Bullinger and Circumcision: Stone Knives

Recently, at a home exhibition, my wife bought a ceramic knife. Apparently it is the must have accessory for the modern kitchen because it is hygienic and can cut very sharply. For example, it can apparently cut tomatoes much more thinly than stainless steel knives.

What has this got to do with Bullinger? It reminded me of a comment that Bullinger made with the respect to stone knives used for circumcision in the Old Testament. In sermon 3.vi of The Decades Bullinger goes to great detail to see how the ceremonies were fulfilled in Christ. Occasionally he cites writers such as Lactantius but he usually does not refer to the source of his ideas. After referring to knives of stone used for circumcision (at Exodus 4:25 and Joshua 5:2) Bullinger writes the following:

“Moreover, circumcision did signify and testify that God Almighty, of his mere grace and goodness, is joined with an indissoluble bond of covenant unto us men, whom his will is first to sanctify, then to justify, and lastly to enrich with all heavenly treasures through Christ our Lord and reconciler. For that was the meaning of the stony knife; because Christ the blessed Seed, is the rock of stone out of which do flow pure and cleansing waters; and he by his Spirit doth cut from us whatsoever things do hinder the mutual league and amity betwixt God and us: he also doth give and increase in us both hope and charity in faith, so that we may be knit and joined to God in life everlasting, which is the blessed and happy life indeed.” (Parker Edition p174)

The Latin is:

Deinde significabat, imo et attestabatur circuncisio deum omnipotentem ex mera gratia et bonitate cohaerere indissolubili foederis nexu cum hominibus, quos velit sanctificatos iustificare omnibusque coelestibus donis locupletare per Christum. Ideo enim adhibebatur culter saxeus sive petrinus. Christus enim semen illud benedictum est petra, ex qua unde profluunt purificantes, ac ipse nobis spiritu suo resecat, quaecunque amicitiam inter nos et deum mutuam impediunt, idem confert et auget spem et charitatem in fide, ut deo coniungi et cohaerere possimus in aeternum, que est vere beata et felix vita. (Peter Opitz, Sermonum Decades, p348)

The modern German translation is:

Zweitens bedeutete, ja bezeugte di Beschneidung auch, dass der allmächtige Gott aus lauter Gnade und Güte durch ein unzertrennliches Band mit den Menschen verbunden ist. Diese möchte er heiligen, gerecht machen und durch Christus mit allen himmlischen Gaben bereichern. Deshalb nämlich wurde ein steinernes Messer verwendet. Denn, Christus, der gesegnete Nachkomme, ist der Fels, aus dem die reinigenden Wasser fließen und er schneidet mit seinem Geist von us alles ab, was die Freundschaft zwischen uns und Gott behindert. Ebenso vermehrt er die Hoffnung und die Liebe im Glauben, damit wir zu Gott kommen und auf ewig mit ihm verbunden bleiben können. Das ist das wahrhaftige, selige und glückiche Leben. (Heinrich Bullinger Schriften, TVZ 2006, p10)