Simonians

SIMONIANS, or Simonites, a sort of Hereticks, and Disciples of Simon Magus. They embraced all the Principles of their Master, which we have given an Account of Iren. l. 1. c. 20. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 13.above; and as to their Practices, they indulged themselves in all sorts of Extravagances as much as they could; which exceeded, as Eusebius says, all that can be said of them. And they acknowledg’d in their Books, that when first their more secret Mysteries were revealed to any one, they were fill’d with Horror and Amazement at them. Beside their shameless Filthiness, they gave themselves up to all sorts of Sorcery and Witchcraft; and tho’ outwardly they made Profession of a sort of Christianity, yet they did not refrain from worshipping Simon and Hellen, represented under the Shapes of Jupiter and Mars, and offered Victims and Libations of Wine to them. They also look’d upon the ordinary Worship of Idols as an indifferent thing; so that they were not expos’d to the Danger of Persecution and Tortures, as the Christians were, for not offering Incense to Idols: And the Heathen let them¹ continue in Quiet, whilst they openly persecuted the Christians.

There is great Probability, that when St. John, St. Peter, and St. Paul, give Warning, in their Epistles against Hereticks, false Apostles, and false Teachers, that corrupted the sound Doctrine by profane Novelties, and vainly boasted of new Light and particular Revelations in divine Matters; those Enemies of the Cross of Christ, those Men that made their Belly their God, and gloried in what ought to have cover’d them with Confusion; it is likely, I say, that the Apostles intended to speak of the Disciples of Simon, of Cerinthus, and of some other Hereticks of the first Age. The Description St. Paul gives us of them in several Places of his Epistles,² shews, that the Corruption of their Manners was grown to a great Extremity, and that their Doctrine was not purer than their Practices.

The Sect of the Simonians continu’d down to the fourth Century. Justin says, Justin. Apolog. 2. p. 69.that in his Time, that is, about the Year 150, almost all the Samaritans, and some few others in other Countries, acknowledg’d Simon as the greatest of the Gods. Clemens Alexandrinus says,³ that his Followers worshipp’d him, and endeavoured to make themselves as like him as they could. Ireneus says,⁴ they were call’d Simonians; and Origen assures us,⁵ they went also by the Name of Hellenians, from Hellen. The same Author says in one Place,⁶ that the Sect of the Simonians was reduced to about thirty Persons: Elsewhere⁷ he tells us, they were quite extinct. But ‘tis known from other Testimonies, that there were some even at the Beginning of the fifth Century. An Author that wrote upon Baptism against St. Cyprian, about the Year 256, says, that some Hereticks descended from Simon, made Fire appear above the Water, when they gave Baptism. Eusebius⁸ still speaks of Simonians that mingled themselves among the Catholick, and receiv’d the Baptism of the Church; afterwards spreading in secret the Venom of their Doctrine among the Faithful. Several of them were discover’d, and expell’d out of the Church, about the Beginning of the fourth Century.

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