WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM (1674)
Q1: What is the chief end of man?
A1: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.
Q2: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify
and enjoy Him?
A2: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how
we may glorify and enjoy Him.
Q3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?
A3: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning
God, and what duty God requires of man.
Q4: What is God?
A4: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in
his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Q5: Are there more Gods than one?
A5: There is but one only, the living and true God.
Q6: How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A6: There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in
substance, equal in power and glory.
Q7: What are the decrees of God?
A7: The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to
the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath
fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass.
Q8: How doth God execute his decrees?
A8: God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Q9: What is the work of creation?
A9: The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing,
by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very
good.
Q10: How did God create man?
A10: God created man male and female, after his own image, in
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the
creatures.
Q11: What are God's works of providence?
A11: God's works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and
powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all
their actions.
Q12: What special act of providence did God exercise toward
man in the estate wherein he was created?
A12: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of
life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding
him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon
the pain of death.
Q13: Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein
they were created?
A13: Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own
will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning
against God.
Q14: What is sin?
A14: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of,
the law of God.
Q15: What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from
the estate wherein they were created?
A15: The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein
they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.
Q16: Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression?
A16: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself,
but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary
generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.
Q17: Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A17: The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.
Q18: Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto
man fell?
A18: The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists
in the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want of original righteousness,
and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called
Original Sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed
from it.
Q19: What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
A19: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under
his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this
life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever.
Q20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of
sin and misery?
A20. God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity,
elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of
grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and
to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.
Q21: Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?
A21: The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ,
who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and
continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one
person, for ever.
Q22: How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
A22: Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself
a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power
of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of
her yet without sin.
Q23: What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
A23: Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet,
of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation
and exaltation.
Q24: How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
A24: Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to
us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.
Q25: How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
A25: Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering
up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile
us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.
Q26: How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
A26: Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to
himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering
all his and our enemies.
Q27: Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist?
A27: Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born, and that
in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries
of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross;
in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for
a time.
Q28: Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation?
A28: Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from
the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting
at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the
world at the last day.
Q29: How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased
by Christ?
A29: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ,
by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.
Q30: How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased
by Christ?
A30: The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ,
by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our
effectual calling.
Q31: What is effectual calling?
A31: Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby convincing
us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge
of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable
us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.
Q32: What benefits do they that are effectually called partake
of in this life?
A32: They that are effectually called do in this life partake
of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several
benefits which, in this life, do either accompany or flow from
them.
Q33: What is justification?
A33: Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein He
pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in His
sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and
received by faith alone.
Q34: What is adoption?
A34: Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received
into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the
Sons of God.
Q35: What is sanctification?
A35: Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby
we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are
enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
Q36: What are the benefits which in this life do accompany
or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A36: The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from
justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of
God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase
of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.
Q37: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A37: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in
holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies,
being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the
resurrection.
Q38: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the
resurrection?
A38: At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory,
shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgement,
and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all
eternity.
Q39. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A39. The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to His
revealed will.
Q40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his
obedience?
A40. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience,
was the Moral Law.
Q41. Where is the Moral Law summarily comprehended?
A41. The Moral Law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.
Q42. What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?
A42. The sum of the Ten Commandments is, "to love the Lord
our God" with all our heart, all our soul, with all our
strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.
Q43. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?
A43. The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words, "I
am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house OF SLAVERY."
Q44. What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?
A44. The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, That because
God is The Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are
bound to keep all His commandments.
Q45: Which is the First Commandment?
A45: The First Commandment is, "thou shalt have no other
gods before Me."
Q46: What is required in the First Commandment?
A46: The First Commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge
God to be only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify
Him accordingly.
Q47: What is forbidden in the First Commandment?
A47: The First Commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping
and glorifying the true God, as God, and the giving of that worship
and glory to any other which is due to Him alone.
Q48: What are we specially taught by these words, "before
me" in the First Commandment?
A48: These words "before me" in the First Commandment,
teach us, That God who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and
is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.
Q49: Which is the Second Commandment?
A49: The Second Commandment is, "thou shalt not make unto
thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down thyself to
them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep my commandments."
Q50: What is required in the Second Commandment?
A50: The Second Commandment requireth the receiving, observing,
and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances
as God hath appointed in His Word.
Q51: What is forbidden in the Second Commandment?
A51: The Second Commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God
by images, or any other way not appointed in His Word.
Q52: What are the reasons annexed to the Second Commandment?
A52: The reasoned annexed to the Second Commandment are, God's
sovereignty over us, and the zeal He hath to His own worship.
Q53: Which is the Third Commandment?
A53: The Third Commandment is, "thou shalt not take the
name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold
him guiltless that taketh His name in vain."
Q54: What is required in the Third Commandment?
A54: The Third Commandment requireth the holy and reverent use
of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Q55: What is forbidden in the Third Commandment?
A55: The Third Commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing
anything whereby God maketh Himself known.
Q56: What is the reason annexed to the Third Commandment?
A56: The reason annexed to the Third Commandment is, That however
the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men,
yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape His righteous
judgement.
Q57: Which is the Fourth Commandment?
A57: The Fourth Commandment is, "Remember the Sabbath-day,
to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
thy manservant, nor thy maid- servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day,
and hallowed it."
Q58: What is required in the Fourth Commandment?
A58: The Fourth Commandment requireth the keeping holy to God
such set times as He appointed in His Word; expressly one whole
day in seven to be a holy Sabbath to Himself.
Q59: Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly
Sabbath?
A59: From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ,
God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath;
and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the
end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.
Q60: How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?
A60: The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that
day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are
lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public
and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is
to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
Q61: What is forbidden in the Fourth Commandment?
A61: The Fourth Commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless
performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day
by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary
thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
Q62: What are the reasons annexed to the Fourth Commandment?
A62: The reasons annexed to the Fourth Commandment are, God's
allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, His
challenging a special propriety in the seventh, His own example,
and His blessing the Sabbath-day.
Q63: Which is the Fifth Commandment?
A63: The Fifth Commandment is, "honour thy father and thy
mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord
thy God giveth thee."
Q64: What is required in the Fifth Commandment?
A64: The Fifth Commandment requireth the preserving the honour,
and performing the duties, belonging to every one in their several
places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Q65: What is the forbidden in the Fifth Commandment?
A65: The Fifth Commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing
anything against, the honour and duty which belongeth to every
one in their several places and relations.
Q66: What is the reason annexed to the Fifth Commandment?
A66: The reason annexed to the Fifth Commandment is a promise
of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's
glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
Q67: Which is the Sixth Commandment?
A67: The Sixth Commandment is, "thou shalt not kill."
Q68: What is required in the Sixth Commandment?
A68: The Sixth Commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to
preserve our own life, and the life of others.
Q69: What is forbidden in the Sixth Commandment?
A69: The Sixth Commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our
own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever
tendeth thereunto.
Q70: Which is the Seventh Commandment?
A70: The Seventh Commandment is, "thou shalt not commit
adultery."
Q71: What is required in the Seventh Commandment?
A71: The Seventh Commandment requireth the preservation of our
own and our neighbor's chasity, in heart, speech, and behaviour.
Q72: What is forbidden in the Seventh Commandment?
A72: The Seventh Commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts,
words, and actions.
Q73: Which is the Eighth Commandment?
A73: The Eighth Commandment is, "thou shalt not steal."
Q74: What is required in the Eighth Commandment?
A74: The Eighth Commandment requireth the lawful procuring and
furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q75: What is forbidden in the Eighth Commandment?
A75: The Eighth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may
unjustly hinder our own or our neighbour's wealth or outward
estate.
Q76: What is the Ninth Commandment?
A76: The Ninth Commandment is, "thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbour."
Q77: What is required in the Ninth Commandment?
A77: The Ninth Commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting
of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's
good name, especially in witness- bearing.
Q78: What is forbidden in the Ninth Commandment?
A78: The Ninth Commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudical
to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbour's good name.
Q79: Which is the Tenth Commandment?
A79: The Tenth Commandment is, "thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife,
nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his
ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."
Q80: What is required in the Tenth Commandment?
A80: The Tenth Commandment requireth full contentment with our
own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward
our neighbour, and all this is his.
Q81: What is forbidden in the Tenth Commandment?
A81: The Tenth Commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with
our own own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour,
and all inordinate motions and affections to any thing that is
his.
Q82: Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of
God?
A82: No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly
to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in
thought, word, and deed.
Q83: Are all transgression of the law equally heinous?
A83: Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations
are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Q84: What doth every sin deserve?
A84: Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this
life, and that which is to come.
Q85: What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath
and curse due to us for sin?
A85: To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin,
God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life,
with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ
communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
Q86: What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A86: Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive
and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us
in the gospel.
Q87: What is repentance unto life?
A87: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner,
out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy
of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn
from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after,
new obedience.
Q88: What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth
to us the benefits of redemption?
A88: The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth
to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially
the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual
to the elect for salvation.
Q89: How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A89: The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the
preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting
sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through
faith, unto salvation.
Q90: How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become
effectual to salvation?
A90: The the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must
attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive
it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practise
it in our lives.
Q91: How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
A91: The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not
from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them;
but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit
in them that by faith receive them.
Q92: What is a sacrament?
A92: A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein,
by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant,
are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.
Q93: Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?
A93: The sacraments of the New Testament are, Baptism, and the
Lord's supper.
Q94: What is baptism?
A94: Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking
of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement
to be the Lord's.
Q95: To whom is baptism to be administered?
A95: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of
the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ,
and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members
of the visible church are to be baptized.
Q96: What is the Lord's supper?
A96: The Lord's Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and
receiving bread and wine, according to Christ's appointment,
his death is showed forth; and the worth receivers are, not after
a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of
his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual
nourishment, and growth in grace.
Q97: What is required to be the worthy receiving of the Lord's
supper?
A97: It is required of them that would worthily partake of the
Lord's super, that they examine themselves of their knowledge
to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to feed upon him,
of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily,
they eat and drink judgement to themselves.
Q98: What is prayer?
A98: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things
agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession
of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.
Q99: What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?
A99: The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer;
but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which
Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord's Prayer.
Q100: What doth the preface of the Lord's prayer teach us?
A100: The preface of the Lord's prayer, which is, "Our Father
which art in heaven," teacheth us to draw near to God with
all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able
and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.
Q101: What do we pray for in the first petition?
A101: In the first petition, which is, "Hallowed be thy
name," we pray, That God would enable us and others to glorify
him in all that whereby he maketh himself known; and that he
would dispose all things to his own glory.
Q102: What do we pray for in the second petition?
A102: In the second petition, which is, "Thy kingdom come,"
we pray, That Satan's kingdom may be destroyed; and that the
kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought
into it, and kept in it; and the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
Q103: What do we pray for in the third petition?
A103: In the third petition, which is, "Thy will be done
in earth, as it is in heaven," we pray, That God, by his
grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit
to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.
Q104: What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
A104: In the fourth petition, which is, "Give us this day
our daily bread," we pray, That of God's free gift we may
receive a competent portion of the good things of this life,
and enjoy his blessing with them.
Q105: What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
A105: In the fifth petition, which is, "And forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors," we pray, That God, for
Christ's sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are
able to be rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we
are enabled from the heart to forgive others.
Q106: What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
A106: In the sixth petition, which is, "And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil," we pray, That
God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support
and deliver us when we are tempted.
Q107: What doth the conclusion the Lord's prayer teach us?
A107: The conclusion of the Lord's prayer, which is, "For
thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever,
Amen." teacheth us, to take our encouragement in prayer
from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom,
power and glory to him.
And, in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard,
we say, Amen. |