not only suffered no vexation of you (Romans), but attained
unto honor amongst you, by name one _Simon_, a Samaritan, born
in the village of Gitton, who (under Claudius Caesar) by the
art of _devils_, through whom he dealt, wrought devilish
enchantments, was esteemed and counted in your regal city of
Rome for a _god_, and honored by you as a _god_, with a
picture between two bridges upon the river Tibris, having this
Roman inscription: '_Simoni deo Sancto_' (To Simon the Holy
God). And in manner all the Samaritans, and certain also of
other nations, do worship him, acknowledging him for their
chief god."[265:4]

According to accounts given by several other Christian Fathers, he could
make his appearance wherever he pleased to be at any moment; could poise
himself on the air; make inanimate things move without visible
assistance; produce trees from the earth suddenly; cause a stick to reap
without hands; change himself into the likeness of any other person, or
even into the forms of animals; fling himself from high precipices
unhurt, walk through the streets accompanied by spirits of the dead; and
many other such like performances.[266:1]

Simon went to Rome, where he gave himself out to be an "Incarnate Spirit
of God."[266:2] He became a favorite with the Emperor Claudius, and
afterwards with Nero. His Christian opponents, as we have seen in the
cases cited above, did not deny the miracles attributed to him, but said
they were done through the agency of evil spirits, which was a common
opinion among the Fathers. They claimed that every _magician_ had an
attendant evil spirit, who came when summoned, obeyed his commands, and
taught him ceremonies and forms of words, by which he was able to do
supernatural things. In this way they were accustomed to account for all
the miracles performed by Gentiles and heretics.[266:3]

_Menander_--who was called the "Wonder-Worker"--was another great
performer of miracles. Eusebius, speaking of him, says that he was
skilled in magical art, and performed _devilish_ operations; and that
"as yet there be divers which can testify the same of him."[266:4]

Dr. Conyers Middleton, speaking on this subject, says:

"It was universally received and believed through all ages of
the primitive church, that there was a number of magicians,
necromancers, or conjurors, both among the _Gentiles_, and the
_heretical Christians_,