a Book to that purpose; which Eufebius anfwered; and he who reads Philoftratus's Life of him, will find caufe to believe that he had read the New Teftament, and intended Apollonius should be very like Chrift. But Philoftratus wants Vouchers very much, and his History is fo written, that I dare trust any fair ingenuous Heathen with it, and make him Judg whether the Life and Miracles of Apollonius be to be compared with the Life and Miracles of Christ. But this is not the thing in hand; let Philoftratus's Credit be, in this case, good. Let it be granted that Apollonius wrought Miracles, what will follow

that Apol

lonius's

lonius's Religion is true? What was it? Where is it to be found? Give us an Account of the Theology he taught, and defign'd to plant and propagate. No fuch thing appcars, even in Philoftratus He was a ftrict Disciple of Pythagoras, and altogether favour'd that Sect: But did he ever tell the World, that they muft all of them follow Pythagoras? Was that the way, indeed, of any of the Antient Philofophers? They made to themselves Parties, and gain'd Profelytes, and had certain Opinions peculiar to their Sect, which they maintain'd themselves, and would have others also embrace; but they

still applied to Men of Learning, and resorted to the Pub lick Schools. Do you find a ny of them, preaching to the Common People, and telling them, that unless they change their Opinions, and follow Pythagoras, Zeno, Epicurus, or fuch like, the Gods will never favour them, nor blefs them? This was not their way, nor the way of Apollonius ; He went up and down, in a strange Habit, and (as he had occa fion) he corrected People's Errors, and blamed their vi cious Practices; and said ma ny good and wife things; and talked to great Princes with a Freedom that became a true Philofopher, that valued not the

the World, and all it could offer; but he fet up for no Religion, he amended the Ceremonies of several People, but he left them, otherwise, in the way he found them. He facrific'd himself, to Jupiter, to Hercules, to the Sun, and other Deities according to the Places he came to, tho' not with any living Creatures, for that was against his Mafter's Rule, to shed the Blood of any living Creature; and, if you will believe Philoftratus, he wrought many Miracles, fome confiderable ones, others very poor ones; but he valued himself nothing upon their account, but attributed them all to

God,

God, and fays no more, than that fo many People, as were the Subjects of his Miracles, were benefited by him: He wrought none of them to teftify that any God had fent him; and he drew no Confequences in favour of any thing he had faid, from any thing he had done; he called not on his Works, to prove the truth of his Miffion, or his Doctrine; and is it not pretty ftrange, that People should attribute more to a Man upon the account of his Miracles, than he him. felf affumes? Is it Modesty in fuch a Cafe, not to own you came from God, with commiffion to declare his