Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/139

Rh Tell us, or we will kill thee as a blasphemer and a liar."

Then the beggar spoke: "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, 'Go to the Pool of Siloam, and wash'; and I went and washed, and I received sight."

"Dost thou say, then, that He is the Christ?" asked one of the Pharisees again; for he knew that if the man would but say that Jesus was the Christ they would cast him out of the Synagogue. For the unbelieving Jews had already agreed that this was to be the penalty of those who acknowledged the Nazarene to be the Christ.

But the beggar, fearing entanglement, was silent.

Then the Pharisee spoke again: "Give God the praise. We know that this man is a sinner."

Fearing the multitude, the man did not cry out, "He is the Christ, He is the Son of God"; but, full of gratitude for his new-found sight, he could not let the Pharisee's words remain unanswered.

"Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not," he replied; "but one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."

Then said they to him again, hoping to confound him out of his own mouth: "What did He to thee? How opened He thine eyes?"

Then, still fearing the crowd, but growing stronger in faith and loyalty, the beggar answered: "I have told ye already, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be His disciples?"

Then they reviled him, and said: "Thou art His disciple; but we are Moses' disciples."