The  Anabaptists  regard  as  fabulous  this  miraculous  sheep-pond  spoken  of  by  Saint


CHAP. Xin.]  OF    OUK    LORD    JESUS    CHRIST. 95

for  the  moving  of  the  water. An  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  at
certain  times  into  the  pond,  and  the  water  was  moved. He  that
went  down  first  into  the  pond  after  the  motion  of  the  water  was
made  whole,  of  whatsoever  infirmity  he  lay  under. There  was  a
certain  man  there,  that  had  been  eight-and-thirty  years  under  his
infirmity. When  Jesus  had  seen  him  lying,  and  knew  he  had  been
now  a  long  time,  he  saitli  to  him  :  Wilt  thou  be  made  whole  ?  The
infirm  man  answered  :  Sii-,  I  have  no  man,  when  the  water  is  troub-
led, to  put  me  into  the  pond  ;  for  whilst  I  am  coming,  another  goeth
down  before  me. Arise,  Jesus  saith  to  him,  take  up  thy  bed  and
walk. Immediately  the  man  was  made  whole,  and  he  took  up  his
bed,  and  walked. It  was  the  Sabbath  that  day. The  Jews  there-
fore said  to  him  that  was  healed  :  It  is  the  Sabbath  ;  it  is  not
lawful  for  thee  to  take  up  thy  bed. He  answered  :  He  that  made
me  whole,  he  said  to  me  :  Take  up  thy  bed  and  walk."

The  man  was  pertectly  justified  in  doing  as  he  did  by  the  order
of  him  who  had  so  miraculously  efi'ected  his  cure,  whilst  the  author
of  that  order  was  justified  at  the  same  time  by  the  miracle  which  he
had  wrought. The  Jews,  who  merely  sought  to  criticise,  seemed  to
pay  no  attention  to  what  this  man  stated  about  his  recovery,  and
they  did  not  ask  htm,  "WTio  is  that  man  who  cured  thee  ?  but  only,
"  Who  is  that  man  who  said  to  thee  :  Take  up  thy  bed  and  walk  ?
But  he  who  was  healed  knew  not  who  it  was  ;  for  Jesus  went  aside
from  the  multitude  standbig  in  the  place. Afterwards,  Jesus  find-
eth  him  in  the  temple,  and  saith  to  him  :  Behold,  thou  art  made
whole  :  sin  no  more,  lest  some  worse  thing  happen  thee. The  man
wont  his  way,  and  told  the  Jews  that  it  was  Jesus  who  had  made
him  whole,"  and  not  that  it  was  Jesus  who  had  given  him  the  order
to  take  away  his  bed. 