The succession of heresy, unlike that of the Church, had not for its object the keeping up of one uniform system of doctrine, but the exhibition of something sufficiently attractive or striking to prevent the minds of men from dwelling upon the truth. It required leaders, and therefore persons remarkable for ability of some kind or another. A successor was therefore provided to Simon in the person of Menander, a Samaritan like himself[556], and, as Justin informs us, his pupil[557]; but whose great qualification was, that he equalled or excelled his master in the knowledge of magic[558]. Heresy, likewise, not requiring to be uniform, permitted its successive teachers to improve upon the system of their predecessors; and by this means both satisfied the natural love of mankind for novelty, and kept up the appetite. So Menander differed a little from Simon, at least in expression, in saying that the Supreme Essence was unknown to all men. He likewise introduced another name from the Gospel, representing himself, not as the Supreme [pg 269] Being, either personally or by direct emanation and operation, (as Simon did,) but as the Saviour, sent by the unseen Powers for the salvation of man. He likewise taught his followers, that by the magical practices in which he instructed them, they might even vanquish the Angelic Creators of this lower world, which was somewhat more than Simon promised.
It appears likewise that he initiated his followers by baptism, which he represented as the true and only resurrection, and taught them to believe that after receiving it they could neither grow old nor die[559]. How he got over the fact that they did both, we are not informed: but this making baptism the same thing as the resurrection, explains St. Paul's words[560], where he represents some as teaching that “the resurrection is already past.” Hymenæus and Philetus, who spread this error in all probability in Asia Minor, might easily have been disciples of Menander, who made Antioch his head quarters[561].
Menander was succeeded by two of his pupils[562], Saturninus and Basilides, who, though taking up the same general system, were very different men, [pg 270] and therefore modified it in different ways, and were employed by their invisible master in different parts of his vineyard.
Saturninus remained at Antioch, teaching the same general doctrine as his preceptor Menander. He defined the number of the angels by whom the world was made to be seven[563], one of whom was the God of the Jews; and he introduced one of the remaining angels, who had not been concerned in the creation, under the name of Satan, as the opponent of the Creators, and more especially of the God of the Jews[564]. He represented the creation of man as having taken place at the suggestion of the Supreme Power, who exhibited to the angels a bright image of himself; which, as he immediately drew it up again to himself, they endeavoured to copy, and thus made man after its image and likeness: but not having the power to make him erect, he would have grovelled on the earth like a worm, had not the Supreme Power, taking compassion on this poor copy of himself, sent forth into it a spark of life, which gave it limbs and an erect posture[565]. By an unaccountable inconsistency, however, (for having a system to make or improve at pleasure, he might as well have made its parts consistent with each other,) he likewise taught that there were at first [pg 271] created two sorts of men, one of which was not enkindled with the celestial spark: that those alone would be saved who possessed it[566]; and that when they died, this heavenly portion of them would ascend to the Powers above, and the other portions of their nature would be dissolved[567].
The cause of the coming of the Saviour, or Christ, as they also called him, (who was unborn, incorporeal, and man only in appearance,) he declared to be the conspiracy of all the Angelic Princes, headed by the Jewish God, against the Supreme Father; which obliged him to come down to destroy the God of the Jews, together with demons and wicked men, and to save those who believed in him, that is, those who had received the spark of life. Who these demons were, or whether the whole of the angels were to be destroyed, we are not told[568].
The prophecies of the Old Testament he attributed partly to the Creators and partly to Satan[569].
It is evident that this is merely a modification of the scheme of Simon Magus, with the addition of Satan, and the Jewish God, and the spark of life: but there is another feature of his system which is remarkable, as differing widely from that of his [pg 272] predecessors. Instead of opening the door to unbridled lust, he affected an extraordinary repugnance to every thing carnal, declaring marriage and its natural consequences to be works of Satan; and some of his followers entirely abstain from animal food[570].
Basilides[571], the other successor of Menander, settled at Alexandria in Egypt. He was, as I have said, a man of very different character from Saturninus, and followed his master in his addiction to magical practices, and in his licentious doctrines; teaching likewise that meats offered to idols were to be eaten indifferently with others[572].
But that he might have something of his own, he greatly modified and added to the speculative system of his predecessors. He taught that from the Unborn Father was born his Mind, and from him the Word, from him Understanding (Φρόνησις), from him Wisdom and Power, and from them Excellences, and Princes, and Angels, who made a heaven. He then introduced a successive series of angelic beings, each set derived from the preceding one, to the number of 365, and each the author of their own peculiar [pg 273] heaven[573]. To all these angels and heavens he gave names[574], and assigned the local situations of the heavens. The first of them is called Abraxas, a mystical name containing in it the number 365[575]; the last and lowest is the one which we see; the Creators of which made this world, and divided its parts and nations amongst them. In this division the Jewish nation came to the share of the Prince of the Angels; and as he wished to bring all other nations into subjection to his favourite nation, the other angelic Princes and their nations resisted him and his nation[576]. The Supreme Father, seeing this state of things, sent his first-begotten Mind, who is also called Christ, to deliver those who should believe in him from the power of the Creators. He accordingly appeared to mankind as a man, and wrought mighty deeds. He did not, however, really suffer, but changed forms with Simon of Cyrene, and stood by laughing whilst Simon suffered; and afterwards, being himself incorporeal, ascended into heaven. Building upon this transformation, Basilides taught his disciples that they might at all times deny him that was crucified, and that they alone who did so understood the providential dealings of the Most High, and by that knowledge were freed [pg 274] from the power of the angels, whilst those who confessed him remained under their power[577]. Like Saturninus, however, but in other words, he asserted that the soul alone was capable of salvation, but the body necessarily perishable[578].
He taught, moreover, that they who knew his whole system, and could recount the names of the angels, &c., were invisible to them all, and could pass through and see them, without being seen in return: that they ought likewise to keep themselves individually and personally unknown to common men, and even to deny that they are what they are; that they should assert themselves to be neither Jews nor Christians, and by no means reveal their mysteries[579]. This, of course, and their unscrupulousness as to actions of any kind whatever, would entirely exempt them from persecution.