Strife and prejudice are powerful instruments in leading men to
disregard even those things which are abundantly clear; so that they who
have somehow become familiar with certain opinions, which have deeply
imbued their minds, and stamped them with a certain character, will not
give them up. For a man will abandon his habits in respect to other
things, although it may be difficult for him to tear himself from them,
more easily than he will surrender his opinions. Nay, even the former
are not easily put aside by those who have become accustomed to them;
and so neither houses, nor cities, nor villages, nor intimate
acquaintances, are willingly forsaken when we are prejudiced in their
favour. This, therefore, was a reason why many of the Jews at that time
disregarded the clear testimony of the prophecies, and miracles which
Jesus wrought, and of the sufferings which He is related to have
endured. And that human nature is thus affected, will be manifest to
those who observe that those who have once been prejudiced in favour of
the most contemptible and paltry traditions of their ancestors and
fellow-citizens, with difficulty lay them aside. For example, no one
could easily persuade an Egyptian to despise what he had learned from
his fathers, so as no longer to consider this or that irrational animal
as a god, or not to guard against eating, even under the penalty of
death, of the flesh of such an animal. Now, if in carrying our
examination of this subject to a considerable length, we have enumerated
the points respecting Bethlehem, and the prophecy regarding it, we
consider that we were obliged to do this, by way of defence against
those who would assert that if the prophecies current among the Jews
regarding Jesus were so clear as we represent them, why did they not at
His coming give in their adhesion to His doctrine, and betake themselves
to the better life pointed out by Him? Let no one, however, bring such a
reproach against believers, since he may see that reasons of no light
weight are assigned by those who have learned to state them, for their
faith in Jesus.