¶ Chryste maketh the man to se, that was borne blynde.
CAPI. IX.
[ A] ANd as Iesus passed by, he sawe a man blynde from his byrth. And his disciples asked him, sayinge: Master, who dyd synne: this man, or his parentes, that he was borne blynde? Iesus answered: Neyther hath this man synned, nor yet his parentes: but that the workes of God sholde be shewed in him. I must worke the workes of him that sēt me, whyle it is daye. * The nyghte commeth when no man can worke. As longe as I am in the worlde, I am the light of the worlde.
[ B] As sone as he hadde thus spoken, he spatte on the grounde, and made cleye of the spettle, and rubbed the claye on the eyes of the blynde, and sayde vnto hym: Goo wasshe the in the pole of Syloe, which by interpretacion signi∣fieth sent. He wente his waye and wasshed, and came agayne seynge. The neyghboures and they that had sene him before howe that he was a begger, sayde: Is not this he that sate and begged? Some sayde: this is he. Other sayde: he is lyke hym.
But he him selfe sayd: I am euen he. They sayd therfore vnto him. How are thyne eyes [ C] opened? He answered and sayd. A man called Iesus, made claye, and anoynted myne eyes, and sayd vnto me. Go to the pole Syloe and wasshe. And I wente and wasshed, and recey∣ued my syght. They sayd vnto him: where is he? He sayth: I can not tell.
They brynge hym to the Pharisees that a lytell before was blynde (for it was the Sa∣both daye when Iesus made the claye and opened his eyes.) Then agayne the Phary∣sees also asked him howe he had receyueh his syght. He sayd vnto them: He put clay vpon myne eyes, and I wasshed, and I se. Then sayde some of the Pharysees: this man is not of God, bycause he kepeth not the Soboth [ D] daye. Other sayde: howe can a man that is a synner, doo suche myracles? And there was stryfe among them. Then spake they vnto the blynde agayne: What sayest thou of him, by∣cause he hath opened thyne eyes? And he said: He is a Prophete.
The Iewes therfore dyd not byleue of the felowe, that he was blynde, and receyued his syghte, tyll they hadde called the parentes of him that hadde receyued syghte. And they as∣ked them, saying: Is this your sonne, whom ye saye was borne blynde? Howe dothe he nowe se then? His parentes answered them and sayde: We wote well that this is oure sonne, and that he was borne blynde: but how he now seeth we know not, or who hath opened his eyes, can we not tell. He is of age aske him / let him answere for him self. Suche [ E] wordes spake his parentes, bycause they fea∣red the Iewes. For the Iewes hadde nowe conspyred, that yf any man dyd confesse that he was Chryste, he sholde be excommunicate. Therfore sayd his parentes: he is of age, aske him.
Then agayne called they the man that was blynde, and sayde vnto him: Gyue God the prayse: we knowe that this man is a syn∣ner. He answered and sayd: Whether he be a synner or no, I can not tell: One thynge I am sure of, that I was blynde, and nowe I se. Then sayd they to him agayne. What dyd he to the? Howe opened he thyne eyes? He an∣swered [ F] them: I tolde you euen nowe, and ye dyd not heare. Wherfore wolde ye heare it a∣gayne? Wyll ye also be his discyples? Then rated they him, and sayde: Be thou his discy∣ple, we be Moses disciples. We are sure that God spake wt Moses. This felow we knowe not from whence he is.
The man answered and sayde vnto them: this is a merueylous thyng, that ye wote not whence he is / and yet he hathe opened myne eyes. For we be sure that God heareth notφ 1.1 synners. But yf any man be a worshypper of God and do his wyll, him heareth he. Sithēs the worlde began, was it not herde that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blynd. Yf this mā were not of God, he coulde haue done nothynge. They answered and sayd vnto him: thou art all togyther borne in