. But
sacrifices and holocausts preceded the Law: for it is written (Gen.
4:3, 4) that "Cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the
Lord," and that "Abel offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of
their fat." Noe also "offered holocausts" to the Lord (Gen. 18:20),
and Abraham did in like manner (Gen. 22:13). Therefore the ceremonies
of the Old Law preceded the Law.

Obj. 2: Further, the erecting and consecrating of the altar were part
of the ceremonies relating to holy things. But these preceded the
Law. For we read (Gen. 13:18) that "Abraham . . . built . . . an
altar the Lord"; and (Gen. 28:18) that "Jacob . . . took the stone
. . . and set it up for a title, pouring oil upon the top of it."
Therefore the legal ceremonies preceded the Law.

Obj. 3: Further, the first of the legal sacraments seems to have been
circumcision. But circumcision preceded the Law, as appears from Gen.
17. In like manner the priesthood preceded the Law; for it is written
(Gen. 14:18) that "Melchisedech . . . was the priest of the most high
God." Therefore the sacramental ceremonies preceded the Law.

Obj. 4: Further, the distinction of clean from unclean animals
belongs to the ceremonies of observances, as stated above (Q. 100, 2,
A. 6, ad 1). But this distinction preceded the Law; for it is written
(Gen. 7:2, 3): "Of all clean beasts take seven and seven . . . but of
the beasts that are unclean, two and two." Therefore the legal
ceremonies preceded the Law.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Deut. 6:1): "These are the precepts
and ceremonies . . . which the Lord your God commanded that I should
teach you." But they would not have needed to be taught about these
things, if the aforesaid ceremonies had been already in existence.
Therefore the legal ceremonies did not precede the Law.

_I answer that,_ As is clear from what has been said (Q. 101, A. 2;
Q. 102, A. 2), the legal ceremonies were ordained for a double
purpose; the worship of God, and the foreshadowing of Christ. Now
whoever worships God must needs worship Him by means of certain fixed
things pertaining to external worship. But the fixing of the divine
worship belongs to the ceremonies; just as the determining of our
relations with our neighbor is a matter determined by the judicial
precepts, as stated above (Q. 99, A. 4). Consequently, as among men
in general there were certain judicial precepts, not indeed
established by Divine authority, but ordained by human