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OI/« Written for the Troy Daily Times. the style of speaking adopted by Apollonius,, thus: out the then civilized world, Damis, who accom­ ground of our own experience, that they who> TWILIGHT VISIONS. “Apollonius used a style of speaking not eleva­ panied him during much of that time, and who worship the God over all through Jesus ‘Christ, ted, nor swollen in the language of poetry, nor recorded every thing worthy of especial note, and live according to the Gospel, and pray as they bv John c. ni.Ain yet one too refined, nor too Attic; for whatever would have made some mention of such people, ought to do day and night, have no reason to fear exceeded the Attic mediocrity was considered bv either favorably or unfavorably. That he did not anything from magic.’ So origen is led to speak 11 Be trustful; the angels are ever near yon, . Their unseen pinions are rustling nigh: him dissonant and unpleasant. _ He madeusopf do so, is of itself sufficient proof that neither in answer to some things in Celsus: but it does They come and go with their smiles to cheer you. no fastidious nicety in the division of his dis­ Jesus Christ, his apostles nor the Christian religion, not appear that Celsus had at all mentioned either In saintly groups from the silent Bky. courses, nor any fine spun sentences; nor was he had an existence either before or during that Apollonius, or his historian. Apollonius is men- Ever descending with love and pity, To loved ones here on the earthly shore, ever known to adopt an ironical manner, nor any period, which was the only time in which they tioned by Lucian, but what he says of him iafiur Through the pure white gate of the heavenly city kind of apostrophising with his hearers. He could have had a real existence. At all events, from being to his advantage. He is also mention.«!! They p ss and repass forevermore. spoke as it were Irom a tripud, to wit; ‘I know,’ nothing can be more certain than the conclusion by Apuleius who was contemporary with Lucunu ; The far off bel s at twilight are ringing And silence falls on the smiHet sen, and, ‘It seems to me,’ and, ‘To what purpose is of Dr. Ladner, that Philostratus did not write tho nor is there any older author now extant where With vo ces low the nngels are singing. this?’ and, "You must know.’ His sentences life of Apollonius to disparage the Christian re­ he is mentioned; which must be reckoned an ar­ As they sung by the waters of Gallilee." were short and adamantine—his words authorita­ ligion. gument of his great obscurityt till he was set up —L. C. Strong, in the Troy Times, Nov. 1878. tive and adapted to the sense, and the bare utter­ But Dr, Lardner is not content to make that by Philostratus. After that time Apollonius is The rosoate hue of the setting sun ance of them conveyed a sound as if they were fatal acknowledgment of the Christian plagiarism taken notice of by many; as Arnobius, and I jio - Bathing in glory tho azure dome sanctioned by the sceptre of royalty. Being asked of the life and labors of Apollonius; but makes an tantius, and Eusebius, who were led to observe- Is but the reflected light on earth From God’s eternal throne; once by a subtle disputant whv he did not propose equally fatal acknowledgment in another direc­ upon Ilierocles, whose whole book against the* Then twilight falls o’er the fading day, what side of a question he should take in argu­ tion. In disagreeing with Cudworth, Huet and Christians was founded on the memoirs of PhiToc- Luring our thoughts from earth away, ment? he replied: ‘ When I was a young man, I others, as to the life of Apollonius, by Philostratus, tratus. He is afterwards mentioned by August-ht Like the sun by a ilecoy cloud o’crcast, used to follow that practice, but, that, is no longer having been written to oppose Christianity, Dr. and other Christian writers; and he is mentioned! A dim regret o’ershadows the past, necessary as it is now become my duty not to inves­ Lardner says: several times by the writers of the Augustan H is­ And a burden of sorrow heavily rests On the weary soul as the twilight falls tigate, but to teach the result of my investigations,’ “ With due submission I do not think that tory, who nourished in the time of Diocletian-, o r When the olden days of happiness When he was asked, by the same logician, how a Apollonius was a man of so great importance, as soon afterwards, and by Dion CassiiiB, and by E u - From the hallowed past the mind recalls. wise man should speak, he said as a legislator, for it is here supposed; for it does not appear, that any napius, wlio commends the history of Pliilostratusr In fancy we people the deepening shades, was the part of a legislator to command the mul­ adversaries of the Christians, either Celsus or Por­ but says; that instead of entitling it the ‘Lilfe off And gather and group at our side, titude to do, what he him self was convinced ought phyry, or any other before Ilierocles, at the be­ Apollonius’ he might have called it the ‘ Perigri- Our sainted ones from the spirit glades At the holy hour of eventide; to be done. In this way he conducted himself at ginning of the fourth century, under Diocletian’s nntion of a God among Men.’ Through ‘Mho pure white gates" tlml are left ajar Antioch, and converted many who1 were strangers persecution, ever took any notice of him in any Now it must not be forgotten that the writings Our loved ones come from their homey afar. to his knowledge.” . of their arguments. Nor do I know¡ that ho has. of Celsus were lost or destroyed long since;. notSr In tho holy hush that tho twilight brings, Now, when it is remembered that this descrip­ been once mentioned by anv Christian writers of ing being known of what they were, except a&v Wo hear the rustle of unseen wings. tion of the style in which Apollonius spoke, was the first two centuries. AVlien I first met with Origen has reported them. Whether Celsus did, The low faint tono of a far off hell, Sweetly falls on the listening car. written by Damis, the friend, pupil and compan­ the observation of Cudworth [herein before given] or did not, mention Apollonius, is a matter of no* Wooing our thoughts by a mngic spell ion of tlie Cappadocian sage, long before Jesus I was very much surprised, considering the silence consequence; CelBUS did not write until nearly a To the loved ones gathering near. Christ or the Christian scriptures wore heard or of all early antiquity. If this observation were century after the death' of Apollonius, and may An angel form io our breast wo fold, • thought of; is it not remarkably evident that the right, I should have expected to find frequent never have met with the memoirs of Damis or I Thrilling tho soul with 11b fond caress; original author of those scriptures was Apollonius mention of Apollonius in the history of St. John, Meeregenes concerning Apollonius. That Lncinni l . Filling the heart as in dsys of old With love’s sweet tenderness, himself. If identity of style and sentiment is and the other apostles of Christ; but there is and Apuleius, who wrote while Apollonius still! And we feel the olasp of a gentle hand, possible, then was the learned Apollonius the none.. We had in that space of time divers liyed or soon after his death, should have men­ That shall bo our guide in the summer land. original author of the teachings attributed to learned men, some of them as eminent for exten­ tioned him is sufficient to establish his historical Thoy como to us in tho twilight grey. , Jesus Christ; an identity that all the altering, sive literature; as any men that ever lived; as existence. Philostratus had not then come-in to To roll the stone iVoin tho tomb away eliminating and interpolating by the Christian Justin, Tatian, Bardes*anes the Syrian, Clement of possession of the memoirs of Damis, Meeregenes- Of buriod hopes, With a maglo wand Tho gravo is shorn of ils aisinal gloom, hierarchy have not been able to destroy nor even Alexandria, Ireniens, Julius Africanos, Tertul- and Maximus ofJEgis, and the history of the life- DlBpcllod in tlio Unlit of "tho bright beyonj}"— imperfectly conceal. Quoting Cud worth; Dr. Lurd- linn, Minucius Felix: not to insist on Clement of and labors of Apollonius, had been suppressed,no- Tho rainbow light beyond the tomb. ner, in “ The Credibility of the Gospel History,” Rome, Ignatius, or Polycarp, or the histories of doubt by the influence of the priesthoods of " Bo trustful; tho angola are ever near us," sa y s: them. Of all these wo have tome remains: they Greece and Rome. The desire of the cultured They confirm our faith In tho sweet holier "Cudworth. in his “ Intellectual System,” says: lived in the first two centuries or the beginning empress Julia Domna, to learn the history of That tho flower of lovo in tho human heart I Is often watered by tears of grief.