things. He ascribes the formation of the world to certain portions of the divine fulness (aeons). The originating principle of the universe is fire, of which is begotten the Logos, in which exists the indefinite power, the power of the godhead, the image of which power is the spirit of God. These £eons, called roots, are in pairs — mind and intelligence, voice and name, ratiocination and re- flection. In them resides, coexistently, the entire in- definite power, potentially with regard to these "secret" portions of the divine substance, actually when the im- ages of these portions are formed by material embodi- ment. For mind and intelligence becoming " manifest" are heaven and earth ; voice and name are sun and moon ; ratiocination and reflection are air and water. The indefinite power becomes then the seventh actual power, the spirit of God wafted over the water, which reduces all things to order. The Logos employs the di- vine roots or jeons, which are both male and female. To the first pair of asons is assigned the first three days' work of the creation ; to the second pair is referred the fourth da}''s; to the third pair the fifth and sixth days'. Every man may become an embodiment of the Logos; an " image," that is, of the Logos, a conversion of the "secret" portion of the divine power into the "mani- fest." In this system the persons of the Trinity are confused, and Simon professed himself to be the Power of God, with the right of assuming the name of any of the three. Simon taught that Jesus was a man, and suffered onl}' in appearance. Such, in brief, is the sys- tem of Simon, a heresy not properlj' classed with those that bear the name of Christ (Epiph. Ear. xxi, 1). The Simonians pretended to be Christians that they might insinuate themselves into the Church; and many con- victed of this heresy were excommunicated (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. ii, 1, 13). The pretensions of Simon were supported by magic, and magic in several forms was practiced b}' the sect. Many see nothing unreasonable or unscriptural in supposing that supernatural agencies, the power of evil spirits, ma}' have been permitted to enter into those delusions. Irenajus accuses the sect of lewdness, and his statement is confirmed by the Great Announcement itself, which speaks of promiscuous inter- course of the sexes as "sanctifying one another" (Hip- polytus, Refut. Hcer. vi, 14). Of the number of this sect Justin Jlartyr writes that almost all the Samari- tans, and a few even of other nations, worshipped Si- mon. Simon had been much honored at Rome, but his influence fell before the preaching of Peter: and Origen writes, about A.D. 240, that not thirty of Si- mon's followers could be found in the whole world {Contr. Cels. i, 57). By almost universal consent Si- mon is regarded as the first propagator in the Church, but acting from without, of principles which developed into Gnosticism. Indeed, there are many points in com- mon : i. e. both reject the notion of absolute creation; both hold the unreality of the Lord's body. See Bunsen, Hippolytus, i, 47, 48 ; Burton, Bampton Lectures ; Blunt, Dictionary of Sects, s. v.
Simonians (Saint-). See Saint-Simon.
Simonis, Johann, conrector of the gymnasium and professor of Church history and antiquities in the Uni- versity of Halle, was born Feb. 10, 1098, at Drusen, near Schmalkalden, and died Jan. 2, 1768. He wrote, Ono- masticon Vet. Test, sive Tructatus Philologicus, in quo Nomina Vet. Test. Projma, etc. (Halle, 1741) : — Intro- ductio Grammatico - critica in Linguam Grcecam, etc. (ibid. 1752): — Introductio Gramnatico-critica in Lin- guam Hebraicam, etc. (ibid. 1753) : — A i-canum Forma- rum Noniinum Ilebraicm Lingua', etc. (ibid. 1735) : — Lexicon Manuale Ilehr. et Chald, (ibid. 1752; Amst. 1757 and often; last ed. by Winer, Leipsic, 1828; Engl, transl. by Ch. Seagar, The ISynaller Heb. and Chald. Lex- icon Translated and Improved, Lond. 1832) -.— Onomasti- cum Novi Test, et Librorum Vet. Test. A poa-yphorum, sive Tractatus PhiloL, quo Nomina Propi-ia Novi Test, et Libivrum Apocryphorum Vet. Test, ex Ipsorum Origi-
SIMONTON
760
SIMONY
nibus et Formis ExpUcantur. Besides these and many other works, mentioned by Fl'irst and Winer, he edited the Hihlid //ehniica Main/alia ad Optiimis quasqup Editiones Receiisitd, etc. (Halle, 17o2; 2d ed. 17()7; 3d ed. 182-2; 4th ed. 1828 [the latter two eds. by Kosen- miiller]). Simonis's object in editing his edition of tlie Hebrew Bible was to publish a correct, but at the same time a cheap, edition of Van der Hooght's text. But, in spite of all care, some inaccuracies have crept into the text. See Filrst, Bihl. Jiid. iii, 337 sq. ; Winer, Uandhnch der theol. Lit. i, 39, 115, 119, 121, 122, 127, 137, 535, G07 : Rosenmllller, Handbuchfiir die Literatur del- bibl. Kritik nnd Exegese, i, 238 sq. ; Steinschneider, Jiibliog. IJandbuck, p. 132 sq. (B. P.)
Simonton, Asiibkl Gkeen, a missionary of the Preslnterian Ctiurcli, was born at West Hanover, Dau- ])hin Co., Pa., Jan. 20, 1833. He pursued his prepara- tory studies in the academy at Harrisburg, Pa., gradu- ated at the College of New Jersey in 1852, studied law in 1854, and was admitted to the privileges of the Church in May, 1855. He entered the Theological Seminary at Princeton in September of the same year, and at an early stage of his course was led to consider his duty in relation to the foreign missionary work. He was li- censed by Carlisle Presbytery, April 14, 1858, and his formal application to the board for appointment as a foreign missionary was sent to New York Oct. 25, 1858. The executive committee decided to send him to Brazil, as the pioneer of a numerous company of laborers. The time fixed upon for his departure was May, 1859. Mean- while he spent two months in New York, taking lessons in the Portuguese language, and lecturing, as opportu- nity was afforded, upon Brazil. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Carlisle, April 14, 1859. His sermon on this occasion was upon the words, " Come over into Macedonia and help us," and it was an able presentation of the claims of the unevangelized upon the Church, and was afterwards published in Dr. Van Rensselaer's Presbyterian Magazine. He arrived at Hio Janeiro Aug. 12, 1859, and, after two years of study and explo- rations of the Held, began a Bible-class, May 19, 18()1, at which two were present ; but the audiences soon in- creased to such dimensions that larger accommodations were demanded. In 1863 it was deemed best; to enlarge the operations of the mission by taking in the province of Sao Paulo. In November, 18G4, appeared the tirst number of the Iniprensa Evangelica, a semi-monthly paper established for the diffusion of religious intelli- gence among the more cultivated class of minds. The greater part of the labor of writing for its columns and superintending its publication devolved upon liim until September, 1x0(5, when he had an assistant. The unan- imous im[iression of those who read his leading editori- als in the [mpreima was that they were characterized by great ability, clearness, and comprehension of the sub- jects treated. The paper continued to increase in circu- lation, and (hiring the three years of his connection with it much good was effected through its instnnnentalitv. In March, 1865, Mr. .Simonton made a missionary tour into the province of Sao Paulo, and while there the Pres- byter}' of Hio Janeiro was organized. He died Dec. 9, 18(57. Mr. Simonton possessed a clear, penetrating in- tellect, well disciplined by diligent study. He excelled as a preacher, and had few superiors as a scrmonizer. He greatly loved the missionary work, for whicli he was eminently fitted by nature, culture, and grace, and labored from tirst to last with unaliatcd zeal and energy. See Wilson, Prenb. Hist. A linanac, 18(!8, p. 135. (J. L. S.)