ways of the
prepuce are dark and mysterious as well as peculiar.

A discussion of the relative merits of religious creeds, when considered
in relation to health, has been, from the nature of the subject of the
book, unavoidable. Modern Christianity but very imperfectly explains why
this rite was either neglected or abolished. Frequent reference is made
to what Saint Paul said and did, but, as Saint Paul was not one of the
Disciples, it is inexplicable wherefrom he received his authority in
this matter, seeing that the Disciples themselves had no new views on
the subject. To the student who prefers to study his subject from all
its aspects, the question naturally arises, "Where, when, and why came
the authority that abolished this rite?" There is one probable
explanation, this being that Paul, who was the real promulgator of
Gentile Christianity, had to establish his creed among an uncircumcised
race; although, as we shall see, devotees have not scrupled to sacrifice
their virility in the hope of being more acceptable to God and to be
better able to observe His commandments, and others, in their blind
bigotry, have not objected to sitting naked on sand-hills, with a
six-inch iron ring passed through the prepuce, it is very evident that
the Apostle Paul's good sense showed him the uselessness of attempting
to found the new creed, and at the same time hold on to the truly
distinctive marking of Judaism among Gentiles, the Hebrew race being
those among whom he found the least converts, as even the Disciples and
Apostles in Palestine disagreed with him. In the words of Dr. I. M.
Wise, it was impossible for the Palestine Apostles, or their flock,
either to acknowledge Paul as one of their own set or submit to his
teaching; for they obeyed the Law and he abolished it; they were sent to
the house of Israel only, and Paul sought the Gentiles with the message
that the Covenant and the Law were at an end; they had one gospel story
and he another; they prophesied the speedy return of the Master and a
restoration of the throne of David in the kingdom of heaven, and he
prophesied the end of the world and the last day of judgment to be at
hand; they forbade their converts to eat of unclean food, and especially
of the sacrificial meats of the Pagans, and he made light of both, as
well as of the Sabbath and circumcision. In the attempted reconciliation
that subsequently took place in Jerusalem at the house of James, the
Jacob of Kaphers