that had he lived a hundred Years ago, he might fared better than he did.

I fhall conclude this Article, with defiring, in all Humility, the admirers of the Fathers, to reconcile their Account of Simon, with this plain Declaration from Origen,* Those who know, or pretend to know, Simon, know him no otherwise, but from what is faid of him in the Acts of the Apoftles.

Of Dofitbeus, Cleobius, Thebutis, Gortheus, and Mafbotheus.

I join all thefe Heretics together, becaufe we know very little of what concerns them, and that, as far as can be gueffed at, their Principles were much the fame. Some of them, viz. Cleobius and Dofitheus, made a Confederacy with Simon the Magician, (a) and I am furprized, that our Herefiologifts, who were so careful in collecting all the Memoirs belonging to the fecret History of Heretics, fhould have forgot to acquaint us with the Terms of that Confederacy. It would have been as curious a Piece as any contained in their History; the more fo, as the Heads of it, at least, muft

M 2

Orig. Cont. Celf. Lib. 1. 5. 57. pag. 373. Edit. Benedict. 1742. (a) Apoft. Conftitut. Lib. VI. c. 8.

must have been framed by the Devil; for we are told it was he (b) that fent them forth. The Apoftolical Conftitutions, it is true, give one Article of it, and say, that the Principality was decreed to Doftheus, but this is contradicted by all the other Hiftories, which unanimously agree in giving the Supereminence to Simon over all other Heretics whatsoever. This Mystery is unfolded in another Place (c). The Supreme Authority was never conferred upon Doftheus, but he aimed at it; (for it seems that Heretics alfo are fond of Honours and Power.) This occafioned a warm Dispute between him and Simon, and they were fo exafperated against one another, that they came to Blows; but Simon did not fight fairly; he applied to their common Master Satan, who wrought a Miracle in his Favour, (we may infer from this that he was his Darling ;) he gave him the Power to emit out of his Body a Rod, which fo frightened Doftheus, that he fell on his Knees, (d) and adored his Rival; and after this Simon reigned without controul. I am furprised that the Fathers, who were fo fond of Faftings and Abftinences, inftead of exclaiming fo much against poor Dofitheus, did not rather

(b) Ibid. Homil. 2da c. 34.

(c) Recognit. Lib. II. c. 11. Clement (d) Recogn. ibid.

ther canonize him, for Epiphanius * relates, that he fafted himself to death; and adds a wonderful Circumstance, that fome Days after, (he does not not fay how many) his Body was found putrefied, and eaten by Worms and Flies. Probably he had not been embalmed. —- It is related in the Apoftolical Conftitutions, that Cleobius joined with Simon against Doftheus, or that the two former defpifed the latter, but on what Account is not expreffed. What Origen (e) fays, that he wanted to pafs for the Son of God, is moft uncertain, as he alledges nothing to fupport this Accufation, nor does he tell from whence he took it. Hegefippus (f) pretends," That Thebutis, Cleobius, Dofitbe

us, Gortheus, and Mafbotheus, took their "Herefies from thofe of the feven Sects "which were among the Jews." This is not to be reconciled with what we are told in the Apoftolical Conftitutions, (g) about Cleobius and his Adherents and Followers, that they make a feft of the Law and the Prophets; for fuch an impiety would not have been fuffered among the Jews. So manifeft a contrariety between our Ecclefiaftical Writers plainly fhews, that they often spoke at Random, and only to indulge their boundlefs

M 3

* Epiph. Hær. xiii. (f) Eufeb. H. E. Lib. iv. c. 22. vid. et. Ignat. Interpol. Epift. ad Trall, c: 11.

(e) Origen. cont. Celf. Lib. vi (g) Lib. vi. c. 16.

lefs Propenfity to multiply the number of Heretics, and enjoy the laudable Pleasure of abufing them. This Inclination of theirs, which appears throughout their whole Hiftory, makes me conjecture that Mafbotheus belonged to the Mafbotbeans, a Jewish Sect, alfo mentioned by Hegefippus, and was not a Chriftian Heretic. As for Gortheus, his Name only, and nothing more. I find mentioned by the Herefologifts. How they happen to be fo fparing on this Article, whilft their other Romances are fo full of Adventures of all Kinds, is, I believe, what no Body can determine, Here are other Inconfiftencies in their Accounts. Hegefp pus* affirms, that till the Times of The butis the Church was reputed a Virgin, that he was the first that defiled her, and that he did it for fpite, because he was not chofen Bishop of Corinths, in the room of James the Juft. Now, if Thebutis was the first Heretic, as Hegefippus will have it, the other Fathers of the Church must be miftaken, in honouring Simon with the Prin cipality. On the other Hand, Clement of Alexandria differs from them all; for he fays, that the Inventors of Herefies appeared only about the Time of Adrian, that they lived till the Time of Antoninus, (about

Eufeb. ub. fup.

+ Strom. Lib. vii. p. 464;

the

the 140th Year of our Lord ;) and that Marcion was their Leader.

The Accounts of our Herefiologists are as equitable as they are confiftent. They give fome of Simon's Succeffors the Names (b) of Barbelioti, and Borboriti, because (say they) they adored one Barbelo or Barberis, of whom they give much the fame Account, as of Helena, and they reprefent thefe Barbelioti as a Set of execrable Moniters, who delighted in nothing else but Filthinefs. Now, let any one compare this Account with what Irenæus and Epiphanius himself fay of that Barbelo, and he fhall be convinced that the whole is a Calumny, and that the Barbelioti were fome Philofophers, either Pagans or Chriftians, and perhaps of both Religions, who gave to one of their Emanations from the great God the Name of Barbelo, which, as Petavius, tho' a Jefuit, (i) has the Honefty to own it, is a corrupted Word from the Syriac or from the Hebrew: Bar-bahal, that is, Son of the Lord. If it be objected, that the Heretics gave Room to thofe falfe Judgments from the Fathers, by their strange Syftem on divine Emanations, I answer, that feveral of the Fathers (k) adopted much the fame

..

M 4

(b) Epiphan. Hæref. xxxvii. Theodoret. Hær. Fab. Lib. (i) Petav. Asimadv. ad Epiphan. p. 40. (k) Vid. Petav. Dogm. Theol, T. 1. Lib. iv, c. 10. 5. &. & feq.

1. C. 13.