαγορας, ὡς μεν Ηρακλείδης φησιν, ογδοηκοντα της ετελευτα

ὡς δε οἱ πλειες, ετη βιες εννενηκοντα. Id. Segm. 44.

and some said he lived to be almost an hundred, others, that he reached to the hundred and fifth year of his age.

Upon the whole, I do not see any reason to believe, that Philostratus had read any of our gospels, or any other of the books of the New Testament, or that he any where makes any references to the history of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Before I proceed any farther, I would just observe here, that Photius has two articles concerning this work of Philostratus, entitled, The Life of Apollonius Tyanæus: one of which is a general account of the work; the other is a copious abridgment of all the eight books of it; but I do not recollect, that he any where hints it to have been his design to oppose Apollonius to Jesus. However, in the first article he gives the true character of it, representing it to be extremely fabulous.

r

Jerom likewise has given a particular account of Philostratus's eight books of the Life of Apollonius, whom, as he says, the vulgar called a magician, the Pythagoræans a philosopher: but he gives not any hint, that Philostratus had designed to set up Apollonius in opposition to our Sa

viour.

And beside that every thing is uncertain, and nothing related in a credible manner and upon good authority, as was formerly shown, the things ascribed to Apollonius by Philostratus are not so extraordinary as some imagine. Some cures of dæmoniacs, and others, are inserted after a sort in this history of Apollonius, but not one instance of a miraculous resurrection is asserted by him. Something of

-το παντα βιωσαντα ετη εγγυς των ἑκατον. Jambl. Vit. Pyth. cap. 36. num. 265.

- Ότι έκατον και τεσσαρων ετων λεγεται εζηκεναι τον Πυθαγοραν. Anon. de Vit. Pythag. Ap. Phot. cod. 259. p. 1313. et apud Kusteri Jamblichum. p. 56. a Phot. Cod. 44. p. 29. et 241. p. 996. Ταυτα μεν περι ἑαυτε αναπλαττει. p. 29. lin. 51. Παραπλησια τετοις ανοιας μεσα, και έτερα πλεισα, τερατευσάμενος. Εν οκτω δε λογοις ἡ πασα αυτῳ της ματαιοπονιας σπεδη καταναλωται, p. 32. in.

r

S

Apollonius (sive ille magus, ut vulgus loquitur, sive philosophus, ut Pythagorici tradunt) intravit Persas, pertransivit Caucasum, Albanos, Scythas, Massagetas, opulentissima Indiæ regna penetravit; et ad extremum latissimo Physon amne transmisso, pervenit ad Brachmanas, ut Jarcam in throno sedentem aureo, et de Tantali fonte potantem, inter paucos discipulos, de naturâ, de moribus, ac siderum cursu audiret docentem. Inde per Elamitas, Babylonios, Chaldæos, Medos, Assyrios, Parthos, Syros, Phoenices, Arabes, Palæstinos, reversus Alexandriam, perrexit Æthiopiam, ut Gymnosophistas, et famosissimam Solis mensam videret in fabulo. Invenit ille vir ubique quod disceret, et semper proficiens, semper se melior fieret. Scripsit super hoc plenissime octo voluminibus Philostratus. Hieron. ad Paulin. ep. 50. [al. 103.] T. iv. P. 2. p. 568. t L. iii. cap. 38, 39. I. iv. c. 20.

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this kind he attempts in one" place; but after all it was not certain to those who were present that the young woman was dead; nor does Philostratus affirm it: for there were, it seems, some signs of life in the person who had been supposed by some to be dead. Upon which story Eusebius has made good remarks: who says, As it was not 'credited by Philostratus himself, we need not much mind it for in reasoning about it he supposeth, that there were some remains of life, the maid still breathing, and having dew of sweat upon her face: moreover, as this is said to 4 have happened at Rome, if it had been true, it would undoubtedly have come to the knowledge of the emperor • Domitian and his courtiers, and to the philosopher Euphra'tes, then at Rome, and would have been particularly taken ' notice of, either in favour of Apollonius, or to his disadvantage: neither of which happened.'

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6

Of this Eusebius takes notice again afterwards, saying: As for the young woman brought to life from the dead, or rather still breathing, having in her symptoms of life, according to the historian himself, it cannot be reckoned a 4 miracle: nor, as before said, would so great a work have been buried in silence, if it had been performed at Rome ' itself, where the emperor then was.'

Some will ask here, how then it came to pass, that many heathen people were disposed to equal Apollonius to Jesus, or even to prefer him before our Lord? I answer, the reason was, that they were willing to lay hold of any thing that offered to save the sinking cause of polytheism, and the rites belonging to it as shipwrecked men catch at every twig or straw that comes in their way to save themselves from drowning.

This observation may be illustrated and confirmed by an argument of Origen with Celsus.

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Now, says * Origen, let us observe some of the strange

" L. iv. cap. 45.

Το

γε μην επι της Ρωμαίων πόλεως μετα ταυτα κοριον, ότι δη μετα θανατον επι δευτέραν ζωην ηγαγεν, απισοτάτην και αυτῳ δοξαν τῳ Φιλοκρατῳ παραιτητέον. Ἐν διταγμῳ μεντοι αμφιβαλλει, μη αρα σπινθηρ της ψυχης ενυπάρχων τη παιδί, τες θεραπευοντας ελεληθει. Λέγεσθαι γαρ φησιν ὡς ψεκαζοι μεν ὁ ζευς, η δε ατμιζοι απο τ8 προσώπε. Και γαρ δη ει αληθως αυτο τοιον και επι της Ρώμης επέπρακτο, εκ αν ελεληθει βασιλέα τε πρωτον, και τες μετ' αυτόν ἅπαντας ύπαρχος, μαλιςα δε τον φιλοσοφον Ευφράτην εγχωριάζοντα κατ' εκείνο καιρε, και επι Ρωμης διατριβοντα. Cont. Hierocl. p. 530.

W To γαρ της αναβιωσασης κόρης, είτ' εμπνες υπηρχε, σπινθηρα ψυχης κατα του συγγραφέα, και ικμάδα επι τε προσωπε φερεσαν, περιαιρετεον της θαυματοποιΐας. Ου γαρ αν, ώς και προσθεν εφην, σιωπῇ το τηλικετον παρεδόθη επ' αυτης 'Ρωμης, βασιλεως επι παροντος γεγενημενον. Ib. p. 534. D.

X

Ιδωμεν δε και ά μετα ταυτα λέγει ὁ Κελσος παρατιθεμενος απο ἱςοριων

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things alleged by Celsus, which, though in themselves 'incredible, are believed by him, if we may credit his word. Such are the stories which he alleges, first concerning "Aristeas of Proconnesus, who, after he had wonderfully disappeared from the eyes of men, was afterwards seen again, and visited many parts of the world, and related 'the wonderful things he had seen." Afterwards he insists upon the history of Clazomenius, "of which it is said, that his soul often left the body, and wandered about without the body." He also speaks of Cleomedes of Astipyléa, letting us thereby know, that he was not unacquainted with the Grecian histories. Who," as he says,

"when he was shut up in a chest held it fast; nevertheless, ⚫ when it was opened he was not found in it, having escaped by some divine power."

on:

If Celsus, an Epicurean, when arguing against the christians, could lay hold of such things, and speak of them as true, what might not other prejudiced and ignorant men do? For these things must have been looked upon as fabulous by all wise men, when they had no particular interest to serve. Plutarch having related how Proculus said and swore, that he had seen Romulus after he was dead, goes This is like some of the Grecian fables of Aristéas 'the Proconnesian, and Cleomedes the Astypaleian. For they say that Aristeas died in a fuller's work-house; and his friends coming to him, his body vanished; and that 'some presently after coming from a journey, said they met 'him travelling to Croton. And that Cleomedes, being an extraordinary strong man, and withal crazed, committed many desperate freaks. At last, in a certain school-house, striking a pillar that sustained the roof with his fist, broke it in the middle, so the house fell and destroyed the children in it, and being pursued he fled into a great chest, and shutting to the lid, held so fast, that many men with all their strength could not force it open. Afterwards breaking the chest to pieces, they found no man in it-Many such improbabilities do your fabulous writers relate.' So says Plutarch.

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As Celsus, and possibly some others, for want of better, laid hold of old Greek stories to oppose to the miracles of Jesus, and the Jewish prophets; so many heathens in latter

παράδοξα, και καθ' αυτα μεν απιςοις εοικότα, ὑπ' αυτε εκ απιτεμενα, όσον γε επι τη λέξει αυτό. Contr. Cels. 1. iii. n. 26. p. 125.

y lb. num. 32. p. 129.

a

z Ib. num. 33. p. 130.

2 Έοικε μεν ταυτα τοις ὑφ ̓ Ελληνων, περί τε Αρίζες, το προκοννησις, και Κλεομηδες τε Ατυπαλαιέως μυθολογεμενοις. Plutarch. sub fin. Vit. Rom.

VOL. VII.

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