Page:Apollonius of Tyana - the pagan Christ of the third century.pdf/53

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
48
APOLLONIUS OF TYANA.

the hero of Philostratus, national prejudice is found to be stronger than the new principle, of which, nevertheless, they pretend to be the apostles. Neither do we find in the Pagan gospel of Apollonius the trickling of the compassionate and sympathising tear which in the Christian Gospel is shed so constantly at the sight of the sufferings of the lowly and the poor. Apollonius heals many sick people, and does much good, but he does it coldly, correctly, and more like an artist who is trying to eliminate all sounds of discord from the great harmonies of Nature, than like one who is touched by the infirmities and sufferings of that sacred being, so great and yet so miserable, whom we call man. He can realise what it is to be called a "Son of God;" but he would neither risk his fame nor his happiness to merit the name of "son of man." Besides, in all violations of the moral law he only sees a series of evil and isolated acts which depend solely upon the free will of each individual; but, like many a modern philosopher, he is blind to that fundamental incompetency to do the good which our