83.  But at the present time there are some who go to war even about small matters and to no purpose, and, with great ignorance and audacity, accept, as an associate in their ill-doing, anyone whoever he may be.  Then everyone makes the faith his pretext, and this venerable name is dragged into their private quarrels.  Consequently, as was probable, we are hated, even among the Gentiles, and, what is harder still, we cannot say that this is without just cause.  Nay, even the best of our own people are scandalized, while this result is not surprising in the case of the multitude, who are ill-disposed to accept anything that is good.

ΠΓʹ. Νῦν δέ εἰσί τινες οἱ καὶ περὶ μικρῶν πολεμοῦντες, καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν ὅφελος, καὶ κοινωνοὺς, ὅσους ἂν δύνωνται, τοῦ κακοῦ προσλαμβάνοντες, λίαν ἀμαθῶς καὶ θρασέως. Εἶτα ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἡ πίστις, καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σεμνὸν ὄνομα ταῖς ἰδίαις αὐτῶν φιλονεικίαις παρασυρόμενον. Ἐκ δὲ τούτων, ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς, μισούμεθα μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ὃ τούτου χαλεπώτερον, οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν ἔχομεν, ὡς οὐ δικαίως: διαβεβλήμεθα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων τοῖς ἐπιεικεστέροις: οὐδὲν γὰρ θαυμαστὸν εἰ τοῖς πλείοσιν, οἳ μόλις ἄν τι καὶ τῶν καλῶν ἀποδέχοιντο.