d that "unto Abraham faith was reputed to justice,"
for the reason that "against hope he believed in hope," i.e. against
the hope that is of nature he believed in the hope that is of grace,
"that he might be made the father of many nations," when he was an
old man, and his wife an old and barren woman. And in order that this
declaration, and imitation of Abraham's faith, might be fixed firmly
in the hearts of the Jews, they received in their flesh such a sign
as they could not forget, wherefore it is written (Gen. 17:13): "My
covenant shall be in your flesh for a perpetual covenant." This was
done on the eighth day, because until then a child is very tender,
and so might be seriously injured; and is considered as something not
yet consolidated: wherefore neither are animals offered before the
eighth day. And it was not delayed after that time, lest some might
refuse the sign of circumcision on account of the pain: and also lest
the parents, whose love for their children increases as they become
used to their presence and as they grow older, should withdraw their
children from circumcision. A second reason may have been the
weakening of concupiscence in that member. A third motive may have
been to revile the worship of Venus and Priapus, which gave honor to
that part of the body. The Lord's prohibition extended only to the
cutting of oneself in honor of idols: and such was not the
circumcision of which we have been speaking.

The figurative reason for circumcision was that it foreshadowed the
removal of corruption, which was to be brought about by Christ, and
will be perfectly fulfilled in the eighth age, which is the age of
those who rise from the dead. And since all corruption of guilt and
punishment comes to us through our carnal origin, from the sin of our
first parent, therefore circumcision was applied to the generative
member. Hence the Apostle says (Col. 2:11): "You are circumcised" in
Christ "with circumcision not made by hand in despoiling of the body
of the flesh, but in the circumcision of" Our Lord Jesus "Christ."

Reply Obj. 2: The literal reason of the paschal banquet was to
commemorate the blessing of being led by God out of Egypt. Hence by
celebrating this banquet they declared that they belonged to that
people which God had taken to Himself out of Egypt. For when they
were delivered from Egypt, they were commanded to sprinkle the lamb's
blood on the transoms of their house doors, as though declaring th