The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente

The .ix. Chapter.

[ The texte.] And as Iesus passed by, he sawe a manne, whiche was blynde from his byrth, and his dis∣ciples asked him, saying: Master who did sinne, this manne, or his father, or mother, that he was borne blynde? Iesus sayed: neyther hath this manne sinned, nor yet his father and mo∣ther, but that the workes of God should be shewed.

THerfore our Lorde Iesus did now for a while geue place to the fury of them, whom as yet he sawe incurable, and falleth in hande with miracles to declare his Godly po∣wer, whiche he coulde not all this while dryue into theyr headdes by any perswasion of woordes. And loe there fel forthwith a matter in his waye not vnlike those thynges which were doen in the temple. For of trueth much a doe was there with the blynde. But suche as were blynde in soule, not in body, whiche is the moste vnhappy kynde of blyndnesse. And so muche also the wurse, as that although they were more then blynde, yet they thought themselues quicke sighted, so that they were not only miserable, but also vnworthy to be cured. For somuch as miser was not that blynde man whom Iesus sawe as he passed by, whiche man lacked onely bodily sight,* 1.1 and was borne blinde, so that it was a maladie aboue the Phisicions cure, but yet coulde Christe heale it. This man had an inwarde sight, & sawe with iyes of the soule: when Iesus therfore sawe the man, and had compassion on him, much pitying his misery, the disciples which called to their remembraunce that Christe had sayd to the man that was healed of his palsey: Go, and hereafter sinne no more, leste some wurse thing come v∣pon the, supposing that euery blemishe of the body had come of some faulte of the soule, axed Christe of the blinde man, and sayed: through whose sinne chaunced it that this man should be borne blinde? for where as none coulde sinne or he were borne, whosoeuer is borne with any sickenes or impediment of body, is to be thought punished for some other mans faulte, which thyng should yet seme against equitie, the disciples therfore sayed: Maister whēce came so great euill to this felowe, that he should be borne blinde? Whether came it of his owne or of the sinne of his parentes? Iesus aunswered: Ney∣ther did this man through his owne sinne deserue to be borne blinde, who coulde not sinne when as yet he was not: nor his parentes. For as the lawe teacheth, God punysheth not the chyldren for the faultes of theyr pa∣rentes, excepte the children folowe the sinnes of theyr parentes. But blynd∣nesse chaunced to this man vpon a casualtie (and not through any mans sinne) as in the course of mans life, many thinges chaūce to many folke. This mans misery & lacke of sight was not prohibit, but suffered to chaunce vnto hym, because that by hym the mightie power and goodnesse of God, whom the blinde Iewes so obstinately cryeth out vpon, should be declared to mē. The more vncurable the disease is, the more famous and commendable shall be the healing of thesame.

[ The texte.]

I must worke the worke of hym that sent me, whyle it is daye. The night cummeth when no manne can worke. As long as I am in the worlde I am the light of the worlde. Assoone as he had thus spoken, he spatte on the grounde, and made clay of the spettell and rubbed the clay on the iyes of the blynde, & layed vnto hym: Goe washe the in the poole of Siloe, which (by interpretacion) is asmuche to saye as sent. He wente his waye therfore and washed, and came agayne seeyng.

For this cause was I sent into the worlde euē to procure the glory of God with suche dedes, as should cause the vnfaythfull to beleue my woordes to be true, and to thintent also that those whiche will beleue, should be cured of their blindnes. I must doe this commaundement diligently while it is daye: for yf menne haue any worke in hande, they be wonte to doe it in the day. The night (perdy) is vnhansome to worke in. Therfore in the meane tyme, whyle prensent day geueth vs leaue to worke, we may not cease: For the night shall come when as men (all in vaine) would worke and cannot. As long as I am in the worlde, I am the light of the worlde. If men make spede to finishe the worke, which they goe about for some commoditie of this life, before night, how muche more behoueth it euery man to labour, that while they haue me with them, they may go thorowe with the busines of the eternall saluacion. In fauour wherof, whatsoeuer (in the meane season) I doe in this worlde, I doe it for that thing sake, and to further saluacion. For what other thing doe I, then that all folke should, through iyes of faith, see and acknowlege God and his sonne, whom he sent into the worlde: I shall within a while departe hence, than shall those that haue nowe had no will to worke, desyre lyght in vaine.* 1.2 The Lord Iesus did with this saying, couertly notise vnto them that were present, that (al infid••litie set aparte) they should quickely go about to beleue the sonne of God, whom they coulde not long after see bodily. More∣ouer, he did insinnate therwithall that those which otherwyse coulde not be brought to beliefe than by hearing him speake, and seeyng him worke mira∣cles, should to none effecte desire to haue him made away, whom they despi∣sed beyng present. And at whose light, beyng obiecte to all mennes sight, they shut their iyes. Furthermore he signified likewise, that al suche as of obsti∣nate minde did persist in wilful blindnesse of minde, should, when time were, as menne vnrecouerable and without hope to be amended, be lefte to theyr owne folly vnto eternall destruccion, euen when aduersaunte miserye is im∣mynent and ready to inuade them, whiche calamitie wyll rather cause them perishe than heale them. And ouer all this he dyd ensigne them in tyme to come, a terrible iudgemente, at what season the wicked shall couet to labour aboute businesse of theyr saluacion: And it shall not bee lefull, for that the night will not suffre it, for as muche as they neglected the day in which they myght haue wrought: yet for all this, euery one whyle he is in state of this bodely lyfe, and also after Christes ascencion into heauen, hath this dayes lyght of the Apostles, and of holy scripture, whiche geueth habilitie to doe the thyng that appertayneth to our saluacion: But after the bodye be once dead, than is his daye awaye from hym, nor it cannot worke any thing more: but the rewarde of his foredoen dedes is to be hoped vpon and loked for. These diffuse sayinges our Lord Iesus than had, to quicken and pricke for∣warde with feare of the thyng to come, men that were slowe to beleue. But nowe, while the disciples looked for a miracle, Iesus spatte on the grounde,

and of his spattle and duste mixed together, he made clay, and he anoynted the blinde mans iyes with the clay, euen therby resemblyng his fathers, or rather his owne worke, wherein he made the firste manne of hard clay, mo∣lified with licoure. And to restore that whiche was loste, pertayneth to the∣same author, which fyrst made thesame thynges of nought. And to purifie or make whole agayne, a thyng that is corrupted, is of more power & strength, than to begette a thyng that is not borne. Well but in the meane tyme, the noueltie of this plaster made all theyr myndes attentiue and quietely to geue hede, and well to considre the miracle that should be wrought, and it also proued a stedfast fayth in the blynde man, whiche murmured nothyng at hym that anoynted hym, but simply obeyeth hym that doeth what hymselfe liste, doubtyng nothyng at all of the benefyte, what waye so euer it should be geuen. The blynde dyd not furthwith receyue his sight, but as soone as he was anoynted with the clay, he is commaunded to goe to the poole Siloe, and there to washe awaye the clay, wherewith his iyes were embrued, to thentente that both the blynde mannes faithfull affiaunce should be of grea∣ter fame, for that he made no refusall to doe that he was commaunded, and that the noueltie of that straunge sight, & also the delay whiche was through length of the Iourney, should bryng furthmoe recordes of the miracle: for the blynde manne ••at not farre of from the temple beggyng by the waye syde. And the well Syloe wherof ryseth the poole, is at the foote of the mounte Syon: of whiche water Esay speaketh too and complayneth that that wa∣ter was contemned, not, that the water geueth to any manne helthe, but be∣cause it beareth the figure of holy scripture. Which scriptures of God, whē as without blusteryng of worldely eloquence they issue furth caulmely and smoothely, yet because they bubble out of the priuy hid caues of godly wise∣dome, they haue heauenly violence to remo••e the blyndenesse of mannes mynde, howe long soeuer it hath continued and to open those iyes wherwith God is seen, whom to haue seen is felicitie. For Syloe in the Syrians tongue sygnifieth sent. For one there is euen specially sente from the father, whiche only geueth lyght to mennes myndes, for he is the fountayne. It did represente Christe hymselfe, who euen at this presente tyme also, beyng as it were with a secrete power enclosed in holy scripture, openeth the iyes of the blynde, yf so be that they will acknowledge theyr blyndenesse. He must be made more then blynde that will receyue light of Christe. He that is wyse to the worlde, is very farre of from hope of heauēly wisedome: he that thinketh himselfe well sighted, nor vouchesaueth to haue his iyes closed vp with the clay of Iesus, there is no cause why he should hope for the lyght of the ghospell. Nowe than whan the blynde felowe, a notable knowen manne for his beggyng, and knowen also to bee borne blynde, wente thither as he was commaunded, no doubte but a great croude of people folowed hym as he wente, not without laughyng, to see his iyes blurred with clay: and so twise blynde goyng to a water whiche was of no name through any mira∣cle that euer was doen therin: when they were come to the water, he wa∣sheth awaye the clay from his iyes, and returneth home with open iyes and and cleare sight.

[ The texte.] ¶So the neyghbours and they that had seen hym before howe that he was a begger, sayed: is not this he that sate and begged? Some sayed this is he: Agayne, other sayed: no,

but he is lyke hym. He hymselfe sayed, I am euen he. Therfore saied they vnto hym: howe are thine iyes opened? He aunswered and sayed. The manne that is called Iesus, made clay, and anoynted myne iyes, and sayed vnto me: Goe to the poole S••loe and washe. ••nd whan I went and washed, I receiued my sight. Then sayed they vnto hym: where is he? He sayed, I cannot tell. They brought to the Pharisees, hym that a litle before was blynd, and it was the Sabboth daye, when Iesus made the claye and opened his iyes.

Neighboures therfore and other whiche had knowen hym before (neither coulde he but be well knowen to many, considering he was a common beggar) when they knewe his face, but as for his iyes they sawe altered, they sayed: Is not this he whome we sawe sitting before the temple, and begged by the waye syde? Some sayde: It is he. Other contrarie, it is not he, but it is an other like hym. Whyle they disagreed among themselues, the blynde himselfe sayed: Yes verely I am the same beggar, and he that was borne blynde, whome ye haue often seen. And he thus sayed, that his voyce also beyng knowen, should cause the miracle be the better beleued. But we (say they) sawe the blinde: now see we the see with open iyes. How chaunced it that thyne iyes were shut, and now are open? The man (saieth he) that is called Iesus, made claye, and therwith a∣noynted mine iyes, and that doen he sayed: goe thy waye to the poole Siloe, and there washe thine iyes. I wēt my waye, I washed me, and now I see. They than sekyng occasion to pycke a quarell to the Lorde Iesus, to put him to re∣buke, because in tempering the claye and anoynting the iyes therwith, he sum∣what laboured on the holy daye, they enquire where he was that did this dede. When the beggar had aunswered that he knew not who it was, for he had not knowen Iesus by sight, but onely by name, they bryng him whiche of a blynde man was brought to his sight, vnto the Pharisees, that by shewyng the thyng playnely before them, he shoulde detecte Iesus that he hadde broken the Sab∣both daye. For it was the Sabboth daye whan Iesus opened the blynde mannes iyes.

[ The texte.] ¶Then agayne the Phariseis also asked him howe he had receyued his sight. He sayed vnto them: he put claye vpon my iyes and I washed, and do see. Therfore sayed some of the Phariseis: this man is not of God, because he kepeth not the sabboth daye: other sayde, how can a man that is a sinner, do suche myracles? And there was a strife amongst them. They speake to the blynde man agayne: what sayest thou of him, because he hath opened thine iyes? he sayed: he is a prophete.

There the Pharisees enquire of the manne once againe howe he came from beyng blinde to haue sight. He casting no perils shewed playnly how the mat∣ter was, and sayed: he annointed mine iyes with claye that was tempered with spattle. And vpon his commaundement I washed me in Siloe, and that doen I receyued my sight. Certayne of the Pharisees when they hearde this, sayed: this Iesus is not of God, though he speake of God the father: for if he tooke God for his auctour, he woulde not by doyng suche miracles violate the Sab∣both whiche God commaunded to be kepte. It is a detestable thyng to breake the holy Sabboth daye. God medleth not with suche a one. So those malici∣ously faithlesse because they could not denye so manifest a dede, nor reproue so beneficiall a dede, they borowe and make shift to haue a quarell against him at the holines of the daye, other agayne that were more curable, sayth: if this man were not beloued of God, or detestable before hym for breakyng the Sabboth,

howe coulde he woorke these miracles? The matter it selfe sheweth that these thynges are dooen by the ayde of God: Nor this is not nowe the firste miracle that he hath wrought. After this sorte was alteracion and sondrye opi∣nions among them, touchyng Iesus. Therfore the Phariseis, whiche by all as∣sayes, toke occasion to reproue hym, spake yet againe to the blynde: What thin∣kest thou (saye they) of hym that opened thyne iyes? The thyng that they hun∣ted for was this: that in case he had spoken euill of Iesus (whiche thyng the blynde man knewe was theyr mynde) they might haue matter to laye againste those whiche had merely good opinion of Iesus: but and he had reported well by hym, they woulde haue been fierce againste the blynde man selfe, and haue caste hym out of the Synagogue. The beggar of trueth simplie and withoute dreade spake out what he thought of Iesus. I take hym (sayeth he) to be a prophete, meanyng by thatsame, some greate and notable man of whom he had both heard great fame, and had had also experience of his power and strengthe in hymselfe.

[ The texte.] But the Iewes did not beleue of the man (howe that he had been blinde and receyued his sighte) vntyll they called the father and mother of hym that had receyued his syghte. And they asked them, saying: Is this your sonne, whome ye saye was borne blinde? Howe dooeth he now see then? His father and mother aunswered them, and sayed: we knowe that this is our sonne, and that he was borne blynde: By what meanes he nowe seeth we cannot tell, or who hath opened his iyes, cannot we tell: he is olde ynough, aske hym: leat hym aunswer for himselfe. Suche wordes spake his father and mother, because, they feared the Iewes. For the Iewes had conspired already that if any man dyd confesse that he was Christ, he shoulde be excommunicate out of the Synagogue. Therfore sayed his father and mother: he is olde ynoughe aske hym.

There were many Iewes therfore, whiche coulde not be brought in beliefe, that this was thesame whiche late before sate beggyng at the doore of the tem∣ple, beyng borne blynde, forsomuche as it did euidentlye appeare that he nowe had cleare sight and open iyes. Therfore his father and mother were called for, whiche coulde knowe their sonne euen by some speciall marke. And here nowe the malicious curiositie of the Pharisees set forwarde the beliefe and also the commendacion of the thyng that was doen.* 1.3 Therfore they saye to his parētes: Is this your sonne whome ye were woont to saye was borne blind? And howe chaunced it that nowe he seeth? They (as in dede suche bee timorous as haue small substaunce at home) answere warely: The thing (saye they) whiche we certainly know, we can testify: We knowe that this is our sonne, & that he was borne blind. But of the sight that is geuen him, we neither knowe how it came, nor from whom, himselfe shall testifie this thyng more assuredly than we can. He is old ynough, aske him rather then vs, lette him speake for himselfe that he knoweth. His parentes had these sayinges, not as ignoraunt what had befallē vpon their childe, but they had leauer that he alone shoulde come in daunger, than they to endaunger themselues with him: for the Iewes had already con∣spired, that if any man durste professe Iesus to be Messias, he shoulde bee excō∣municate and caste out of the Synagogue, whiche was taken for a matter a∣mong the Iewes of great reproche, wherof it cūmeth that euen among the pro∣fessers of the gospel, the sharpest kynde of punishment is, that if a man swarue frō his professiō and fal into an haynous cryme, he be remoued from the felow∣ship of other, to the intente that he whiche cannot bee refourmed by wholesome

informacion, beyng eschewed of other, shoulde be better aduised, and for veray shame amend. But this exaumple of gentle fiercenesse, whiche was fitte to bee exhibite vpon them onely, which through theyr enormities should make them∣selues detestable and pestilente, the Iewes nowe turne to the establishement of theyr tyranny: lyke as they dyd also abuse all other good ordinaunces to theyr owne gayne and pompe. The darte whiche ought to haue been hurled at the e∣uill sorte, to haue healed them therby, rather than to haue destroyed them, they turne thesame weapon agaynst them, whiche professe Christe. The blinde mās parentes fearyng this thyng, layeth vpon theyr sonnes backe, the enuie that shoulde rise of testifying the trueth: he is (saye they) of sufficiente age, ye maye aske him.

[ The texte.] Then agayne call they the man that was blinde, and sayed vnto hym: Geue God prayse, we knowe that this man is a sinner. He aunswered. Whether he bee a synner or no, I cannot tell: one thyng I am sure of, that where I was blinde, I nowe see. Then sayed they to hym agayne: what did he to thee: howe opened he thyne iyes? he aunswered them: I tolde you ere while, and ye did heare, wherfore woulde ye heare it agayne? wyll ye also be his disciples?

Than he that had been blynde, was called for agayne, to bee his owne wit∣nes and aduocate, and to bee also a publisher of Christes renoume, for it was Christes vse to reuerse and turne the malice of the Pharisees, vnto Gods glo∣rye. For though the dede was more euidente, partelye by the recorde of the pa∣rētes, & partely by y^e acte selfe, than that it could be cloked or denied, yet to turne awaye the prayse of that dede from Christe, whome they hated, they saye: That thou haste sight where before thou waste blinde, do not ascribe it to Iesus: vn∣to whom thou arte nothyng beholden,* 1.4 but prayse god for this benefite. For we know that this felow Iesus is a sinner, who hath no acquaintaunce with god. The Pharisees did their endeuour to deuide in sundre that whiche coulde not be seperate, that is to wete, the glory of the father from the glorye of the sonne: and they spake colourably, to hyde theyr owne iniquitie with the pretence of hye godlynesse, as thoughe they toke great care leste Goddes honoure shoulde decaye, when as in very dede they sought theyr owne prayse in all thynges, and regarded not the prayse of God. The blynde manne answeryng vnto these say∣inges, bothe boldely and aduisedly, sayeth: whether he bee a sinner or no, let o∣ther men iudge, it is not my parte to geue sentence therin, one thyng I can tru∣lye testifie, I founde in very dede that I was before blynde, and I nowe see: here nowe, when as no sufficient occasion was geuen to the Pharisees, eyther to rebuke Iesus or to bee cruell agaynste the man, whiche had spoken warelye and with good aduisement, they were turned backe agayne to theyr former in∣terrogatories, driuing driftes on euery syde how to beriue Christ of his praise: what did he to the (saye they) or by what meanes did he open thine iyes? hoping that by a new maner of framing his tale, thei might picke out somewhat wher∣by they should perswade that this prayse was not due to Christe. Agaynst this impudēt & shamelesse malice of the Phariseis the beggar beyng now wel bold∣ned, maketh this answere: I tolde you erewhile playnelye as the thyng was doen in dede, once ye haue heard it. To what purpose is it, to repete thesame a∣gayne? If ye do enquire of a pure simple minde, well, I haue already opened y^• matter, and with my recorde, I haue satisfied that whiche was demaunded of me: and yf ye dooe not so aske, it were not indifferentelye dooen, eftesones to

tell thesame. Dooe ye therfore so diligently enquire the maner of the dede, that after the matter be throughly knowen, ye also wil become his disciples, by whō God worketh so great thinges? lyke as I (vpon experience of his power) and many other moe are his disciples.

[ The texte.] Then rated they him and sayed: be thou his disciple, we are Moses disciples: we are sure that God spake vnto Moses: As for this ••elowe, we knowe not from whence he is. The man aunswered and sayed vnto them: this is a merueylous thyng that ye wot not whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine iyes. For we are sure that God heareth no sinners, but yf anye man be a wurshipper of God and obedient vnto his wil, him heareth he. Sence the world be∣gan, was it not heard, that any man opened the iyes of one, that was borne blynd. If this man were not of god, he could haue doen nothing. They aunswered and sayed vnto hym: thou arte altogether borne in sinne, and doest thou teache vs? And they cast him out.

The Phariseis beeyng sore prouoked with the beggars great affyaunce, made no aunswere, but all to rated him: wishing that thyng to the manne as an extreme euill, whereby themselues might bee made blessed, and through ab∣hominacion putting backe from them that thyng, whiche oughte to haue been moste hartely desyred, sauyng for that they were as blynde in soule as the beg∣gar beyng nowe an euangeliste, was before in bodye: the Pharisees (I saye) saye vnto hym: O thou vngracious wretche, bee thou that naughtye felowes disciple. We that are the disciples of Moses, with whome this Iesus is not to bee compared,* 1.5 doe deteste and abhorre suche a maister. For we bee certayn that god spake to Moses, and that whatsoeuer he teacheth vs, he hath it at Goddes hande to teache. But why should we geue eare to this Iesus, seing we knowe not from whence he came? leat him teache and proue vnto vs his authoritie, and perchaunce we will beleue him. The beggars courage and boldenes dyd in the tyme of theyr reasonyng, growe and increase: And thoughe he per∣ceiued that they by all subtill meanes went about to destroye Iesus, yet did he stoutely (setting a syde all perils) pleade Iesus cause, gathering and well pro∣uyng by the miracle that was wroughte in geuyng him his sighte, that it was cleare ynough from whence Iesus came. I meruayle (sayeth he) why ye saye ye knowe not from whence Iesus is, when as it cannot be denayed but that by hym myne iyes be open: with whiche (being shut and withoute sighte) I was borne. Certes this is a thing without controuersie, neither dooe ye thynke the contrary, that God heareth not the desyres of sinners. But if a man wurshippe him deuoutly, and obeyeth his will whome he religiouslye serueth, hym dooeth God heare. But if God by Iesus haue taken from me my blyndnes, albeit the chiefe prayse is to be geuen to god, yet neuertheles it must nedes be that he is a reuerente wurshipper of God, and one that God loueth, at whose desyre and prayer God gaue vnto me so notable a benefite. For it is no common or meane miracle whiche ye see wrought in me. Many wonderous thynges are tolde of, which god lōg agoe did by our elders, but suche as were holy and not sinners. But except this Iesus were come from God, except the power of god were pre∣sent with him, he coulde of himselfe do nothing at all. It is not of mans strēgth wiche yet we see doen.

The Phariseis beeyng made extreme woode with this courage and bold∣nes that the beggar was of (and when there was no hope to bee hadde that the poore felowe would either bee corrupted, or with feare astonished, and so cease

of from preachng Christ,) fal to extremitie, and to say the vttermost they could. They vpbrayed him with his olde blindnesse, they cast him in the teeth with his beggerlynesse, as though God hadde punished him therwithall for his sinnes, and as though he were borne wicked and vngracious, that commeth into the worlde poore or blind, or otherwise bleamished in bodye. Thou (saye they) arte altogether borne in sinne, and teachest thou vs that knowe howe to defende re∣ligion, and vpholde the profession of the lawe? darest thou here in the presence of so great men teache diuinitie, whiche but a while a go asked almes? neyther did they suffer him to speake any longer. And beyng ashamed to be so put to si∣lence, and haue their mouthes stopped by a poore ignoraunt person: they thrust him out of the Sinagogue as a leude masters leude disciple.

[ The texte.] Iesus hearde that they had excommunicated him: and when he had founde hym he saied vnto him: doest thou beleue on the sonne of god? He aunswered and sayed: who is it lord that I might beleue on hym? And Iesus sayed vnto hym: thou hast seen hym, and he it is that tal∣keth with the. And he sayed: Lorde, I beleue, and he wurshypped hym.

But whome Pharisaicall fiercenes thrusteth out of the Sinagogue, them doeth Christe receiue into his churche. For to bee disseuered from the commu∣nion of the wicked, is to be coupled to Christe. And to bee disallowed of them, that stablishyng their owne righteousnesse, speake agaynste the righteousnesse of God, is to bee approued and alowed: and of them to be rebuked, that seking their owne prayse, goe about to darken the prayse of Iesus, is moste hye prayse: and to be detestable to thē that are to be detested, is to be derely beloued of god. Therefore relacion was made vnto Iesus how boldely the man that so muche set foorth his prayse, behaued himselfe towardes the Phariseis. For it was al∣ready bruted abrode by the people, that he was caste of and reiect. Therefore as soone as Iesus had met with him, to make this mans fayth more knowen to al men, he sayeth vnto him: howe sayest thou felowe, beleuest thou on the sonne of God? For he had already confessed before the Pharisees, that he whiche did so greate a thyng came playnely from God. Nor Iesus was ignoraunte thereof, but he gatte out the mannes open confession thereof, for other mennes sakes, procuryng thereby a good exaumple for other. But though he that had been blynde, as yet knewe not Iesus by sighte, yet hauyng great affeccion to knowe that mannes face, whome Iesus named the sonne of god, sayeth: lorde who is he? that when I knowe hym, I maye beleue on him? The manne had beleued on Iesus, yea ere he sawe hym: nor this was not the voyce of a faythlesse man, but of one that vehemently desyred to see the auctour of so great a benefite. Ie∣sus therefore with humble woordes, signifying hymselfe to be the personne he spake of, sayeth vnto hym: thou haste already seen hym whome thou desyreste to see, and he it is that talketh with thee, on whome it behoueth thee to beleue.

The man vpon these woordes without any staying at all, confesseth with great promptnes of mynde that he doeth beleue: and euen with that saying, he fell downe at Iesus knee, and wurshipped hym, and so his dede declared what he thought of Iesus.

[ The texte.] ¶And Iesus sayed vnto hym: I am come vnto iudgemente into this worlde, that they whiche see not might see: & that they whiche see might be made blynde. And some of the Pha∣riseis which were with hym, heard these wordes & sayed vnto hym: are we blynd also? Iesus

sayed vnto them. If ye were blind ye shoulde haue no synne. But nowe ye saye we see, therfore your sinne remayneth.

Now than, Iesus (to thentent, that by example of this manne he might the more prouoke other mens mindes that wer present) sayeth: I that am the light of the worlde, therfore came into the worlde, that the course of thynges mighte be turned vpsyde doune: as muche to say, that the symilitude and sleight of vn∣true holinesse and forged knoweledge, beyng disclosed, these whiche heretofore sawe not, might se: and that they whiche see might be made blynde. With this saying,* 1.6 Iesus noted the naughty peruerse iudgement of the Pharisees, which though they thought that onely they knew what was religion, what was law, and what was righteousnes, yet wer they more foule ouerseen, than any of the mean sorte of people, by reason that worldelye couetousnes had darkened the iudgemente of their mynde, when as that sely poore blinde felowe, simple and vnlearned, likewyse as he had bodily sight frely geuen him, so did he inwardly see so muche in soule, that in knowlage of trueth he excelled euen the very pha∣risees. Neither did these bytyng wordes so scape all the Phariseis (whiche fo∣lowed Iesus of no good minde, but rather to seke on euery syde, occasion to re∣proue hym) but that the styng of this saying caused some of them to marke it, so that those were not beguiled therwith. These, beyng nothyng altered from their malepert presumpcion, to thintent that they might either force the Lorde to testifie honorably of them, or to haue some matter to accuse him of vnto them that were of the pharisees ordre, saye vnto hym: are we than blynde also? But Iesus doeth so aunswere vnto this question, whiche was very wily, capcious, and also presumptuouse, that he declareth them, whiche thoughte themselues men of great fight, to be more than blinde: not in body but in soule, and to bee the more vncurably blynde,* 1.7 because they thought themselues quicke sighted. Uerely (sayeth Iesus) yf ye were blynde, and woulde knowledge howe igno∣raūt in soule ye be, your simplicitie should be pardoned. But nowe, forasmuche as ye be blinde in dede, and yet ye would be praysed among the people for lear∣ned men, ye are so very starke blinde that ye cannot be healed. As this blinde manne hath obteyned sight because he knowledged the deformitie of his body, euen so you, because ye be voluntary blynde, as menne blynded through lustes of your fleshe, cannot be cured, but continue in the sinne of infidelitie: whereas the vnlearned whiche firste were ignoraunt of the trueth, vpon the syght of mi∣racles, and by hearyng me preache (all darkenes taken awaye) enbraceth the light of the trueth. He that presumptuously taketh vpon hym to knowe the lawe, and speaketh againste him that is the principall poynte and conclusion of the lawe, is more than blynde, and altogether out of the waye. All men haue liued heretofore vnder shadowes, nor any waye lieth open to the lightwarde, but by fayth of the ghospell. Therefore the common and vulgare people souer receiue sight, because they do not very muche thynke themselues well sighted, and if they be any whit ouerseen, it is rather through rude ignoraūce than ma∣lice. But they that whan themselues be twise blinde, yet they professe them∣selues teachers of the people, that is, guiders of the blynd: suche, I say, be sta••ke blynde, and moste daungerously, without recouery. For neyther they thēselues come to the light, and yet through false opinion, and pretence of learnyng and holinesse, they seduce and bryng other into errour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  He sawe a man which was blind.
• * 1.2

  I am the lyght of the worlde.
• * 1.3

  Is this your sonne. &c.
• * 1.4

  Geue God prayse.
• * 1.5

  We are Moses dis∣ciples.
• * 1.6

  I am come iniudgemēt &c.
• * 1.7

  If ye were blynde ye should haue no sinne.