laim, unnecessarily. It must be said, however, that these persons look
upon circumcision purely in a sacramental light, and simply as an
arbitrary ordinance of God in the remote ages of antiquity, but which in
the present century has not enough practical significance to warrant its
performance on the occasion of an adult joining the congregation. These
persons look upon it, as has been said, in a purely theological light,
and ignore any and all considerations of hygiene in connection with it,
claiming that if it is a simple matter of hygiene, then it is not a
sacrament, and that, if it is sacramental, then the subject of hygiene
has nothing whatever to do with it. The force of their reasoning and
logic is very obscure and clouded, to say the least. The covenant either
exists or it does not; to do away with one ordinance in any arbitrary
manner is to gradually begin to crumble down the whole fabric of
Judaism; for when exceptions are begun, one tenet as well as another is
liable to topple over. If the rite is a sacrament, then it should be
performed on all, and a proselyte should not be admitted without being
circumcised, and, if a hygienic measure only, the same rule holds. These
Jews evidently ignore the rationalism that governed the promulgation of
the Mosaic law, and its recognition of the inseparability of the moral
from the physical nature of man.

Montaigne has left us a description of the performance of the rite, as
witnessed by him in the city of Rome in the sixteenth century. He
relates it as follows: "On the thirtieth of January was witnessed one of
the most ancient ceremonies of religion practiced by mankind, this being
the circumcision of the Jews. This is performed at the dwelling, the
most commodious chamber being chosen for the occasion. At this
particular time, by reason of the incommodity of the house, the rite was
performed at the door of the domicile. The godfather sat himself on a
table, with a pillow on his lap. The godmother then brought the child,
after which she retired. The godfather then undressed the child's lower
part so as to expose his person, while the operator and his assistant
began to chant hymns. This operation lasts at least a quarter of an
hour. The operator may or may not be a rabbi, as it is considered a
great blessing to perform this operation; so that it follows that many
are found who are anxious to exercise their faculty in this regard,
there being a tradition that those who hav