Ceremonial obseruations.
Feasts.
Abstinence.
Cleane & vncleane.
Places dedicated to prayer.
Figures of Christs Sacraments.They had moreouer other ceremonies: Gen2, 3.of the seuenth day particularly blessed and sanctified by God, kept holie by Adam and other Patriarchs, as Abben Ezra witnesseth in his commentaries vpon the ten commandements: Gen. 20. Gen. 9. Gen. 7, 1.
Gen. 4, 26.
Gen. 1. 1. Pet. 3.of abstaining from meats, for it seemeth the more godlie sort did eate no flesh before the floud, which was after permitted: obseruation of cleane and vncleane beastes for Sacrifice: of peculiar places dedicated to religious vses, where people met together to pray. Likewise diuers other things in the first Age were figures of Christs sacraments: the Spirit of God giuing power to the waters (as Tertullian, S. Hierom, and others expound it) and the floud of Noe, by S. Peters testimonie, Baptimse.
Marriage.were figures of Baptisme. Mariage instituted in Paradise, is the very paterne of holie Matrimonie, a Sacrament in the Church of Christ, where one man and one wife are onlie lawful, and not more at once in anie wise, Christ reforming that which in Moyses law was tolerated Mat. 19.(for hardnes of mens harts, and for auoyding murther, to put away one wife, and take an other) to this first institution as it was in the beginning, Gen. 2, 24.
Gen. 3.two in one flesh, not three nor more. Penance. Contrition.The repentance of Adam and Eue was a perfect and examplar figure of the Sacrament of Pennance. First they were ashamed, couering their nakednes, and hiding themselues, which shewed their griefe and sorow for the sinne committed. ConfessionSecondly they confessed their fault, and by what meanes it happened. For God examining Adam, he answered truly and simply saying: The woman which thou gauest me to be my companion, gaue me of the tree, and I did eate. Likwise Eue confessed sincerely, saying: The serpent deceiued me, and I did eate. Satisfaction.Thirdly, God gaue them pennance (besides death before threatned and other penalties annexed) that Eue should in paine and trauel bring forth her children; and Adam should eate his bread in the sweat of his face, and withal cast them forth of Paradise, but not forth of his fauour, as appeared by his making them garments of skinnes, granting them & their posteritie, the rest of the earth to liue and labour in, especially to serue him & doe penance, From hence is taken the ceremonie of ashes on Ashwenesday.with admonition to remember, that of dust man was made, and into dust he shal returne. Al which were signes of loue, and that finally he would bring them and manie more to eternal saluation.
Priesthood.The first-borne and heads of families were Priests al the time of the law of nature, vntil the law being changed, God tooke Priests only of the stock of Aaron, and the rest of the Leuites to assist them in that function: Priesthood & Law stand & change together.Num. 3. 10, 12, 45Aaron & his sonnes thou shalt appoint, saith our Lord, ouer the seruice of Priesthood, for I haue taken the Leuites of the children of Israel for euerie first-borne. And S. Paul teacheth, that changing of Priesthood and changing of the law goe alwayes together, shewing euidently that euerie lawful communitie or common-wealth vnder God, hath external Priesthood. So that if there had been no distinct Order of external Priesthood in the law of nature, or now were none in the law of grace Luther lib. de abreganda Missa.(as Protestantes say there is not) there were no law at al. See more of this point in the Annot. chap. 7. ad Hebre. Here we only obserue that Abel, Seth, Enos, and other Patriarchs were Priests, & exercised priestlie functions: yea Cain also was a Priest (though a bad one) and offered Sacrifice.
