is sect to be found, and that only in
Palestine, his name never having been known elsewhere; so far was it
from true that he had been to Rome, worked miracles there, and had
statues raised to him in that capital of the world! Origen concludes
by saying, that where the name of Simon was known, it was so only by
the Acts of the Apostles, and that the truth of the circumstances
evidently shows that there was nothing divine in this man, that is to
say, nothing miraculous or extraordinary. In a word, the Acts of the
Apostles relate no wonder of him, because the Saviour had destroyed
all the power of magic.

XIII. To render this principle more solid still, after having based it
upon the Scripture, I am going to establish again with my usual
frankness, upon tradition, and show that it is truly in this sense the
passages in the fathers, and ancient ecclesiastical writers, must be
understood. I begin with St. Ignatius the Martyr, bishop, and
successor of the apostles in the pulpit of Antioch. This father, in
the first of the Epistles which are really his, speaking of the birth
of the Saviour, and of the star which then appeared, adds, "Because
all the power of magic vanished, all the bonds of malice were broken,
ignorance was abolished, and the old kingdom of Satan destroyed;" on
which the learned Cotelerius makes this remark: "It was also at that
time that all the illusions of magic ceased, as is attested by so many
celebrated authors." Tertullian, in the book which he has written on
Idolatry, says, "We know the strict union there is between magic and
astrology. God permitted that science to reign on the earth till the
time of the Gospel, in order that after the birth of Jesus Christ no
one might be found who should undertake to read in the heavens the
happiness or misfortunes of any person whomsoever." A little after, he
adds: "It is thus that, till the time of the Gospel, God tolerated on
the earth that other kind of magic which performs wonders, and dared
even to enter into rivalry with Moses."

Origen, in his books against Celsus, speaking of the three magi, and
the star which appeared to them, says that then the power of magic
extended so far, that there was no art more powerful and more divine;
but at the birth of the Saviour hell was disconcerted, the demons lost
their power, all their spells were destroyed, and their might passed
away. The magi wishing them to perform their enchantments and their
usual works, and not