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having overthrown them, he no longer speaks submissively. For as long as the matter needed examination and refutation, he offered the proof speaking reservedly; but when he had captured and won a glorious victory, he boldly tramples upon them now. And what does he say? I have told you once, and you did not hear; why do you want to hear again? Have you seen the boldness of a beggar toward the scribes and Pharisees? So strong is truth, so weak is falsehood. For the former, even if it takes hold of ordinary people, makes them glorious; but the latter, even if it is with the powerful, shows them to be weak. And what he says is this: You do not pay attention to what is said; for this reason I will no longer speak, nor will I answer you continually, as you ask in vain, not wanting to hear in order to learn, but in order to abuse what is said. Do you also wish to become his disciples? For the time being he enrolled himself in the chorus of disciples. For the phrase, "Do you also," is of one showing himself to be a disciple. Then he mocked them and struck them sufficiently. 3. For since he knew that this struck them very much, wishing to assail them with hyperbole, he said this; which was the act of a soul that was bold and elated and disdainful of their madness, and showing his great dignity, in which he was very confident, and making it clear that while they insulted him who was wonderful, he was not insulted, but what they offered as an insult, this he seized as an honor. You are his disciple, they say; but we are disciples of Moses. But this would not make sense. For you are disciples neither of Moses, nor of this man. For if you were of Moses, you would also have become of this man. For this reason Christ said to them from the beginning: If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me; since they always took refuge in these words. We know that God has spoken to Moses. Who said so? Who reported it? Our forefathers, he says. Then, is he who confirms by signs both that he has come from God and that he speaks things from above not more trustworthy than your forefathers, he says? And they did not say: We have heard that God spoke to Moses, but that We know. What you know by hearing, O Jews, you affirm as if you knew it; but what you know from sight, do you consider it to be less than what you hear? And yet those things you did not see, but you heard; but these things you did not hear, but you saw. What then says the blind man? For herein is the marvel, that you do not know from where he is, and yet he does such signs; that a man, not being one of the notable among you, nor renowned, nor of the honored, 59.319 can do such things; so that it is clear from every side that he is God, needing no human help. But we know that God does not hear sinners. For since they had previously said, How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? he now takes up their own judgment, reminding them of their own words. This opinion, he says, is common to me and to you; therefore, abide in it. And observe for me his intelligence: he turns the sign about everywhere, since they could not refute it, and he reasons from it. Do you see that what he said from the beginning, Whether he is a sinner, I do not know, he said not because he was doubting—God forbid!—but because he knew that he is not a sinner? Now at least, when he had the opportunity, see how he defended him. But we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God, and does His will. For here he not only acquitted him of sins, but also shows him to be very pleasing to God, and doing all His things. For since they called themselves worshipers of God, he added, And does His will. For it is not enough, he says, to know God, but also to do His will. Then he elevates the event, saying, Since the world began it has not been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If, therefore, you confess that God does not hear sinners, and this man performed a miracle, and such a miracle as no man has performed, it is evident that he has conquered all things by virtue, and is greater than

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αὐτοὺς καὶ καταβαλὼν, οὐκ ἔτι λοιπὸν ὑφειμένως διαλέγεται. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐξετάσεως ἐδεῖτο καὶ ἐλέγχων, παρείχετο τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ὑπεσταλμένως φθεγγόμενος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἷλε καὶ ἐνίκησε νίκην λαμπρὰν, θαῤῥῶν ἐπεμβαίνει αὐτοῖς λοιπόν. Καὶ τί φησιν; Εἶπον ὑμῖν ἅπαξ, καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσατε· τί πάλιν θέλετε ἀκούειν; Εἶδες παῤῥησίαν ἐπαίτου πρὸς ἄνδρας γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαίους; Οὕτως ἰσχυρὸν ἡ ἀλήθεια, οὕτως ἀσθενὲς τὸ ψεῦδος. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ, κἂν τῶν τυχόντων ἐπιλάβηται, λαμπροὺς αὐτοὺς ἀποφαίνει· τοῦτο δὲ, κἂν μετὰ τῶν ἰσχυρῶν ᾖ, ἀσθενεῖς αὐτοὺς δείκνυσιν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Οὐ προσέχετε τοῖς λεγομένοις· διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔτι ἐρῶ, οὐδὲ ἀποκρινοῦμαι συνεχῶς ὑμῖν, ἐρωτῶσιν εἰκῆ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μαθεῖν βουλομένοις ἀκοῦσαι, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐπηρεάσαι. Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι; Τέως ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν τῶν μαθητῶν ἐγκατέταξε χορόν. Τὸ γὰρ Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς, δεικνύντος ἑαυτόν ἐστι μαθητὴν ὄντα. Εἶτα αὐτοὺς ἐκωμῴδησε καὶ διέπληξεν ἱκανῶς. γʹ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔδει, ὅτι σφόδρα αὐτοὺς τοῦτο ἔπληττε, καθάψασθαι μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς αὐτῶν βουλόμενος, τοῦτο εἴρηκεν· ὅπερ ἦν ψυχῆς πεπαῤῥησιασμένης καὶ ἀνεπτερωμένης καὶ ὑπερορώσης αὐτῶν τῆς μανίας, καὶ δεικνυούσης αὐτοῦ μέγα τὸ ἀξίωμα, ἐφ' ᾧ σφόδρα ἐθάῤῥει, καὶ δηλούσης ὡς ἐκεῖνοι θαυμαστὸν ὄντα αὐτὸν ὕβριζον, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐχ ὑβρίζετο, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ὡς ὕβριν προσέφερον, τοῦτο ὡς τιμὴν ἥρπασε. Σὺ εἶ μαθητὴς ἐκείνου, φησίν· ἡμεῖς δὲ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐσμὲν μαθηταί. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι λόγον τοῦτο. Ὑμεῖς γὰρ οὔτε Μωϋσέως, οὔτε τούτου. Εἰ γὰρ ἦτε Μωϋσέως, καὶ τούτου ἂν ἐγένεσθε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἄνωθεν ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Χριστός· Εἰ ἐπιστεύετε Μωϋσῇ, ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί· περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν· ἐπειδὴ εἰς τούτους ἀεὶ τοὺς λόγους κατέφευγον. Ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν, ὅτι Μωϋσεῖ λελάληκεν ὁ Θεός. Τίνος εἰπόντος; τίνος ἀπαγγείλαντος; Τῶν προγόνων, φησὶ, τῶν ἡμετέρων. Εἶτα, τῶν προγόνων, φησὶ, τῶν ὑμετέρων οὐκ ἔστιν ἀξιοπιστότερος ὁ διὰ τῶν σημείων τοῦτο διαβεβαιούμενος, ὅτι τε ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἥκει, καὶ ὅτι τὰ ἄνωθεν φθέγγεται; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπαν· Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι Μωϋσεῖ λελάληκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ὅτι Οἴδαμεν. Τὰ ἐξ ἀκοῆς ὑμεῖς, ὦ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὡς εἰδότες διισχυρίζεσθε· τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως, ἀκοῆς ἐλάττονα εἶναι νομίζετε; Καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνα μὲν οὐκ εἴδετε, ἀλλ' ἠκούσατε· ταῦτα δὲ οὐκ ἠκούσατε, ἀλλ' εἴδετε. Τί οὖν ὁ τυφλός; Ἐν τούτῳ γάρ ἐστι τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε πόθεν ἐστὶ, καὶ τοιαῦτα σημεῖα ποιεῖ· ὅτι ἄνθρωπος οὐ τῶν ἐπισήμων παρ' ὑμῖν ὢν, οὐδὲ τῶν περιφανῶν, οὐδὲ τῶν δεδοξασμέ 59.319 νων, τοιαῦτα δύναται· ὡς εἶναι πάντοθεν δῆλον, ὅτι Θεός ἐστιν, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀνθρωπίνης δεόμενος βοηθείας. Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι Θεὸς ἁμαρτωλῶν οὐκ ἀκούει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ προλαβόντες εἶπον, Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς τοιαῦτα σημεῖα ποιεῖν; λοιπὸν καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων παραλαμβάνει κρίσιν, τῶν οἰκείων αὐτοὺς ὑπομιμνήσκων ῥημάτων. Ἡ δόξα, φησὶν, αὕτη καὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν κοινή· ταύτῃ τοίνυν ἐμμείνατε. Καὶ θέα μοι τὴν σύνεσιν· Πανταχοῦ τὸ σημεῖον περιστρέφει, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἑλεῖν οὐκ εἶχον, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ συλλογίζεται. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ ὃ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Εἰ ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν, οὐκ οἶδα, οὐχὶ ἀμφιβάλλων· μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλ' εἰδὼς ὅτι οὐχ ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν; Νῦν γοῦν ὅτε καιρὸν ἔσχεν, ὅρα πῶς ἀπελογήσατο. Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἀκούει, ἀλλ' ἐάν τις θεοσεβὴς ᾖ, καὶ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιῇ. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ οὐχὶ μόνον ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτὸν ἀπήλλαξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἀρέσκοντα τῷ Θεῷ δείκνυσι, καὶ τὰ ἐκείνου πάντα πράττοντα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι θεοσεβεῖς ἔλεγον ἑαυτοὺς, προσέθηκε, Καὶ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιῇ. Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ γὰρ τοῦτο, φησὶν, τὸ ἐπιγινώσκειν τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν. Εἶτα ἐπαίρει τὸ γεγονὸς, λέγων, Ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐκ ἠκούσθη, ὅτι ἤνοιξέ τις ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλοῦ γεγεννημένου. Εἰ τοίνυν ὁμολογεῖτε, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλῶν οὐκ ἀκούει, οὗτος δὲ θαῦμα ἐποίησε, καὶ θαῦμα τοιοῦτον, οἷον οὐδεὶς ἄνθρωπος ἐποίησεν, εὔδηλον ὅτι πάντα ἐνίκησεν ἀρετῇ, καὶ μείζων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἢ κατὰ