Arnobius of Sicca, Arnobii adversus nationes Libri VII

occursurus forsitan rursus est cum aliis multis calumniosis illis et puerilibus uocibus: magus fuit, clandestinis artibus omnia illa perfecit, Aegyptiorum ex adytis angelorum potentium nomina et remotas furatus est disciplinas. quid dicitis, o paruuli, incomperta uobis et nescia temerariae uocis loquacitate garrientes? ergone illa quae gesta sunt daemonum fuere praestigiae et magicarum artium ludi? potestis aliquem nobis designare, monstrare ex omnibus illis magis, qui umquam fuere per saecula, consimile aliquid Christo millesima ex parte qui fecerit? qui sine ulla ui carminum, sine herbarum et graminum sucis, sine ulla aliqua obseruatione sollicita sacrorum libaminum temporum ? non enim urgemus et quaerimus quae sese spondeant facere uel in quibus generibus actuum soleat omnis illorum doctrina et experientia contineri. quis enim hos nesciat aut inminentia studere praenoscere, quae necessario uelint nolint suis ordinationibus ueniunt, aut mortiferam inmittere quibus libuerit tabem aut familiarum dirumpere caritates aut sine clauibus reserare quae clausa sunt aut ora silentio uincire aut in curriculis equos debilitare incitare tardare aut uxoribus et liberis alienis, f. siue illi mares sunt siue feminei generis, inconcessi amoris flammas et furiales immittere cupiditates aut si utile aliquid uideantur audere, non propria ui posse sed eorum quos inuocant potestate?

He will perhaps meet us again with many other slanderous and childish words: 'He was a magician; he accomplished all those things by secret arts; from the shrines of the Egyptians he stole the names of powerful angels and abstruse disciplines.' What are you saying, you little ones, prattling with the garrulity of a rash voice about things unascertained and unknown to you? Were those things that were done, then, the illusions of demons and the tricks of magic arts? Can you point out to us, show [us], anyone out of all those magicians who have ever existed through the ages who did anything at all like Christ, even to a thousandth part? Who [did it] without any force of spells, without the juices of herbs and grasses, without any anxious observance of sacred libations [and] times? For we do not press and inquire what they promise to do, or in what kinds of acts all their teaching and experience is usually contained. For who does not know that these people either strive to know beforehand impending things, which come of necessity by their own ordering whether they will or not; or send a deadly wasting on whomever they please; or break apart the affections of families; or open without keys what is closed; or bind mouths with silence; or in the races weaken, urge on, or slow down horses; or send into other men's wives and children, whether they are male or of the female sex, the flames of forbidden love and frenzied desires; or, if they seem to venture anything useful, that they can do it not by their own power but by the power of those whom they invoke?