of common sense in his followers; but they admit, as we shall see, of some explanation, that may serve to reconcile them to our apprehensions. Justin does not identify the Simon of whom he speaks with the Simon mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles; and, in modern times, some of the learned have contended that But Luke they were different individuals.

*

describes the Simon, whom he mentions, as practising magical arts, so as to deprive the Samaritan nation of their senses, and as declaring himself to be some great personage; and he adds, that all, high and low, affirmed him to be the Power of God, called Great. When we compare Luke's account with that of Justin, it appears incredible, that the two writers should be speaking of two different individuals, who bore the same name, who were conspicuous in the same country, Samaria, and who likewise were contemporaries; for Justin says of the Simon whom he mentions, that he was at Rome during the reign of Claudius. Believing the accounts of both, therefore, to relate to the same person, we may observe that Simon, ac

* Ch. viii. 9-24.

† Acts, viii. 9, 10. In the tenth verse, I adopt the reading, Οὗτός ἐστιν ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ καλουμένη μεγάλη.

cording to Luke, suffered himself to be regarded as a manifestation of what was probably considered as the highest Power of God. From this, it was an easy transition for his followers to speak of him as a manifestation of God, or as God made manifest to men, and thus to represent him as God himself. I have here supposed this account to have been given of him by his followers. Some of the fathers subsequent to Justin affirm, that Simon himself claimed to be God. But this was not unlikely to be said, if his adherents so regarded him; for the later opinions of a sect were not uncommonly ascribed to its founder. But, if Simon did use such language concerning himself, it may still be explained in a similar manner. In the assertions, which he or his followers made concerning Helena, there was, I conceive, a like vague use of words; but, through the strange accounts given of her, which it is not worth while to detail, we may perhaps discern, that she was regarded as the symbol, or the manifestation, of that portion of spirituality, which (according to a common conception of the Gnostics) had become entangled in matter, and for the liberation of which the interposition of the Deity was required.

From all the notices of Simon, it does not

seem likely, that he much affected the character of a speculative philosopher or theologist, or was solicitous to establish any system of doctrines. He appears to have been a bold, artful, vainglorious, dishonest adventurer, claiming to possess supernatural powers, and having much skill in obtaining control over the minds of others. In Josephus, there is mention of a Simon, pretending to be a magician, who, somewhere about twenty years after the events recorded in the eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, was employed by Felix, then Procurator of Judæa, to persuade Drusilla, the wife of Azizus, king of Emesa, to forsake her husband and marry Felix; which Drusilla was prevailed on to do.* It is not improbable, that this was the same Simon who is spoken of by St. Luke. Whether he were so or not, the Simon connected with the early history of Christianity may be classed with certain impostors and fanatics, not uncommon in the age in which he lived, who, proceeding on the doctrines of the Pythagorean Platonists (as they may be called), pretended, through mystical exercises of mind, to have attained a communion with the invisible

*Josephi Antiq. Lib. XX. c. 7. § 2. Drusilla is mentioned, Acts xxiv. 24.

world, and to possess a power, which they denominated theurgy, of performing supernatural works by divine assistance. He may be compared with his contemporary, Apollonius of Tyana, whose works Hierocles, an early enemy of Christianity, represented as equalling or excelling those of our Lord; or with a somewhat later impostor, Alexander, the Paphlagonian prophet, on whom Lucian poured out his invective. Like pretensions to magical power were common among the other extravagances of the later Platonists. Plotinus, the most eminent of the sect, was, according to the account of his disciple Porphyry (famous for his work against Christianity), a great theurgist; and Proclus, than whom none of these philosophers had more alacrity in diving into the deepest and darkest mysteries, is said, by his friend and biographer, Marinus, to have been able to bring rain from heaven, to stop earthquakes, and to expel diseases. Simon had learned in a similar school; and though he was, probably, more of an impostor than a fanatic, yet a religious impostor can hardly be very successful without a mixture of fanaticism. If he succeed in deceiving others, he commonly succeeds, partially at least, in deceiving himself. The false opinion, which he creates in those about him, reacts on

his own mind. Simon, we may suppose, like the generality of men in his age, was a believer in the power of magic, or theurgy; and, when he saw the miracles performed by Philip, was filled with astonishment, and regarded him as operating through magical powers unknown to himself. Giving credit, at the same time, to the accounts of the miracles of Jesus, he probably thought him to have been a great theurgist; and wished to become possessed of the secrets, which he imagined him to have communicated to his disciples. Being confirmed in this state of mind by witnessing the effects produced by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles, he did what naturally occurred to him, he offered money to purchase their disclosure. He was at first humbled and terrified by the severe rebuke of Peter; but no evil immediately followed; and it appears, from the further accounts of him, that he resumed confidence, pursued his former course of life, and was excited to set himself up as a rival of our Lord.

Of the particular events of his subsequent life, little is known. It is not probable that he left any writings behind him.* Justin Martyr

* About the end of the fourth century, Jerome,fin a single passage (Opp. IV. P. I. col. 114.), speaks of books written by Simon;