The Sixth Book of Miscellaneous Rites
Chap. I Of Circumcision
Their Sacraments were two. First, the Passover of which there hath been a set Chapter. Secondly, Circumcision, of which now.
Circumcision, was a cutting off the foreskin, as a sign and seal of Gods Covenant made with the People of the Jews. It is called a sign by God in its first institution, Gen. 17. and a seal by the Apostle, Rom. 4. 11. Yea, it is called a sign and a seal, by a Doctor of the Jews,617 more ancient than their Talmud.
It was used (though not as a Sacrament) by many other Nations:618 by the inhabitants of Colchis, the Æthiopians, the Trogloditæ, and the Egyptians.
In a figurative sense, alluding unto this Sacramental Rite, we read of three other sorts of Circumcision in the Scripture; so that in all there are four mentioned. 1. This of the flesh. 2. Another of the heart. 3. A third of the lips. 4. And a fourth of the ears. We are to consider it in its proper acception, and here to observe: First, the time when it was administred. Secondly, the manner how. Thirdly, the penalty in case it was omitted.
The time was the eighth day; yea, the eighth day was so precisely observed, that if it fell on the Sabbath, yet they circumcised the Child; whence rose that saying among them, Circumcisio pellit Sabbatum Circumcision driveth away the Sabbath; or, the Sabbath giveth place to Circumcision. And with this accordeth that of our Saviour, Ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man, John 7. 22. The Jews superstitiously conceiting that each creatures perfection depended upon the sanctification of one Sabbath day at least, say that God did therefore enjoyn the eighth day, that one Sabbath might first pass over each male, before he should be partaker of this Sacrament. But more probably we may say, that the reasons why God would not suffer them to anticipate the eighth day, were first to shew, that God in the matter of Salvation, neither was, nor is simply tyed to Sacraments; for then there had been no less cruelty in forbidding Circumcision until the eighth day, than there was love in permitting it upon the eighth. Secondly, because in this time of the Mosaical Pedagogie, there was a kind of legal uncleanness, in which the creatures were thought to be, as remaining in their blood, for the first seven daies after their birth, Levit. 22. 27. It. 12. 2, 3. Notwithstanding, God thought it not convenient to defer it longer than eight daies, for the comfort of the Parents, which they received by a mature and seasonable initiation of their children.
The manner how Circumcision was administred, I find thus recorded: Some of those that were present held a vessel full of dust,619 into which they did cast the foreskin being cut off. Again, they prepared in the room, a certain void chair for Elias;620 which was done, partly in honour of him, for which respect also, as often as they fell on any difficult place in Scripture they would say621 Veniet Elias, & omnia enodabit; We know that Elias will come, and he will tell us all things: But chiefly it was done, because they thought Elias to be present there in spirit, whose bodily coming they did, and do daily expect. These ceremonies are meerly Jewish, practised by the latter Jews, but utterly unknown in our Saviour Christ his time, and, as it appeareth by the Samaritan woman her speech, that proverbial saying applyed now to Elias, was of old applyed to Christ, John 4. 25. Thirdly, he which supplyed the place of the Witness, or as we phrase it, of the Godfather,622 held the Child in his arms whiles it was Circumcised: this Godfather they called Baal Berith, and Sandack; that is, the Master of the Covenant. Uriah the Priest, and Zachariah the son of Jeberechia, are thought623 to have been Godfathers at the Circumcision of Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Esay. 8. 2. and from them the custome of having Godfathers in Baptisme, to have taken its original. Fourthly, the Parents named the Child, and in Zacharies time, it seemeth that in the naming of the Infant, they had respect to some name of his Ancestors. They said unto her, there is none of thy kindred that is named with this name, Luk. 1. 61. Other Nations had their set daies also after the birth, for the naming of their Children. The Romans624 gave names to their male-children on the ninth day, to the female on the eighth. The Athenians625 gave names on the tenth. Others626 on the seventh. These daies Tertullian627 called Nominalia. The Grecians besides the tenth day on which they named the Child, they observed also the fifth,628 on which day the Midwives took the Child, and ran about a fire made for that purpose, using that Ceremony as a purification of themselves and the Child: on this day the Neighbours also sent in gifts, or small tokens, Munera natalitia;629 from which custom that amongst Christians, of the Godfathers sending gifts to the baptized Infant, is thought to have flown. But to return again to the Rites of the Jews. After the Child had been circumcised, the Father said:630 Blessed be our Lord God, who hath sanctified us with his precepts, and hath commanded us, that we should cause this child to enter into the Covenant of Abraham. After this, the whole Church or company present replyed in this manner,631 As thou hast made him to enter into the Covenant, so make him also to enter into the Law, into Matrimony, and into good works.
The penalty for the omission of Circumcision running in this form; That soul shall be cut off from his people, Gen. 17. 14. I understand the penalty to be pronounced against such an omission; which proceeded either from contempt or wilful neglect. In this case the question is, what is meant by this phrase, His soul shall be cut off from the people. Secondly, who ought thus to be punisht? whether the child, or the parents, and such who supply the place of parents? For the first, besides Gods secret action in punishing such Delinquents, methinks there is a rule of direction for the Church, how to proceed against such in her Discipline: If any understand here, by cutting off such a mans soul from his people, the sentence of excommunication, or casting him out of the Synagogue, I shall not oppose it; though I rather incline to those, who understand hereby a bodily death inflicted upon such an offender, in which sense the phrase is taken, Exod. 31. 14. Whosoever doth any work on the Sabbath, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. And it is very remarkable, that when Moses his child was uncircumcised, the Lord sought to kill Moses: which as it intimated the punishment of this fault to be a bodily death so it clearly evinceth, that not the child till he cometh to years of discretion, but the parents were liable to punishment. The opinion of the Rabbines concerning this latter point is thus delivered:632 If the Father circumcise him not, then the Judges are commanded to circumcise him: and if it be unknown to the Judges, and they circumcise him not, when he is waxen great, he is bound to circumcise himself, and every day that passeth over him, after he is waxen great, and, he circumciseth not himself, lo he breaketh the Commandment.
Here it may be demanded, how it is possible for a man, after once he hath been marked with the sign of Circumcision, to blot out that character and become uncircumcised? for thus some Jews, for fear of Antiochus, made themselves uncircumcised, 1 Mac. 1. 16. Others for shame, after they were gained to the knowledge of Christ, and to entertainment of the Christian faith, uncircumcised themselves, 1 Cor. 7. 18. The answer is,633 that this was done by drawing up the foreskin with a Chirurgion his instrument; and unto this the Apostle in the fore quoted place alludeth, μὴ ἐπισπάσθω, Ne attrahat præputium. This wicked invention is ascribed unto Esau, as the first Author and practiser thereof.
Notes
617 Zohar. Gen. 17.
618 Alex. ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 25. Herodo. l. 2. Diodor. Sicul. l. 2. c. 1. It. l. 4. c. 3.
619 Paul. Fag. Deut. 10.
620 Christoph. Cast. in Malac. c. 3.
621 Mercerus in abreviaturis. היקו
622 נוהגין לקרא למי שמחזיק בן חברו למולו סנדק והלועזים קורין לו בעל ברית Elias Thisb. in סנדק
623 Jun. & Trem. Es. 8. 2.
624 Plutarch. prob. 102. Macrob. Sat. l. 1. c. 16.
625 Cœl. Rhodig. l. 22. cap. 12.
626 Arist. hist. anim. lib. 7. c. 12.
627 Tertul. de Idol. cap. 16.
628 Scholiast. Aristoph. in Lusistrat. p. 886. It. Suidas in ἀμφιδρόμα.
629 Stukius de conviv. l. 1. c. 16.
630 ברוך אתה יהוה אלהינו מלך אשר העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו לכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו Moses Kotsen. in tractat. circumcis. fol. 115.
631 כשם שהכנסתו לברית כן תכניסהו לתורה ולחופה ולמעשים טובים Moses Kotsen. ibid.
632 Moses Kots. tract. circumcis. fol. 114. col. 4.
633 Epiphan. lib. de mens. & pond. p. 415. It. Celsus l. 7. c. 25.