Page:Apollonius of Tyana - the pagan Christ of the third century.pdf/79

74 doctrines have been explained to the female philosopher who then ruled the empire. It has been maintained that both she and her son secretly embraced the Christian faith, and although this is contradicted by facts, it still remains true that Alexander Severus proved himself, by his conduct, by his words, and by repeated imperial acts, as favourably disposed towards the Christians as a sovereign could be who retained his allegiance to the principles of Paganism.

Hence we see that from the time of Julia Domna to that of Julia Mamaea, the certainty that a reformation of Paganism had become a necessity resulted first in the toleration of the Christian religion; secondly, in a certain degree of respect, mingled in secret with jealousy; and at last it went so far as to allow Christianity an acknowledged position in the broad light of day, by the side of the old traditional religions, such as Judaism and Paganism. One might have imagined that Alexander and his mother were establishing some such connection between Abraham and Jesus Christ as that which existed possibly in their minds between Orpheus,