pher, do not deferve more Credit. But above all, you may obferve the inconfiftency of the Author, who, when he allows Apollonius the Miraculous Gift of Tongues, not long after forgets himself, and makes him ftand in need of an Interpreter to Talk to Phraotes. And, as for the Miracles he is reported to have done, they are all idle inconfiftent Tales, which are fufficiently expofed by Enfebius, in his Anfwer to Hierocles's Philalethe. It would be endless to make all the Remarks, that might be made upon the Lies and Inconfiftences of this filly Author; and perhaps, if Mr. Blount had tranflated the whole History, as he has done the two First Books for the use of the Infidels, he had done us no great Mischief; for the Follies of this affected Romance, compared with the plain Hiftory of the New Teftament, demonftrate, to all fenfible Men, how thofe Writings, though compofed by unlearned Men, do infinitely furpafs the Compofition of this Book-read Philofopher. For, granting the Gospel only a Romance; the Apoftles, in Writing it, have given, Ten times a better Picture of a Philofophick Mind, in the Hiftory of Jefus Chrift, then Philoftratus has given in the wretched Pedantick Character of Apollonius.

Philoftra- But 'tis plain that Philoftratus either undertook, or was
tus fet
on to forge put upon Writing this Hiftory, to confront the Mira-
his Hiftory. cles of our Bleffed Lord. The Heathen of that Age

perceived the quick Growth of Christianity, and the in-
conteftable Proof of the Miracles of Chrift and his Apo-
ftles, which brought fo many over to that Faith; and
therefore the best Way they had, for the Support of their
Superftition, was to trump up a Philofopher, who did as
many Miracles for the Support of Paganism, as Chrift
had done for thofe of the Gospel. So that, by this Fraud,
they got an Apollonius to compare with the Miracles, and
a Sanchoniathon with the Antiquity of the Bible.
the mishap was, Philoftratus could not play his Game fo
cunningly as Philo Biblies did. For his Romantick Tales,
which every Traveller can difprove, betray the Cheat, as alfo
the Affectation of coining Miracles fo juftly parallel to
thofe of our Saviour, he feeming to have had the Gospel
lying before him, when he wrote his Book.

But

He

tion of the racles. Goffel Mi

He found there our Saviour to be called the Son of Forgelit God, and therefore he makes his Philofophick Hero to be imita reputed the Son of Jupiter. And the cunning Sophift thought it a mighty Fetch, that he would not ftile him the Son of Apollo or Neptune, because that would be to render him lefs than Jefus Chrift, who was reputed the Son of the most High God, and therefore he chufes Fu piter above all others to entitle him to.

But then, be

caufe the Jews and Heathens usually blamed our Saviour for pretending to the Divine Nature, or to be the Son of God; therefore our Sophifts's Hero must be fo mcdeft, as to refuse this great Title, which the Inhabitants of Tyana gave him, and own himfelf only to be Apollonius's Son. He finds in the Gofpel, that Chrift cured jeveral Demoniacks, and therefore Apollonius muft break off the Correfpondence and Congress which a Man frequently had with a Lamia, and by good Counfel dehort him from fuch a wicked Confuetude. And that the Author of this Story had an Eye upon the Gospel is evident, from the ingenious Remark of Huetius, who obferves that Philoftratus ufes the very words of St. Luke, chap. viii. 28. fpeaking of the Devil which our Saviour caft out. Upon thefe words of Apollonius, fays Philoftratus, The Spirit was like to one that wept, Καὶ ἐδεῖτο μὴ βασανίζειν αυτό, and befeeched him not to torment it; which is the fame which the wicked Spirie in Scriptures cries out, diquai or us Baravin. I beseech thee torment me not. Now any one who confiders the great Latitude of Expreffion in the Greek Tongue, and the peEculiar Phrafeology of the New Testament, can hardly think Philoftratus lighted upon this Expreffion by chance.

From the fame Hiftory of this Demoniack in the Gospel, he borrows his Fable of the young Man of Corcyra, who was poffeffed by a Spirit. The Devil which was in the Gadarene of the Gofpel, after he was gone out of the Man, had a License to enter into the Herd of Swine: And fo Apollonius is made to command the Spirit, when it left the Corcyrean, to tumble down a Statue. And I doubt not, but, upon the fame Account, Apollonius is feigned to raise up the Maid at Rome, almoft in the

Gg

fame

450

Apollonius no good Man.

fame Manner which our Saviour did Jairus's Daughter
And because our Saviour thew'd a magnanimous Contempt
of Death, by refolving to go to Jerufalem, where he was
fure to be betray'd, and from which fome of his Difci-
ples diffuaded him; therefore Apollonius must not come
behind-hand in that Bra ery neither, but Demetrius muft
tell him, how dangerons it was to come to Rome, for fear
of Domitian, who was noted for his ill Treatment of Phi-
lofophers; and then, after this Dehortation, he is made cou-
ragcoufly to refolve upon it. The like foolish Affecta-
tion of a Parity with Chrift, was the Occafion of the
Fable of this Man's appearing after Death, which was
only to a young Man, who had long watched, and
prayed to Apollonius, That he would appear to him, and
give him Satisfaction concerning the Immortality of the Soul,
after which he fell asleep, and on a fudden cries out, I be-
lieve thee, O Tyaneus. And when his Company asked
him what he meant by this. Oh! fays he, Do you not fee
Apollonius? And when they faid No, but they would
give any thing to fee him; he replied, He appeared to
to him for his Satisfaction, being invisible to others; and fo
goes on to tell them what Apollonius faid of a future
State. And this is the Subftance of the Hiftory of this
Man of Straw, which the Heathens thought fit to fet up
against our Bleffed Saviour; but how filly the Impofture
looks, and how wretched the Parallel is, I leave any one
to judge, who will give himfelf the Pains to read Phi-
loftratus's Book. But I cannot but wonder at the Par-
tiality of fome of you Deifts, to make fuch a Stir in cry-
ing up this Hiftory of Philoftratus, and running down the
Scriptures; when, I am fure, you would never let us be
quiet, if you could find in the Gofpel such strange Sto
ries of Magical Feafts, of Griffins, Dragons, &c. as you
do in him.

But I pray, Sir, with what Confidence, can you com pare a Man, whom you can't call a good Man, with Jefus Chrift, whofe Life was a Pattern of unspotted Pu

y? Apollonius can never be excufet, for fp nding fo many Years in an idle vagrant Life; hut what can you

ay in behalf of his common Swearing, it being his ufage to fwear by Jupiter, at all turns? Or how can you excufe him from Idolatry in Sacrificing to the Sun? And where was his Juftice in adjudging another Man's Poffeffion to his Adverfary, because he was a wifer Man, and a more devout Worshiper of the Gods? Phil. lib. 2. cap 15.

ble than

As for the Argument of Hicrocles, who afferts, That Apostles the Gospel is lefs to be believed than this Hiftory, because this more crediwas wrote by learned Men, but that by illiterate Men and PhiloftraFuglers. I fay, that it is only a malicious Cavil; for we tus, because defy the whole Tribe of Infidels to find any Juggle in Unlearned. the Gefpel Hiftory; a Book, which is full of plain unaffected Relations of Matter of Fact. But any body, but who can digeft Sir John Mandevil's Travels, or Orlando Furiofo, will be fick of Philoftratus. And I must farther add, that this Moralift is very much out in his Logick to fay, That an Hiftory is at all the more questiona ble, because it was wrote by a plain illiterate Man. For if it had been wrote by a Man of Letters, by a cunning Sophift, who had been used to counterfeit Stiles, to feign Letters and Speeches, and to make Epopopeia's; a Man might be apt to fufpect that all was forged by the Wit of this Scholar, who could make all the Parts of a Romance hang together, and look like a true Hiftory; but no reafonable Man can fufpect fuch a Fraud to be plaid fuccefsfully, by uneducated Publicans or Fishermen. And Laftly, as for the Story of Abaris which you story of A-• mention, it is one of the Pythagorick Tegalo cyia, or won derful Tales, which that Sect, as we obferved before, above all others, were fond of; and is altogether as ridiculous as our common People's Talk of Witches riding upon Broomfticks.

When Celfus compares Abaris with Chrift, Origen asks the queftion, What was Mankind benefited by Abaris's riding upon an Arrow? It was not worth the while, that Om nipotence fhould exert it felf, for fuch an idle Miracle. But when (fays he) we say our Jesus was taken up into Glory, I fee an Inftitution of Religion, the Author of which God AL-Gg 2

mighty

baris Ridi

culous.

Apollonius no good Man.

fame Manner which our Saviour did Jairus's Daughter. And becaufe our Saviour fhew'd a magnanimous Contempt of Death, by refolving to go to Jerufalem, where he was fure to be betray'd, and from which fome of his Difciples diffuaded him; therefore Apollonius must not come behind-hand in that Bravery neither, but Demetrius must tell him, how dangerous it was to come to Rome, for fear of Domitian, who was noted for his ill Treatment of Philofophers; and then, after this Dehortation, he is made couragcoufly to refolve upon it. The like foolish Affectation of a Parity with Chrift, was the Occafion of the Fable of this Man's appearing after Death, which was only to a young Man, who had long watched, and prayed to Apollonius, That he would appear to him, and give him Satisfaction concerning the Immortality of the Soul, after which he fell afleep, and on a fudden cries out, I believe thee, O Tyaneus. And when his Company asked him what he meant by this. Oh! fays he, Do you not fee Apollonius? And when they faid No, but they would give any thing to fee him; he replied, He appeared to to him for his Satisfaction, being invisible to others; and fo goes on to tell them what Apollonius faid of a future State. And this is the Subftance of the Hiftory of this Man of Straw, which the Heathens thought fit to fet up againft our Bleffed Saviour; but how filly the Impofture looks, and how wretched the Parallel is, I leave any one to judge, who will give himself the Pains to read Philoftratus's Book. But I cannot but wonder at the Partiality of fome of you Deifts, to make fuch a Stir in crying up this Hiftory of Philoftratus, and running down the Scriptures; when, I am fure, you would never let us be quiet, if you could find in the Gofpel fuch strange Stories of Magical Feafts, of Griffins, Dragons, &c. as you do in him.

But I pray, Sir, with what Confidence, can you com pare a Man, whom you can't call a good Man, with Jefus Chrift, whofe Life was a Pattern of unspotted P Pity? Apollonius can never be excufet, for fp nding fo many Yers in an idle vagrant Life; hut what can you

fay