1. Simon Magus has been commonly Synergists (Greek, co-workers), regarded as the father of heresy and the founder of Gnosticism. He pretended to be the greatest of the Aeons, that succession of intelligent beings who proceeded from the great First Cause. Professing belief in Christ he was baptized by Philip when that apostle was gaining many converts in Samaria. However, when Peter and John arrived to further the cause of Christianity, he betrayed his real character by offering them money to purchase from them the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Hymenaeus, See 1 Timothy 1:20 and 2 Timothy 2:17.

3. Philetus, see Timothy 2:17.

4. Nicolas (Greek, nikan laon, destroyer of the people), founder of the Nicolaitans, a licentious sect named after him. Revelation 2.

5. Cerinthus, a Jew who studied philosophy at Alexandria and later at Ephesus. Here he is said to have met the Apostle John, whose teaching is supposed to counteract the falsity of Cerinthian Gnosticism. 378(2).

6. Marcionites, followers of Marcion, c. A.D. 120-170, a heretic of the second century. He drew up a Canon of Sacred Scripture, Pauline in character, which should exclude all Jewish influence. His Canon included only ten Epistles of Paul and a Gospel, supposed to have been Luke's but altered to suit his own views, called by his followers the Gospel of Christ.

7. Noetians, followers of Noetius, a native of Asia Minor in the third century, a heretic whose opinions resembled those of Sabellius.

8. Valentinians, followers of Valentinus, a heretic of the second century. He was the founder of the most complicated system of Gnosticism, accepting the Gospel of John as his chief authority and employing scriptural language more freely than other Gnostics. His system became a cloak for much licentiousness.

9. Encratites (Greek, egkartes, strong, self-controlled), a name given to various sects noted for their rigid abstinence. It was chiefly applied to the Gnostic sect of which Tatian and Severus were the leaders.

10. Cataphrygos, a sect which arose in Asia Minor in the second century. They claimed to possess spiritual qualities, inspiration, and power of prophecy, describing Christians who denied their pretensions as carnal and unregenerate.

11. Quarto-Decimans, those who followed the custom of the Asiatic Church in keeping the paschal feast on the fourteenth day of the first Jewish month, whatever day of the week it might happen to be. The Western Church commemorated the resurrection on the Sunday that followed the Jewish Passover, regarding the preceding Friday as the paschal day.

12. Alogians (Greek, a priv. and logos word), an obscure sect of the second century, who are said to have denied that Jesus Christ was the Logos or eternal Word, and to have rejected the Gospel of John and the Revelation as spurious.

13. Catharians (Greek, the Pure), the name assumed by the followers of Novatian, who favored exclusion for ever from the Church of all who had defiled themselves after baptism. This measure was originally directed against those Christians who, during the persecution of Decius, A.D. 249, were induced to sacrifice to idols or to procure from the magistrates, by a money payment, a certificate of having obeyed the emperor's command. 378(2).

14. Origenists, followers of Origen, A.D. 185-254, who maintained a spiritual interpretation of Scripture. They are numbered among the disturbers of the Church because they held such tenets as the following, which have been ascribed to Origen: That the soul of Christ was united to the Word before the Incarnation; that there is a pre-existent state of human souls; that souls were condemned to animate mortal bodies in order to expiate faults they had committed in a pre-existent state; that after long periods of time the damned shall be released from their torments and restored to a new state of probation.

15. Adamantines, Grk. untameable, adamant, identified by some with the Adamites, heretics of the second century. Classified with Origenists.

16. Sabellians, followers of Sabellius, who taught at Rome early in the third century doctrines denying the distinct personality of the Son and Holy Ghost, maintaining that the names of the Three Persons denote so many energies proceeding from the One God, or so many characters assumed by Him.

17. Samosatians, followers of Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, A. D. 260, but deposed for denying that the Son of God came down from heaven, and teaching that Jesus Christ was a mere man.

18. Manichaeans, a heretical Christian sect founded in Persia, c. A.D. 270 by Mani, who professed to be the Paraclete, the greater apostle who should complete the work of the earlier apostles, and effectually separate truth from falsity.

19. Meletians, followers (1) of Meletius, appointed bishop of Antioch, A.D. 360, by Arian influence; (2) of Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis, Egypt, who latterly joined the Arian party.

20. Arius, theologian of Alexandria, A.D 256-336; founder of Arianism, affirming that Christ was an originated Being. Excommunicated by bishops of Egypt for denying that Christ was made of the same substance (homo-ousion) of any previously existing substance. To settle the consequent dispute Constantine called the Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325. Athanasius successfully led the opposition to Arius; and Arius, with Eusebius, who also refused to accept the Athanasian position, was banished.

21. Donatists, an important body of schismatics who separated from the Church in the fourth century, taking their title from two African bishops named Donatus. They stood out against the authority of the Church not on any point of doctrine, but on the manner of the appointment of bishops.

22. Acetians, (1) probably for Aetiani, followers of Aetius, who founded the anomoean form of Arianism, denying any resemblance between the essence of the Father and the Son, or (2) for Acaciani, from Acacius, bishop of Caesarea, c. fourth century, who was at one time an associate of Aetius, but afterwards deserted him and subscribed to the Nicean doctrine.

23. Semiarians (Semi-Arians), adherents of a modified form of Arianism.

24. Eunomians, followers of Eunomius, pupil and amanuensis of Aetius, founder of the anomoean form of Arianism.

25. Macedonians, followers of Macedonius, who was bishop of Constantinople and a celebrated Semi-Arian teacher, but was exiled through the influence of the Eunomians.

26. Nestorians, followers of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople. He was condemned by the Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431, as heretical on the subject of our Savior's incarnation. He maintained that Mary was to be called the mother of Christ, and not the name with the Alexandrians.

27. Zwinglians. Zwingli, the famous Swiss Reformer, began his ministry in A.D. 1506, making the Scriptures his supreme authority, and opposing with ever increasing vehemence the corruptions and the pretensions of the Catholic Church. He and Calvin, however, held different views on important points of Christian doctrine. For instance, Zwingli maintained that the bread and wine of the Euchrtrist were only symbols of the Lord's body and blood, and that the ordinance was only commemorative in nature; while Calvin maintained a real spiritual presence. He died on the battlefield of Cappel, A.D. 1531, fighting for the Reformation against his countrymen who took up arms for the cause of Rome. He has left a lasting memorial in the Zurich Bible, A.D. 1529, the production of which was largely due to his efforts.

28. Anabaptists (Re-baptizers), the name sometimes given to all Christians who consider baptism by any other mode than that of immersion null and void.

29. Schwenkfeldians, followers or Schwenkfeld, A.D. 1490-1561, a German theologian who founded a religious sect in the sixteenth century. He opposed Luther's doctrine on the Eucharist, and dispensed altogether with Baptism. A number of the sect settled in Saxony from which some emigrated to Pennsylvania in A. D. 1733.

30. Synergists (Greek co-workers), those who followed Melanchthon in asserting the necessity of the co-operation of man's will with the Word and grace of God in the works of conversion and sanctification.

31. Socinians, members of a religious sect taking their name from Faustus Socinus, A.D. 1539-1604, and his uncle Laelius Socinus. They are antitrinitarians, denying the personality of the Holy Ghost and the Divinity of Christ. Early Socians believed in the miraculous conception and that Christ was entitled to Divine worship; but modern Socinians, chiefly Unitarians, deny both.

32. Quakers, or Friends, first called Seekers after truth, a Christian sect the members of which are noted for their integrity of character. Their origin may be traced to the religious agitation which prevailed in this country in the seventeenth century. They do not sustain a stated ministry. As their religious life is based on purely spiritual principles it is devoid of external rites and ceremonial. Their worship is the spontaneous act of those who are moved by the Divine spirit rather than any performance originating in the will of man. They reject the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They refuse to take oaths; and repudiating war as repugnant to the Gospel, they refuse to take part in military service.

33. Herrenhuterites, see Moravians.

34. Moravians, a group of whom, called Herrenhuteri, found refuge in Lusatia, Prussia, where they settled in the village of Hermhut.

35. Luther, Martin, A.D. 1483-1646, the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, was born at Eisleben, Saxony. He was a student at Erfurt in law and divinity, and was ordained priest in A.D. 1507. He left Erfurt for a chair in the university of Wittenberg, where his preaching attracted great attention. Here he made his first public protest against the Romish Church by condemning the sale of indulgences. The Lutheran Church dates its origin from the year A.D. 1520 when Luther was expelled from the Romish Church. It assumed a more definite shape on the publication in A.D. 1530 of the Augsburg Confession. This was drawn up by Melanchthon and Luther as the principal standard of the Church. The final establishment of the Lutheran Church was made possible by the friendly offices of Maurice, Elector of Saxony.

36. Melanchthon, the foremost scholar among the early Protestants, A.D. 1497-1560. He met Luther at Wittenberg where he was professor of Greek. He exercised a powerful influence over Luther, and was mainly responsible for drawing up the Augsburg Confession. On Luther's death he became the leader of the Lutherans.

37. Calvin, John, A.D. 1509-1564, was called by Melanchthon "The theologian of the sixteenth century." He studied law as well as theology, became a Protestant and induced the authorities of Geneva to renounce Popery. The friend of John Knox, he exercised a powerful influence on Scottish Protestantism. His views may be summarized thus: particular election; particular redemption; moral inability in a fallen state; free grace; and ultimate salvation for the elect, notwithstanding many failings and aberrations on the part of the believer. In its leading features his theology is that of Augustine.