But the Jews now affected to disbelieve that the man had ever been blind, and called his parents, asking them, "Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews," who "had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." His parents, therefore, not wishing to bring this punishment upon themselves, merely bore witness to the fact that he was their son who was born blind: as to the rest, they told the Jews to let him speak for himself. "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner." That is, they called upon the man, who had been healed, to acknowledge that Jesus was merely a sinful mortal, and had in reality no part in his cure, which was the work of the God of Israel alone. The man, however, would by no means allow this: "He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." This answer by no means pleased the Jews, and again they asked, "How opened he thine eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and ye did not hear (or believe): 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's disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is." All the doubts and disputes of the Pharisees, so far from shaking the faith of this man, seem to have strengthened it; and now, fearless of consequences, he spake out boldly the words of common sense, and said, "Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God and doeth His will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing."