Note 551 — Chapter VI · PRE-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS: SIMON MAGUS

M. de Faye is probably right in saying (Étude Critique des Documents du Gnosticisme Chrétien, Paris, 1913, pp. 352, 353) that the Sethiani were never a very important sect. Stähelin’s theory (Die Gnostischen Quellen Hippolyts, Leipzig, 1890) that Hippolytus was deceived by a forger who drew all his “heresies” from one document (see Chapter VII, infra) is too fantastic to be correct, but it has done good service in calling attention to the family likeness between most of the systems which he sketches. Cf. E. de Faye, Intro. à l’Ét. du Gnost., Paris, 1903, p. 68. We are not likely to reach any more definite conclusion unless some lucky discovery reveals to us the sources of Hippolytus’ compilation.