Simon Magus
Simon MagusINTRODUCTION.PrefacePART I.SOURCES OF INFORMATION.PART II.A REVIEW OF AUTHORITIES.NOTES:PART III.THE THEOSOPHY OF SIMON.DIAGRAM OF THE SIMONIAN AEONOLOGY.[121]NOTES:Copyright
Simon Magus
G. R. S. Mead
INTRODUCTION.
Everybody in Christendom has heard of Simon, the magician,
and how Peter, the apostle, rebuked him, as told in the narrative
of theActs of the Apostles.
Many also have heard the legend of how at Rome this wicked sorcerer
endeavoured to fly by aid of the demons, and how Peter caused him
to fall headlong and thus miserably perish. And so most think that
there is an end of the matter, and either cast their mite of pity
or contempt at the memory of Simon, or laugh at the whole matter as
the invention of superstition or the imagination of religious
fanaticism, according as their respective beliefs may be in
orthodoxy or materialism. This for the general. Students of
theology and church history, on the other hand, have had a more
difficult task set them in comparing and arranging the materials
they have at their disposal, as found in the patristic writings and
legendary records; and various theories have been put forward, not
the least astonishing being the supposition that Simon was an alias
for Paul, and that the Simon and Peter in the accounts of the
fathers and in the narrative of the legends were simply concrete
symbols to represent the two sides of the Pauline and Petrine
controversies.The first reason why I have ventured on this present enquiry
is that Simon Magus is invariably mentioned by the heresiologists
as the founder of the first heresy of the commonly-accepted
Christian era, and is believed by them to have been the originator
of those systems of religio-philosophy and theosophy which are now
somewhat inaccurately classed together under the heading of
Gnosticism. And though this assumption of the patristic
heresiologists is entirely incorrect, as may be proved from their
own works, it is nevertheless true that Simonianism is the first
system that, as far as our present records go, came into conflict
with what has been regarded as the orthodox stream of Christianity.
A second reason is that I believe that Simon has been grossly
misrepresented, and entirely misunderstood, by his orthodox
opponents, whoever they were, in the first place, and also, in the
second place, by those who have ignorantly and without enquiry
copied from them. But my chief reason is that the present revival
of theosophical enquiry throws a flood of light on Simon's
teachings, whenever we can get anything approaching a first-hand
statement of them, and shows that it was identical in its
fundamentals with the Esoteric Philosophy of all the great
religions of the world.In this enquiry, I shall have to be slightly wearisome to
some of my readers, for instead of giving a selection or even a
paraphraze of the notices on Simon which we have from authenticated
patristic sources, I shall furnish verbatim translations, and
present a digest only of the unauthenticated legends. The growth of
the Simonian legend must unfold itself before the reader in its
native form as it comes from the pens of those who have constructed
it. Repetitions will, therefore, be unavoidable in the marshalling
of authorities, but they will be shown to be not without interest
in the subsequent treatment of the subject, and at any rate we
shall at least be on the sure ground of having before us all that
has been said on the matter by the Church fathers. Having cited
these authorities, I shall attempt to submit them to a critical
examination, and so eliminate all accretions, hearsay and
controversial opinions, and thus sift out what reliable residue is
possible. Finally, my task will be to show that Simon taught a
system of Theosophy, which instead of deserving our condemnation
should rather excite our admiration, and that, instead of being a
common impostor and impious perverter of public morality, his
method was in many respects of the same nature as the methods of
the theosophical movement of to-day, and deserves the study and
consideration of all students of Theosophy.This essay will, therefore, be divided into the following
parts:— Sources of Information.— A Review of Authorities.— The Theosophy of Simon.
Preface
The history of western magic started about 4000 years ago. And
since then it has been adding something to western magic.
Originally, the Latin word magus nominated the followers of the
spiritualist-priest class, and later originated to elect
‘clairvoyant, sorcerer’ and in a judgmental sense also ‘magician,
trickster’. Thus, the initial meaning of the word ‘magic’ was the
wisdoms of the Magi, that is the abilities of attaining
supernatural powers and energy, while later it became practical
critically to deceitful wizardry. The etymological descriptions
specify three significant features in the expansion of the notion
‘magic’: 1) Magic as a discipline of celestial natural forces and
in the course of formation 2) Magic as the exercise of such facts
in divinations, visions and illusion 3) Fraudulent witchery. The
latter belief played a significant part in the Christian
demonization process. The growth of the western notion ‘magic’
directed to extensive assumptions in the demonological and
astrophysical argument of the Neoplatonists. Their tactic was
grounded on the philosophy of a hierarchically ordered outer space,
where conferring to Plotinus (C205–C270 AD) a noetic ingredient was
shaped as the outcome of eternal and countless radiation built on
the ultimate opinion; this in its chance contributed to the rise of
psychic constituent, which formed the basis of the factual world.
Furthermore, these diverse phases of release came to be measured as
convinced forces, which underneath the impact of innocent and evil
views during late ancient times were embodied as humans. The
hierarchical cosmos of Iamblichus simply demonstrates the
legitimacy of this process. In his work, the Neoplatonic cosmology
has initiated a channel through the syncretism distinctive of the
late antiquity and in the essence of Greco-Oriental dualism.
Superior productions are taken closer to inferior ones by various
midway creatures. The higher the site of the mediators, the further
they bear a resemblance to gods and whizzes; the minor they are,
the nearer they stand to the psychic-spiritual part. The
aforementioned group of intermediaries has been settled in order of
series on the origin of cosmic gravity. Proclus (c410–485 AD) has
described the system of magic origin conversed above in better
aspect: in the hierarchical shackles of cosmic rudiments the power
and nature of a firm star god disturbs everything mediocre, and
with growing distance the impact slowly becomes weaker. The
Humanists approached the Platonic notions from the outlook of the
bequest of late antiquity, and were thus first familiarized to the
Neoplatonic form of the doctrine. And since Ficino’s work has been
inscribed in the spirit of emanation theory, and the author has
been persuaded of the existence of the higher and lower spheres of
magic and powers defined in Picatrix, he claims that planets and
cosmic movements have much to do with power and magic spirit.
Today’s occult marketplace also offers, in addition to books,
multifarious paraphernalia for practicing magic: amulets,
talismans, pendulums and magic rods. Though added with modern
essentials and pseudoscientific advices to give some weight to the
fundamentals, they are nothing but the leftovers of the western
ethnicities of magic.
PART I.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
Our sources of information fall under three heads: I. The
Simon of theNew Testament; II.
The Simon of the Fathers; III. The Simon of the
Legends.I.—The Simon of
the New Testament.Acts(viii. 9-24); author and date
unknown; commonly supposed to be "by the author of the third
gospel, traditionally known as Luke";[1]not quoted prior to A.D.
177;[2]earliest MS. not older
than the sixth century, though some contend for the
third.II.—The Simon of
the Fathers.i. Justinus Martyr (Apologia, I. 26, 56;Apologia,
II. 15;Dialogus cum Tryphone,
120); probable date of First Apology A.D. 141; neither the date of
the birth nor death of Justin is known; MS. fourteenth
century.ii. Irenæus (Contra Hæreses, I. xxiii. 1-4); chief literary activity last decennium of
the second century; MSS. probably sixth, seventh, and eighth
centuries; date of birth and death unknown, for the former any time
from A.D. 97-147 suggested, for latter 202-3.iii. Clemens Alexandrinus (Stromateis, ii. 11; vii. 17); greatest
literary activity A.D. 190-203; born 150-160, date of death
unknown; oldest MS. eleventh century.iv. Tertullianus (De Præscriptionibus
adversus Hæreticos, 46, generally attributed to
a Pseudo-Tertullian); c. A.D. 199; (De
Anima, 34, 36); c. A.D. 208-9; born 150-160,
died 220-240.v. [Hippolytus (?)] (Philosophumena, vi. 7-20); date
unknown, probably last decade of second to third of third century;
author unknown and only conjecturally Hippolytus; MS. fourteenth
century.vi. Origenes (Contra Celsum, i. 57; v. 62; vi. 11); born A.D. 185-6, died 254-5; MS.
fourteenth century.vii. Philastrius (De Hæresibus); date of birth unknown, died probably A.D.
387.viii. Epiphanius (Contra
Hæreses, ii. 1-6); born A.D. 310-20, died 404;
MS. eleventh century.ix. Hieronymus (Commentarium in Evangelicum
Matthæi, IV. xxiv. 5); written A.D.
387.x. Theodoretus (Hereticarum Fabularum
Compendium, i. 1); born towards the end of the
fourth century, died A.D. 453-58; MS. eleventh
century.III.—The Simon of
the Legends.A. The so-called Clementine literature.i.Recognitiones,
2.Homiliæ, of which the Greek
originals are lost, and the Latin translation of Rufinus (born
c.A.D. 345, died 410) alone remains to us. The originals are placed
by conjecture somewhere about the beginning of the third century;
MS. eleventh century.B. A mediæval account; (Constitutiones
Sanctorum Apostolorum, VI. vii, viii, xvi);
these were never heard of prior to 1546, when a Venetian, Carolus
Capellus, printed an epitomized translation of them from an MS.
found in Crete. They are hopelessly apocryphal.I.—The Simon of
the New Testament.Acts(viii. 9-24). Text:The Greek Testament(with the readings
adopted by the revisers of the authorized version); Oxford,
1881.Now a certain fellow by name Simon had been previously in the
city practising magic and driving the people of Samaria out of
their wits, saying that he was some great one; to whom all from
small to great gave heed, saying: "This man is the Power of God
which is called Great." And they gave heed to him, owing to his
having driven them out of their wits for a long time by his magic
arts. But when they believed on Philip preaching about the Kingdom
of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized,
both men and women. And Simon himself also believed, and after
being baptized remained constantly with Philip; and was driven out
ofhiswits on seeing the signs
and great wonders[3]that took
place.And the apostles in Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had
received the Word of God, sent Peter and John to them. And they
went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy
Spirit. For as yet it had not fallen upon any of them, but they had
only been baptized unto the Name of the Lord Jesus.Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the
Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by
the laying on of the hands of the apostles, he offered them money,
saying: "Give unto me also this power, in order that on whomsoever
I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Spirit."But Peter said unto him: "Thy silver perish with thee, in
that thou didst think that the gift of God is possessed with money.
There is not for thee part or lot in this Word, for thy heart is
not right before God. Therefore turn from this evil of thine, and
pray the Lord, if by chance the thought of thy heart shall be
forgiven thee. For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness
and the bond of iniquity."And Simon answered and said: "Pray ye on my behalf to the
Lord, that none of the things that ye have said may come upon
me."II.—The Simon of
the Fathers.i. Justinus Martyr (Apologia, I. 26). Text:Corpus Apologetarum
Christianorum Sæculi Secundi(edidit Io. Car. Th.
Eques de Otto); Jenæ, 1876 (ed. tert.).And thirdly, that even after the ascension of the Christ into
heaven the daemons cast before themselves (as a shield) certain men
who said that they were gods, who were not only not expelled by
you,[4]but even thought
worthy of honours; a certain Samaritan, Simon, who came from a
village called Gitta; who in the reign of Claudius Cæsar[5]wrought magic wonders by the art
of the daemons who possessed him, and was considered a god in your
imperial city of Rome, and as a god was honoured with a statue by
you, which statue was erected in the river Tiber, between the two
bridges, with the following inscription in Roman: "Simoni Deo
Sancto." And nearly all the Samaritans, but few among the rest of
the nations, confess him to be the first god and worship him. And
they speak of a certain Helen, who went round with him at that
time, and who had formerly prostituted herself,[6]but was made by him his first
Thought.ii. Irenæus (Contra Hæreses, I. xxiii. 1-4). Text:Opera(edidit Adolphus Stieren); Lipsiæ, 1848.1. Simon was a Samaritan, the notorious magician of whom Luke
the disciple and adherent of the apostles says: "But there was a
fellow by name Simon, who had previously practised the art of magic
in their state, and led away the people of the Samaritans, saying
that he was some great one, to whom they all listened, from the
small to the great, saying: 'He is the Power of God, which is
called Great.' Now they gave heed to him because he had driven them
out of their wits by his magical phenomena." This Simon, therefore,
pretended to be a believer, thinking that the apostles also wrought
their cures by magic and not by the power of God; and supposing
that their filling with the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands
those who believed in God, through that Christ Jesus who was being
preached by them—that this was effected by some superior magical
knowledge, and offering money to the apostles, so that he also
might obtain the power of giving the Holy Spirit to whomsoever he
would, he received this answer from Peter: "Thy money perish with
thee, since thou hast thought that the gift of God is obtained
possession of with money; for thee there is neither part nor lot in
this Word, for thy heart is not right before God. For I see thou
art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of
iniquity."And since the magician still refused to believe in God, he
ambitiously strove to contend against the apostles, so that he also
might be thought of great renown, by extending his investigations
into universal magic still farther, so that he struck many aghast;
so much so that he is said to have been honoured with a statue for
his magic knowledge by Claudius Cæsar.He, therefore, was glorified by many as a god; and he taught
that it was he himself who, forsooth, appeared among the Jews as
the Son, while in Samaria he descended as the Father, and in the
rest of the nations he came as the Holy Spirit. That he was the
highest power, to wit, the Father over all, and that he allowed
himself to be called by whatever name men pleased.2. Now the sect of the Samaritan Simon, from whom all the
heresies took their origin, was composed of the following
materials.He took round with him a certain Helen, a hired prostitute
from the Phoenician city Tyre, after he had purchased her freedom,
saying that she was the first conception (or Thought) of his Mind,
the Mother of All, by whom in the beginning he conceived in his
Mind the making of the Angels and Archangels. That this Thought,
leaping forth from him, and knowing what was the will of her
Father, descended to the lower regions and generated the Angels and
Powers, by whom also he said this world was made. And after she had
generated them, she was detained by them through envy, for they did
not wish to be thought to be the progeny of any other. As for
himself, he was entirely unknown by them; and it was his Thought
that was made prisoner by the Powers and Angels that has been
emanated by her. And she suffered every kind of indignity at their
hands, to prevent her reäscending to her Father, even to being
imprisoned in the human body and transmigrating into other female
bodies, as from one vessel into another.[7]She also was in that Helen, on
whose account the Trojan War arose; wherefore also
Stesichorus[8]was deprived of
his sight when he spake evil of her in his poems; and that
afterwards when he repented and wrote what is called a recantation,
in which he sang her praises, he recovered his sight. So she,
transmigrating from body to body, and thereby also continually
undergoing indignity, last of all even stood for hire in a brothel;
and she was the "lost sheep."3. Wherefore also he himself had come, to take her away for
the first time, and free her from her bonds, and also to guarantee
salvation to men by his "knowledge." For as the Angels were
mismanaging the world, since each of them desired the sovereignty,
he had come to set matters right; and that he had descended,
transforming himself and being made like to the Powers and
Principalities and Angels; so that he appeared to men as a man,
although he was not a man; and was thought to have suffered in
Judæa, although he did not really suffer. The Prophets moreover had
spoken their prophecies under the inspiration of the Angels who
made the world; wherefore those who believed on him and his Helen
paid no further attention to them, and followed their own pleasure
as though free; for men were saved by his grace, and not by
righteous works. For righteous actions are not according to nature,
but from accident, in the manner that the Angels who made the world
have laid it down, by such precepts enslaving men. Wherefore also
he gave new promises that the world should be dissolved and that
they who were his should be freed from the rule of those who made
the world.4. Wherefore their initiated priests live immorally. And
everyone of them practises magic arts to the best of his ability.
They use exorcisms and incantations. Love philtres also and spells
and what are called "familiars" and "dream-senders," and the rest
of the curious arts are assiduously cultivated by them. They have
also an image of Simon made in the likeness of Jupiter, and of
Helen in that of Minerva; and they worship the (statues); and they
have a designation from their most impiously minded founder, being
called Simonians, from whom the Gnôsis, falsely so-called, derives
its origins, as one can learn from their own
assertions.iii. Clemens Alexandrinus (Stromateis, ii. 11; vii. 17).
Text:Opera(edidit G.
Dindorfius); Oxoniæ, 1869.In the first passage the Simonian use of the term, "He who
stood," is confirmed, in the latter we are told that a branch of
the Simonians was called Entychitæ.iv. Tertullianus, or Pseudo-Tertullianus (De Præscriptionibus, 46). Text:Liber de Præs., etc. (edidit H.
Hurter, S.J.); Oeniponti, 1870. Tertullianus (De
Anima, 34, 36). Text:Bibliothec. Patr. Eccles. Select.(curavit Dr. Guil. Bruno Linder), Fasc. iv; Lipsiæ,
1859.In thePræscriptionsthe
passage is very short, the briefest notice possible, under the
heading, "Anonymi Catalogus Heresum." The notice in theDe Animaruns as follows:For Simon the Samaritan also, the purveyor of the Holy
Spirit, in theActs of the Apostles