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Westminster Shorter Catechism

2023-08-09T03:01:09Z

Informer: Created page with "'''The Westminster Shorter Catechism''' is a concise and systematic summary of Christian doctrine and faith, intended to teach and guide individuals in understanding fundamental principles of the Reformed tradition. It was formulated during the 17th century as part of the broader Westminster Assembly in England, which aimed to reform the Church of England in accordance with Reformed theology. The Catechism consists of 107 questions and answers that cover various aspects..."

'''The Westminster Shorter Catechism''' is a concise and systematic summary of Christian doctrine and faith, intended to teach and guide individuals in understanding fundamental principles of the Reformed tradition. It was formulated during the 17th century as part of the broader Westminster Assembly in England, which aimed to reform the Church of England in accordance with Reformed theology. The Catechism consists of 107 questions and answers that cover various aspects of theology, morality, and Christian practice. It reflects the theological depth and clarity of the Reformed tradition, striving to provide clear explanations of core beliefs in a concise manner. The Catechism's primary purpose was to educate and equip believers with a foundational understanding of Christian truths, and it has remained influential within Presbyterian and other Reformed communities as a guide for teaching and spiritual growth.

=== Question 1 – What is the chief end of man? ===
Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

=== Question 2 – What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 3 – What do the Scriptures principally teach? ===
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

=== Question 4 – What is God? ===
Answer: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

=== Question 5 – Are there more Gods than one? ===
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God.

=== Question 6 – How many persons are there in the Godhead? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 7 – What are the decrees of God? ===
Answer: The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

=== Question 8 – How doth God execute his decrees? ===
Answer: God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.

=== Question 9 – What is the work of creation? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 10 – How did God create man? ===
Answer: God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

=== Question 11 – What are God's works of providence? ===
Answer: God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

=== Question 12 – What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 13 – Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created? ===
Answer: Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.

=== Question 14 – What is sin? ===
Answer: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

=== Question 15 – What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created? ===
Answer: The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created was their eating the forbidden fruit.

=== Question 16 – Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 17 – Into what estate did the fall bring mankind? ===
Answer: The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

=== Question 18 – Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 19 – What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? ===
Answer: 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 forever.

=== Question 20 – Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 21 – Who is the Redeemer of God's elect? ===
Answer: 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 continues to be God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.

=== Question 22 – How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 23 – What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 24 – How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a prophet in revealing to us, by his Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

=== Question 25 – How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 26 – How doth Christ execute the office of a king? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 27– Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 28 – Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 29 – How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? ===
Answer: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.

=== Question 30 – How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 31 – What is effectual calling? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 32 – What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 33 – What is justification? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 34 – What is adoption? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 35 – What is sanctification? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 36 – What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 37 – What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? ===
Answer: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united in Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.

=== Question 38 – What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection? ===
Answer: At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.

=== Question 39 – What is the duty which God requireth of man? ===
Answer: The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to his revealed will.

=== Question 40 – What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? ===
Answer: The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.

=== Question 41 – Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? ===
Answer: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.

=== Question 42 – What is the sum of the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: The sum of the Ten Commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.

=== Question 43 – What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words: "I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."

=== Question 44 – What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 45 – Which is the first commandment? ===
Answer: The first commandment is: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

=== Question 46 – What is required in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.

=== Question 47 – What is forbidden in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshiping and glorifying the true God, as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other which is due to him alone.

=== Question 48 – What are we specially taught by these words, "before me," in the first commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 49 – Which is the second commandment? ===
Answer: The second commandment is: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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."

=== Question 50 – What is required in the second commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 51 – What is forbidden in the second commandment? ===
Answer: The second commandment forbiddeth the worshiping of God by images or any other way not appointed in his Word.

=== Question 52 – What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the second commandment are: God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

=== Question 53 – Which is the third commandment? ===
Answer: 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."

=== Question 54 – What is required in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.

=== Question 55 – What is forbidden in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The third commandment forbids all profaning or abusing anything whereby God makes himself known.

=== Question 56 – What is the reason annexed to the third commandment? ===
Answer: 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 judgment.

=== Question 57 – Which is the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment is: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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 maidservant, 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."

=== Question 58 – What is required in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word, expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself.

=== Question 59 – Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath? ===
Answer: From the creation 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.

=== Question 60 – How is the Sabbath to be sanctified? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 61 – What is forbidden in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment forbids 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 worldly employments or recreations.

=== Question 62 – What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 63 – Which is the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: The fifth commandment is: "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

=== Question 64 – What is required in the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honor, and performing the duties belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.

=== Question 65 – What is forbidden in the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: The fifth commandment forbids the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations.

=== Question 66 – Which is the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sixth commandment is: "Thou shalt not kill."

=== Question 67 – What is required in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life and the life of others.

=== Question 68 – What is forbidden in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sixth commandment forbids the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatever tends thereto.

=== Question 69 – Which is the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The seventh commandment is: "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

=== Question 70 – What is required in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The seventh commandment requires the preservation of our own and our neighbor's chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.

=== Question 71 – What is forbidden in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.

=== Question 72 – Which is the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The eighth commandment is: "Thou shalt not steal."

=== Question 73 – What is required in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The eighth commandment requires the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.

=== Question 74 – What is forbidden in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The eighth commandment forbids whatever doth, or may unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbor's wealth or outward estate.

=== Question 75 – Which is the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The ninth commandment is: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

=== Question 76 – What is required in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The ninth commandment requires the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own.

=== Question 77 – What is forbidden in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The ninth commandment forbids whatever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor's good name.

=== Question 78 – Which is the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The tenth commandment is: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

=== Question 79 – What is required in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The tenth commandment requires full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbor and all that is his.

=== Question 80 – What is forbidden in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The tenth commandment forbids all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

=== Question 81 – What is the sum of the ten commandments? ===
Answer: The sum of the ten commandments is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and our neighbor as ourselves.

=== Question 82 – Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 83 – Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous? ===
Answer: Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

=== Question 84 – What doth every sin deserve? ===
Answer: Every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come.

=== Question 85 – What doth God require of us that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law? ===
Answer: To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us by reason of the transgression of the law, God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption.

=== Question 86 – What is faith in Jesus Christ? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 87 – What is repentance unto life? ===
Answer: 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 endeavor after, new obedience.

=== Question 88 – What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption? ===
Answer: 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 their salvation.

=== Question 89 – How is the Word made effectual to salvation? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 90 – How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation? ===
Answer: That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend to it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

=== Question 91 – How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? ===
Answer: The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not by any power in themselves, or any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered, but only by the working of the Holy Ghost, and the blessing of Christ, by whom they are instituted and appointed.

=== Question 92 – What is a sacrament? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 93 – Which are the sacraments of the New Testament? ===
Answer: The sacraments of the New Testament are baptism and the Lord's Supper.

=== Question 94 – What is baptism? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 95 – To whom is baptism to be administered? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 96 – What is the Lord's Supper? ===
Answer: 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 worthy 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.

=== Question 97 – What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper? ===
Answer: It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, 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 judgment to themselves.

=== Question 98 – What is prayer? ===
Answer: 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 acknowledgment of his mercies.

=== Question 99 – What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 100 – What doth the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 101 – What do we pray for in the first petition? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 102 – What do we pray for in the second petition? ===
Answer: 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 that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

=== Question 103 – What do we pray for in the third petition? ===
Answer: In the third petition, which is, "Thy will be done on 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.

=== Question 104 – What do we pray for in the fourth petition? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 105 – What do we pray for in the fifth petition? ===
Answer: 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 the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.

=== Question 106 – What do we pray for in the sixth petition? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 107 – What doth the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer teach us? ===
Answer: The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, which is, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, 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."

Westminster Larger Catechism

2023-08-09T03:00:22Z

Informer:

'''The Westminster Larger Catechism''' is an expansive and comprehensive exposition of Christian doctrine, created during the 17th century by the Westminster Assembly of Divines. Convened by the English Parliament from 1643 to 1653, the assembly aimed to reform and establish the Church of England's doctrine and practices. The Larger Catechism, containing 196 questions and answers, delves deeply into theological, ethical, and practical matters. It covers a wide range of topics, including the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the sacraments. The catechism's extensive explanations serve as a guide to understanding Reformed theology and promoting a mature faith. The Larger Catechism's comprehensive nature reflects the assembly's commitment to clarifying and affirming the tenets of the Reformed tradition. Despite its complexity, it has remained influential in shaping Christian thought within Presbyterian and Reformed communities and offers a robust resource for the exploration of biblical truths.

=== Question 1 – What is the chief and highest end of man? ===
Answer: Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.

=== Question 2 – How doth it appear that there is a God? ===
Answer: The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God; but his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation.

=== Question 3 – What is the Word of God? ===
Answer: The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience.

=== Question 4 '''–''' How doth it appear that the Scriptures are the Word of God? ===
Answer: The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God, by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, to comfort and build up believers unto salvation: but the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very Word of God.

=== Question 5 – What do the Scriptures principally teach? ===
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

=== Question 6 – What do the Scriptures make known of God? ===
Answer: The Scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution of his decrees.

=== Question 7 – What is God? ===
Answer: God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

=== Question 8 – Are there more Gods than one? ===
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God.

=== Question 9 – How many persons are there in the Godhead? ===
Answer: There be three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties.

=== Question 10 – What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead? ===
Answer: It is proper to the Father to beget the Son, and to the Son to be begotten of the Father, and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son from all eternity.

=== Question 11 – How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father? ===
Answer: The Scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto them such names, attributes, works, and worship, as are proper to God only.

=== Question 12 – What are the decrees of God? ===
Answer: God’s decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will, whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time, especially concerning angels and men.

=== Question 13 – What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men? ===
Answer: God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory; and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof: and also, according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favor as he pleaseth), hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.

=== Question 14 – How doth God execute his decrees? ===
Answer: God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will.

=== Question 15 – What is the work of creation? ===
Answer: The work of creation is that wherein God did in the beginning, by the word of his power, make of nothing the world, and all things therein, for himself, within the space of six days, and all very good.

=== Question 16 – How did God create angels? ===
Answer: God created all the angels spirits, immortal, holy, excelling in knowledge, mighty in power, to execute his commandments, and to praise his name, yet subject to change.

=== Question 17 – How did God create man? ===
Answer: After God had made all other creatures, he created man male and female; formed the body of the man of the dust of the ground, and the woman of the rib of the man, endued them with living, reasonable, and immortal souls; made them after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness; having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfill it, and dominion over the creatures; yet subject to fall.

=== Question 18 – What are God’s works of providence? ===
Answer: God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory.

=== Question 19 – What is God’s providence towards the angels? ===
Answer: God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation, limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own glory; and established the rest in holiness and happiness; employing them all, at his pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy, and justice.

=== Question 20 – What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created? ===
Answer: The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth; putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with himself; instituting the Sabbath; entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience, of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

=== Question 21 – Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him? ===
Answer: Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, through the temptation of Satan, transgressed the commandment of God in eating the forbidden fruit; and thereby fell from the estate of innocency wherein they were created.

=== Question 22 – Did all mankind fall in that first transgression? ===
Answer: The covenant being made with Adam as a public person, not for himself only, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in that first transgression.

Question 23 – Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

Answer: The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

=== Question 24 – What is sin? ===
Answer: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature.

=== Question 25 – Wherein consisteth the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell? ===
Answer: The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consisteth in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of that righteousness wherein he was created, and the corruption of his nature, whereby he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually; which is commonly called original sin, and from which do proceed all actual transgressions.

=== Question 26 – How is original sin conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity? ===
Answer: Original sin is conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity by natural generation, so as all that proceed from them in that way are conceived and born in sin.

=== Question 27 – What misery did the fall bring upon mankind? ===
Answer: The fall brought upon mankind the loss of communion with God, his displeasure and curse; so as we are by nature children of wrath, bond slaves to Satan, and justly liable to all punishments in this world, and that which is to come.

=== Question 28 – What are the punishments of sin in this world? ===
Answer: The punishments of sin in this world are either inward, as blindness of mind, a reprobate sense, strong delusions, hardness of heart, horror of conscience, and vile affections; or outward, as the curse of God upon the creatures for our sakes, and all other evils that befall us in our bodies, names, estates, relations, and employments; together with death itself.

=== Question 29 – What are the punishments of sin in the world to come? ===
Answer: The punishments of sin in the world to come, are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in hell-fire forever.

=== Question 30 – Doth God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? ===
Answer: God doth not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery, into which they fell by the breach of the first covenant, commonly called the covenant of works; but of his mere love and mercy delivereth his elect out of it, and bringeth them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant, commonly called the covenant of grace.

=== Question 31 – With whom was the covenant of grace made? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.

=== Question 32 – How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant? ===
Answer: The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

=== Question 33 – Was the covenant of grace always administered after one and the same manner? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was not always administered after the same manner, but the administrations of it under the Old Testament were different from those under the New.

=== Question 34 – How was the covenant of grace administered under the Old Testament? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was administered under the Old Testament, by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the passover, and other types and ordinances, which did all foresignify Christ then to come, and were for that time sufficient to build up the elect in faith in the promised messiah, by whom they then had full remission of sin, and eternal salvation.

=== Question 35 – How is the covenant of grace administered under the New Testament? ===
Answer: Under the New Testament, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the same covenant of grace was and still is to be administered in the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper; in which grace and salvation are held forth in more fullness, evidence, and efficacy, to all nations.

=== Question 36 – Who is the mediator of the covenant of grace? ===
Answer: The only mediator of the covenant of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, of one substance and equal with the Father, in the fullness of time became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two entire distinct natures, and one person, forever.

=== Question 37 – How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? ===
Answer: 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, of her substance, and born of her, yet without sin.

=== Question 38 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience, and intercession; and to satisfy God’s justice, procure his favor, purchase a peculiar people, give his Spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation.

=== Question 39 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be man? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator should be man, that he might advance our nature, perform obedience to the law, suffer and make intercession for us in our nature, have a fellow-feeling of our infirmities; that we might receive the adoption of sons, and have comfort and access with boldness unto the throne of grace.

=== Question 40 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God and man in one person? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator, who was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both God and man, and this in one person, that the proper works of each nature might be accepted of God for us, and relied on by us, as the works of the whole person.

=== Question 41 – Why was our mediator called Jesus? ===
Answer: Our mediator was called Jesus, because he saveth his people from their sins.

=== Question 42 – Why was our mediator called Christ? ===
Answer: Our mediator was called Christ, because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure; and so set apart, and fully furnished with all authority and ability, to execute the offices of prophet, priest, and king of his church, in the estate both of his humiliation and exaltation.

=== Question 43 – How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in his revealing to the church, in all ages, by his Spirit and word, in divers ways of administration, the whole will of God, in all things concerning their edification and salvation.

=== Question 44 – How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering himself a sacrifice without spot to God, to be a reconciliation for the sins of the people; and in making continual intercession for them.

=== Question 45 – How doth Christ execute the office of a king? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them; in bestowing saving grace upon his elect, rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory, and their good; and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel.

=== Question 46 – What was the estate of Christ’s humiliation? ===
Answer: The estate of Christ’s humiliation was that low condition, wherein he for our sakes, emptying himself of his glory, took upon him the form of a servant, in his conception and birth, life, death, and after his death, until his resurrection.

=== Question 47 – How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth, in that, being from all eternity the Son of God, in the bosom of the Father, he was pleased in the fullness of time to become the son of man, made of a woman of low estate, and to be born of her; with divers circumstances of more than ordinary abasement.

=== Question 48 – How did Christ humble himself in his life? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his life, by subjecting himself to the law, which he perfectly fulfilled; and by conflicting with the indignities of the world, temptations of Satan, and infirmities in his flesh, whether common to the nature of man, or particularly accompanying that his low condition.

=== Question 49 – How did Christ humble himself in his death? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas, forsaken by his disciples, scorned and rejected by the world, condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors; having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the powers of darkness, felt and borne the weight of God’s wrath, he laid down his life an offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.

=== Question: 50 – Wherein consisted Christ’s humiliation after his death? ===
Answer: Christ’s humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried, and continuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of death till the third day; which hath been otherwise expressed in these words, He descended into hell.

=== Question 51 – What was the estate of Christ’s exaltation? ===
Answer: The estate of Christ’s exaltation comprehendeth his resurrection, ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and his coming again to judge the world.

=== Question 52 – How was Christ exalted in his resurrection? ===
Answer: Christ was exalted in his resurrection, in that, not having seen corruption in death (of which it was not possible for him to be held), and having the very same body in which he suffered, with the essential properties thereof (but without mortality, and other common infirmities belonging to this life), really united to his soul, he rose again from the dead the third day by his own power; whereby he declared himself to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice, to have vanquished death, and him that had power of it, and to be Lord of quick and dead: all which he did as a public person, the head of his church, for their justification, quickening in grace, support against enemies, and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day.

=== Question 53 – How was Christ exalted in his ascension? ===
Answer: Christ was exalted in his ascension, in that having after his resurrection often appeared unto and conversed with his apostles, speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and giving them commission to preach the gospel to all nations, forty days after his resurrection, he, in our nature, and as our head, triumphing over enemies, visibly went up into the highest heavens, there to receive gifts for men, to raise up our affections thither, and to prepare a place for us, where himself is, and shall continue till his second coming at the end of the world.

=== Question 54 – How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God? ===
Answer: Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man he is advanced to the highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory, and power over all things in heaven and earth; and doth gather and defend his church, and subdue their enemies; furnisheth his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and maketh intercession for them.

=== Question 55 – How doth Christ make intercession? ===
Answer: Christ maketh intercession, by his appearing in our nature continually before the Father in heaven, in the merit of his obedience and sacrifice on earth, declaring his will to have it applied to all believers; answering all accusations against them, and procuring for them quiet of conscience, notwithstanding daily failings, access with boldness to the throne of grace, and acceptance of their persons and services.

=== Question 56 – How is Christ to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world? ===
Answer: Christ is to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world, in that he, who was unjustly judged and condemned by wicked men, shall come again at the last day in great power, and in the full manifestation of his own glory, and of his Father’s, with all his holy angels, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, to judge the world in righteousness.

=== Question 57 – What benefits hath Christ procured by his mediation? ===
Answer: Christ, by his mediation, hath procured redemption, with all other benefits of the covenant of grace.

=== Question 58 – How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured? ===
Answer: We are made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured, by the application of them unto us, which is the work especially of God the Holy Ghost.

=== Question 59 – Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ? ===
Answer: Redemption is certainly applied, and effectually communicated, to all those for whom Christ hath purchased it; who are in time by the Holy Ghost enabled to believe in Christ according to the gospel.

=== Question 60 – Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature? ===
Answer: They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

=== Question 61 – Are all they saved who hear the gospel, and live in the church? ===
Answer: All that hear the gospel, and live in the visible church, are not saved; but they only who are true members of the church invisible.

=== Question 62 – What is the visible church? ===
Answer: The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children.

=== Question 63 – What are the special privileges of the visible church? ===
Answer: The visible church hath the privilege of being under God’s special care and government; of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies; and of enjoying the communion of saints, the ordinary means of salvation, and offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying, that whosoever believes in him shall be saved, and excluding none that will come unto him.

=== Question 64 – What is the invisible church? ===
Answer: The invisible church is the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head.

=== Question 65 – What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy by Christ? ===
Answer: The members of the invisible church by Christ enjoy union and communion with him in grace and glory.

=== Question 66 – What is that union which the elect have with Christ? ===
Answer: The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God’s grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.

=== Question 67 – What is effectual calling? ===
Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God’s almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein.

=== Question 68 – Are the elect only effectually called? ===
Answer: All the elect, and they only, are effectually called; although others may be, and often are, outwardly called by the ministry of the word, and have some common operations of the Spirit; who, for their willful neglect and contempt of the grace offered to them, being justly left in their unbelief, do never truly come to Jesus Christ.

=== Question 69 – What is the communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ? ===
Answer: The communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is their partaking of the virtue of his mediation, in their justification, adoption, sanctification, and whatever else, in this life, manifests their union with him.

=== Question 70 – What is justification? ===
Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone.

=== Question 71 – How is justification an act of God’s free grace? ===
Answer: Although Christ, by his obedience and death, did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice in the behalf of them that are justified; yet inasmuch as God accepteth the satisfaction from a surety, which he might have demanded of them, and did provide this surety, his own only Son, imputing his righteousness to them, and requiring nothing of them for their justification but faith, which also is his gift, their justification is to them of free grace.

=== Question 72 – What is justifying faith? ===
Answer: Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

=== Question 73 – How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God? ===
Answer: Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness.

=== Question 74 – What is adoption? ===
Answer: Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.

=== Question 75 – What is sanctification? ===
Answer: Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God; having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts, and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened, as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.

=== Question 76 – What is repentance unto life? ===
Answer: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, and upon the apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, he so grieves for and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience.

=== Question 77 – Wherein do justification and sanctification differ? ===
Answer: Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

=== Question 78 – Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers? ===
Answer: The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.

=== Question 79 – May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace? ===
Answer: True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

=== Question 80 – Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation? ===
Answer: Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God’s promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation.

=== Question 81 – Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved? ===
Answer: Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.

=== Question 82 – What is the communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ? ===
Answer: The communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is in this life, immediately after death, and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of judgment.

=== Question 83 – What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life? ===
Answer: The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life the firstfruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and so in him are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of; and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory; as, on the contrary, sense of God’s revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.

=== Question 84 – Shall all men die? ===
Answer: Death being threatened as the wages of sin, it is appointed unto all men once to die; for that all have sinned.

=== Question 85 – Death being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ? ===
Answer: The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curse of it; so that, although they die, yet it is out of God’s love, to free them perfectly from sin and misery, and to make them capable of further communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.

=== Question 86 – What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death? ===
Answer: The communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

=== Question 87 – What are we to believe concerning the resurrection? ===
Answer: We are to believe that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the selfsame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by him, as an offended judge.

=== Question 88 – What shall immediately follow after the resurrection? ===
Answer: Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men; the day and hour whereof no man knoweth, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.

=== Question 89 – What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment? ===
Answer: At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ’s left hand, and, upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favorable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels forever.

=== Question 90 – What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment? ===
Answer: At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on his right hand, and there openly acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven, where they shall be fully and forever freed from all sin and misery; filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity. And this is the perfect and full communion which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory, at the resurrection and day of judgment.

=== Question 91 – What is the duty which God requireth of man? ===
Answer: The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.

=== Question 92 – What did God first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience? ===
Answer: The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, besides a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was the moral law.

=== Question 93 – What is the moral law? ===
Answer: The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding every one to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul, and body, and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man: promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.

=== Question 94 – Is there any use of the moral law since the fall? ===
Answer: Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.

=== Question: 95 – Of what use is the moral law to all men? ===
Answer: The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives: to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.

=== Question 96 – What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men? ===
Answer: The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from the wrath to come, and to drive them to Christ; or, upon the continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable, and under the curse thereof.

=== Question 97 – What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate? ===
Answer: Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.

=== Question 98 – Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? ===
Answer: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus; the four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.

=== Question: 99 – What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: For the right understanding of the Ten Commandments, these rules are to be observed:

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.

2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.

3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded: so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included; and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.

5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; what he commands, is always our duty; and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.

6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.

7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavor that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.

8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them; and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them.

=== Question 100 – What special things are we to consider in the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: We are to consider, in the Ten Commandments, the preface, the substance of the commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more to enforce them.

=== Question 101 – What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: The preface to the Ten Commandments is contained in these words, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Wherein God manifesteth his sovereignty, as being JEHOVAH, the eternal, immutable, and almighty God; having his being in and of himself, and giving being to all his words and works: and that he is a God in covenant, as with Israel of old, so with all his people; who, as he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivereth us from our spiritual thraldom; and that therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his commandments.

=== Question 102 – What is the sum of the four commandments which contain our duty to God? ===
Answer: The sum of the four commandments containing our duty to God, is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind.

=== Question 103 – Which is the first commandment? ===
Answer: The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

=== Question 104 – What are the duties required in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

=== Question 105 – What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the first commandment, are, atheism, in denying or not having a God; idolatry, in having or worshiping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment; ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him; bold and curious searching into his secrets; all profaneness, hatred of God; self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off from him in whole or in part; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, and insensibleness under judgments, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God; using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means; carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal; lukewarmness, and deadness in the things of God; estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God; praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any other creatures; all compacts and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions; making men the lords of our faith and conscience; slighting and despising God and his commands; resisting and grieving of his Spirit, discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us; and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature.

=== Question 106 – What are we specially taught by these words, before me, in the first commandment? ===
Answer: These words, before me, or before my face, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh special notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God: that so it may be an argument to dissuade from it, and to aggravate it as a most impudent provocation: as also to persuade us to do as in his sight, whatever we do in his service.

=== Question 107 – Which is the second commandment? ===
Answer: The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

=== Question 108 – What are the duties required in the second commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto him: as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship; and, according to each one’s place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.

=== Question 109 – What sins are forbidden in the second commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and any wise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever; all worshiping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them; all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretense whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.

=== Question 110 – What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments; are, besides God’s sovereignty over us, and propriety in us, his fervent zeal for his own worship, and his revengeful indignation against all false worship, as being a spiritual whoredom; accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations; and esteeming the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising mercy to them unto many generations.

=== Question 111 – Which is the third commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 112 – What is required in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The third commandment requires, that the name of God, his titles, attributes, ordinances, the word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, vows, lots, his works, and whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and reverently used in thought, meditation, word, and writing; by an holy profession, and answerable conversation, to the glory of God, and the good of ourselves, and others.

=== Question 113 – What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God’s name as is required; and the abuse of it in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked mentioning or otherwise using his titles, attributes, ordinances, or works, by blasphemy, perjury; all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; murmuring and quarreling at, curious prying into, and misapplying of God’s decrees and providences; misinterpreting, misapplying, or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious or unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; abusing it, the creatures, or anything contained under the name of God, to charms, or sinful lusts and practices; the maligning, scorning, reviling, or any wise opposing of God’s truth, grace, and ways; making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being ashamed of it, or a shame to it, by unconformable, unwise, unfruitful, and offensive walking, or backsliding from it.

=== Question 114 – What reasons are annexed to the third commandment? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, The LORD thy God, and, For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, are, because he is the Lord and our God, therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us; especially because he will be so far from acquitting and sparing the transgressors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment, albeit many such escape the censures and punishments of men.

=== Question 115 – Which is the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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 maidservant, 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.

=== Question 116 – What is required in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment requireth of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian sabbath, and in the New Testament called The Lord’s Day.

=== Question 117 – How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified? ===
Answer: The sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship: and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

=== Question 118 – Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors? ===
Answer: The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own.

=== Question 119 – What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are, all omissions of the duties required, all careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them; all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself sinful; and by all needless works, words, and thoughts, about our worldly employments and recreations.

=== Question 120 – What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God allowing us six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself, in these words, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: from God’s challenging a special propriety in that day, The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: from the example of God, who in six days ... made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: and from that blessing which God put upon that day, not only in sanctifying it to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of blessing to us in our sanctifying it; Wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

=== Question 121 – Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth commandment, partly, because of the great benefit of remembering it, we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it, and, in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandments, and to continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion; and partly, because we are very ready to forget it, for that there is less light of nature for it, and yet it restraineth our natural liberty in things at other times lawful; that it cometh but once in seven days, and many worldly businesses come between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to sanctify it; and that Satan with his instruments much labor to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety.

=== Question 122 – What is the sum of the six commandments which contain our duty to man? ===
Answer: The sum of the six commandments which contain our duty to man, is, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to do to others what we would have them do to us.

=== Question 123 – Which is the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 124 – Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: By father and mother, in the fifth commandment, are meant, not only natural parents, but all superiors in age and gifts; and especially such as, by God’s ordinance, are over us in place of authority, whether in family, church, or commonwealth.

=== Question 125 – Why are superiors styled Father and Mother? ===
Answer: Superiors are styled Father and Mother, both to teach them in all duties toward their inferiors, like natural parents, to express love and tenderness to them, according to their several relations; and to work inferiors to a greater willingness and cheerfulness in performing their duties to their superiors, as to their parents.

=== Question 126 – What is the general scope of the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: The general scope of the fifth commandment is, the performance of those duties which we mutually owe in our several relations, as inferiors, superiors or equals.

=== Question 127 – What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors? ===
Answer: The honor which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in heart, word, and behavior; prayer and thanksgiving for them; imitation of their virtues and graces; willing obedience to their lawful commands and counsels; due submission to their corrections; fidelity to, defense, and maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks, and the nature of their places; bearing with their infirmities, and covering them in love, that so they may be an honor to them and to their government.

=== Question 128 – What are the sins of inferiors against their superiors? ===
Answer: The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them; envying at, contempt of, and rebellion against their persons and places, in their lawful counsels, commands, and corrections; cursing, mocking, and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonor to them and their government.

=== Question 129 – What is required of superiors towards their inferiors? ===
Answer: It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their inferiors; to instruct, counsel, and admonish them; countenancing, commending, and rewarding such as do well; and discountenancing, reproving, and chastising such as do ill; protecting, and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body: and by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God, honor to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them.

=== Question 130 – What are the sins of superiors? ===
Answer: The sins of superiors are, besides the neglect of the duties required of them, an inordinate seeking of themselves, their own glory, ease, profit, or pleasure; commanding things unlawful, or not in the power of inferiors to perform; counseling, encouraging, or favoring them in that which is evil; dissuading, discouraging, or discountenancing them in that which is good; correcting them unduly; careless exposing, or leaving them to wrong, temptation, and danger; provoking them to wrath; or any way dishonoring themselves, or lessening their authority, by an unjust, indiscreet, rigorous, or remiss behavior.

=== Question 131 – What are the duties of equals? ===
Answer: The duties of equals are, to regard the dignity and worth of each other, in giving honor to go one before another; and to rejoice in each others’ gifts and advancement, as their own.

=== Question 132 – What are the sins of equals? ===
Answer: The sins of equals are, besides the neglect of the duties required, the undervaluing of the worth, envying the gifts, grieving at the advancement or prosperity one of another; and usurping preeminence one over another.

=== Question 133 – What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reason annexed to the fifth commandment, in these words, That thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, is an express 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.

=== Question 134 – Which is the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.

=== Question 135 – What are the duties required in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defense thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent.

=== Question 136 – What are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, all taking away the life of ourselves, or of others, except in case of public justice, lawful war, or necessary defense; the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life; sinful anger, hatred, envy, desire of revenge; all excessive passions, distracting cares; immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreations; provoking words, oppression, quarreling, striking, wounding, and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any.

=== Question 137 – Which is the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

=== Question 138 – What are the duties required in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; temperance, keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel; marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, conjugal love, and cohabitation; diligent labor in our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.

=== Question 139– What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest apparel; prohibiting of lawful, and dispensing with unlawful marriages; allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them; entangling vows of single life, undue delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; unjust divorce, or desertion; idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company; lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays; and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.

=== Question 140 – Which is the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

=== Question 141 – What are the duties required in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the eighth commandment are, truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man and man; rendering to every one his due; restitution of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereof; giving and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of others; moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning worldly goods; a provident care and study to get, keep, use, and dispose these things which are necessary and convenient for the sustentation of our nature, and suitable to our condition; a lawful calling, and diligence in it; frugality; avoiding unnecessary lawsuits, and suretiship, or other like engagements; and an endeavor, by all just and lawful means, to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own.

=== Question 142 – What are the sins forbidden in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, theft, robbery, man-stealing, and receiving anything that is stolen; fraudulent dealing, false weights and measures, removing landmarks, injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man, or in matters of trust; oppression, extortion, usury, bribery, vexatious lawsuits, unjust enclosures and depredation; engrossing commodities to enhance the price; unlawful callings, and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our neighbor what belongs to him, or of enriching ourselves; covetousness; inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods; distrustful and distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping, and using them; envying at the prosperity of others; as likewise idleness, prodigality, wasteful gaming; and all other ways whereby we do unduly prejudice our own outward estate, and defrauding ourselves of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given us.

=== Question 143 – Which is the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

=== Question 144 – What are the duties required in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

=== Question 145 – What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

=== Question 146 – Which is the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s.

=== Question 147 – What are the duties required in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the tenth commandment are, such a full contentment with our own condition, and such a charitable frame of the whole soul toward our neighbor, as that all our inward motions and affections touching him, tend unto, and further all that good which is his.

=== Question 148 – What are the sins forbidden in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the tenth commandment are, discontentment with our own estate; envying and grieving at the good of our neighbor, together with all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

=== Question 149 – Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? ===
Answer: No man is able, either of himself, or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God; but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.

=== Question 150 – Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God? ===
Answer: All transgressions of the law are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

=== Question 151 – What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others? ===
Answer: Sins receive their aggravations,

1. From the persons offending; if they be of riper age, greater experience or grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others.

2. From the parties offended: if immediately against God, his attributes, and worship; against Christ, and his grace; the Holy Spirit, his witness, and workings; against superiors, men of eminency, and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto; against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many.

3. From the nature and quality of the offence: if it be against the express letter of the law, break many commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation: if against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments; and our prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men: if done deliberately, willfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly, maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance.

4. From circumstances of time, and place: if on the Lord’s day, or other times of divine worship; or immediately before or after these, or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages: if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.

=== Question 152 – What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God? ===
Answer: Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous law, deserveth his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come; and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Christ.

=== Question 153 – What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law? ===
Answer: That we may escape the wrath and curse of God due to us by reason of the transgression of the law, he requireth of us repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and the diligent use of the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation.

=== Question 154 – What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation? ===
Answer: The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to his church the benefits of his mediation, are all his ordinances; especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.

=== Question 155 – How is the word made effectual to salvation? ===
Answer: The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image, and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

=== Question 156 – Is the Word of God to be read by all? ===
Answer: Although all are not to be permitted to read the word publicly to the congregation, yet all sorts of people are bound to read it apart by themselves, and with their families: to which end, the holy Scriptures are to be translated out of the original into vulgar languages.

=== Question 157 – How is the Word of God to be read? ===
Answer: The holy Scriptures are to be read with an high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm persuasion that they are the very Word of God, and that he only can enable us to understand them; with desire to know, believe, and obey the will of God revealed in them; with diligence, and attention to the matter and scope of them; with meditation, application, self-denial, and prayer.

=== Question 158 – By whom is the Word of God to be preached? ===
Answer: The Word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office.

=== Question 159 – How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto? ===
Answer: They that are called to labor in the ministry of the word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, in season and out of season; plainly, not in the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; faithfully, making known the whole counsel of God; wisely, applying themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers; zealously, with fervent love to God and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory, and their conversion, edification, and salvation.

=== Question 160 – What is required of those that hear the word preached? ===
Answer: It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

=== Question 161 – How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? ===
Answer: The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not by any power in themselves, or any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered, but only by the working of the Holy Ghost, and the blessing of Christ, by whom they are instituted.

=== Question 162 – What is a sacrament? ===
Answer: A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ in his church, to signify, seal, and exhibit unto those that are within the covenant of grace, the benefits of his mediation; to strengthen and increase their faith, and all other graces; to oblige them to obedience; to testify and cherish their love and communion one with another; and to distinguish them from those that are without.

=== Question 163 – What are the parts of a sacrament? ===
Answer: The parts of a sacrament are two; the one an outward and sensible sign, used according to Christ’s own appointment; the other an inward and spiritual grace thereby signified.

=== Question 164 – How many sacraments hath Christ instituted in his church under the New Testament? ===
Answer: Under the New Testament Christ hath instituted in his church only two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s supper.

=== Question 165 – What is baptism? ===
Answer: Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein Christ hath ordained the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be a sign and seal of ingrafting into himself, of remission of sins by his blood, and regeneration by his Spirit; of adoption, and resurrection unto everlasting life; and whereby the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open and professed engagement to be wholly and only the Lord’s.

=== Question 166 – Unto whom is baptism to be administered? ===
Answer: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.

=== Question 167 – How is baptism to be improved by us? ===
Answer: The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavoring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.

=== Question 168 – What is the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: The Lord’s supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness, and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.

=== Question 169 – How hath Christ appointed bread and wine to be given and received in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: Christ hath appointed the ministers of his word, in the administration of this sacrament of the Lord’s supper, to set apart the bread and wine from common use, by the word of institution, thanksgiving, and prayer; to take and break the bread, and to give both the bread and the wine to the communicants: who are, by the same appointment, to take and eat the bread, and to drink the wine, in thankful remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given, and his blood shed, for them.

=== Question 170 – How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord’s supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein? ===
Answer: As the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord’s supper, and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly and really than the elements themselves are to their outward senses; so they that worthily communicate in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ, not after a corporal and carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death.

=== Question 171 – How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it? ===
Answer: They that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.

=== Question 172 – May one who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation, come to the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: One who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, may have true interest in Christ, though he be not yet assured thereof; and in God’s account hath it, if he be duly affected with the apprehension of the want of it, and unfeignedly desires to be found in Christ, and to depart from iniquity: in which case (because promises are made, and this sacrament is appointed, for the relief even of weak and doubting Christians) he is to bewail his unbelief, and labor to have his doubts resolved; and, so doing, he may and ought to come to the Lord’s supper, that he may be further strengthened.

=== Question 173 – May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, be kept from it? ===
Answer: Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, may and ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the power which Christ hath left in his church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.

=== Question 174 – What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper in the time of the administration of it? ===
Answer: It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord’s body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fullness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints.

=== Question 175 – What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: The duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, is seriously to consider how they have behaved themselves therein, and with what success; if they find quickening and comfort, to bless God for it, beg the continuance of it, watch against relapses, fulfill their vows, and encourage themselves to a frequent attendance on that ordinance: but if they find no present benefit, more exactly to review their preparation to, and carriage at, the sacrament; in both which, if they can approve themselves to God and their own consciences, they are to wait for the fruit of it in due time: but, if they see they have failed in either, they are to be humbled, and to attend upon it afterwards with more care and diligence.

=== Questions 176 – Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper agree? ===
Answer: The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper agree, in that the author of both is God; the spiritual part of both is Christ and his benefits; both are seals of the same covenant, are to be dispensed by ministers of the gospel, and by none other; and to be continued in the church of Christ until his second coming.

=== Question 177 – Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper differ? ===
Answer: The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper differ, in that baptism is to be administered but once, with water, to be a sign and seal of our regeneration and ingrafting into Christ, and that even to infants; whereas the Lord’s supper is to be administered often, in the elements of bread and wine, to represent and exhibit Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul, and to confirm our continuance and growth in him, and that only to such as are of years and ability to examine themselves.

=== Question 178 – What is prayer? ===
Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.

=== Question 179 – Are we to pray unto God only? ===
Answer: God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfill the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshiped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.

Question 180 – What is it to pray in the name of Christ?

Answer: To pray in the name of Christ is, in obedience to his command, and in confidence on his promises, to ask mercy for his sake; not by bare mentioning of his name, but by drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Christ and his mediation.

=== Question 181 – Why are we to pray in the name of Christ? ===
Answer: The sinfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we can have no access into his presence without a mediator; and there being none in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for, that glorious work but Christ alone, we are to pray in no other name but his only.

=== Question 182 – How doth the Spirit help us to pray? ===
Answer: We not knowing what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, by enabling us to understand both for whom, and what, and how prayer is to be made; and by working and quickening in our hearts (although not in all persons, nor at all times, in the same measure) those apprehensions, affections, and graces which are requisite for the right performance of that duty.

=== Question 183 – For whom are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray for the whole church of Christ upon earth; for magistrates, and ministers; for ourselves, our brethren, yea, our enemies; and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those that are known to have sinned the sin unto death.

=== Question 184 – For what things are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray for all things tending to the glory of God, the welfare of the church, our own or others’ good; but not for anything that is unlawful.

=== Question 185 – How are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our own unworthiness, necessities, and sins; with penitent, thankful, and enlarged hearts; with understanding, faith, sincerity, fervency, love, and perseverance, waiting upon him, with humble submission to his will.

=== Question 186 – What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of prayer? ===
Answer: The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in the duty of prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which our Savior Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord’s prayer.

=== Question 187 – How is the Lord’s prayer to be used? ===
Answer: The Lord’s prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern, according to which we are to make other prayers; but may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, and other graces necessary to the right performance of the duty of prayer.

=== Question 188 – Of how many parts doth the Lord’s prayer consist? ===
Answer: The Lord’s prayer consists of three parts; a preface, petitions, and a conclusion.

=== Question 189 – What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us? ===
Answer: The preface of the Lord’s prayer (contained in these words, Our Father which art in heaven) teacheth us, when we pray, to draw near to God with confidence of his fatherly goodness, and our interest therein; with reverence, and all other childlike dispositions, heavenly affections, and due apprehensions of his sovereign power, majesty, and gracious condescension: as also, to pray with and for others.

=== Question 190 – What do we pray for in the first petition? ===
Answer: In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name), acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honor God aright, we pray, that God would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know, to acknowledge, and highly to esteem him, his titles, attributes, ordinances, word, works, and whatsoever he is pleased to make himself known by; and to glorify him in thought, word, and deed: that he would prevent and remove atheism, ignorance, idolatry, profaneness, and whatsoever is dishonorable to him; and, by his overruling providence, direct and dispose of all things to his own glory.

=== Question 191 – What do we pray for in the second petition? ===
Answer: In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come), acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in; the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances, purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate; that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted: that Christ would rule in our hearts here, and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him forever: and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.

=== Question 192 – What do we pray for in the third petition? ===
Answer: In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven), acknowledging that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and to do the will of God, but prone to rebel against his word, to repine and murmur against his providence, and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil: we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness, weakness, indisposedness, and perverseness of heart; and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things, with the like humility, cheerfulness, faithfulness, diligence, zeal, sincerity, and constancy, as the angels do in heaven.

=== Question 193 – What do we pray for in the fourth petition? ===
Answer: In the fourth petition (which is, Give us this day our daily bread), acknowledging that in Adam, and by our own sin, we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve to be wholly deprived of them by God, and to have them cursed to us in the use of them; and that neither they of themselves are able to sustain us, nor we to merit, or by our own industry to procure them; but prone to desire, get, and use them unlawfully: we pray for ourselves and others, that both they and we, waiting upon the providence of God from day to day in the use of lawful means, may, of his free gift, and as to his fatherly wisdom shall seem best, enjoy a competent portion of them; and have the same continued and blessed unto us in our holy and comfortable use of them, and contentment in them; and be kept from all things that are contrary to our temporal support and comfort.

=== Question 194 – What do we pray for in the fifth petition? ===
Answer: In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favor and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.

=== Question 195 – What do we pray for in the sixth petition? ===
Answer: In the sixth petition (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil), acknowledging that the most wise, righteous, and gracious God, for divers holy and just ends, may so order things, that we may be assaulted, foiled, and for a time led captive by temptations; that Satan, the world, and the flesh, are ready powerfully to draw us aside, and ensnare us; and that we, even after the pardon of our sins, by reason of our corruption, weakness, and want of watchfulness, are not only subject to be tempted, and forward to expose ourselves unto temptations, but also of ourselves unable and unwilling to resist them, to recover out of them, and to improve them; and worthy to be left under the power of them; we pray, that God would so overrule the world and all in it, subdue the flesh, and restrain Satan, order all things, bestow and bless all means of grace, and quicken us to watchfulness in the use of them, that we and all his people may by his providence be kept from being tempted to sin; or, if tempted, that by his Spirit we may be powerfully supported and enabled to stand in the hour of temptation; or when fallen, raised again and recovered out of it, and have a sanctified use and improvement thereof: that our sanctification and salvation may be perfected, Satan trodden under our feet, and we fully freed from sin, temptation, and all evil, forever.

=== Question 196 – What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s prayer teach us? ===
Answer: The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.) teacheth us to enforce our petitions with arguments, which are to be taken, not from any worthiness in ourselves, or in any other creature, but from God; and with our prayers to join praises, ascribing to God alone eternal sovereignty, omnipotency, and glorious excellency; in regard whereof, as he is able and willing to help us, so we by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he would, and quietly to rely upon him, that he will fulfill our requests. And, to testify this our desire and assurance, we say, Amen.

Westminster Larger Catechism

2023-08-09T02:58:06Z

Informer:

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a concise and systematic summary of Christian doctrine, designed to provide clear and easily memorizable answers to important theological questions. It was developed during the 17th century as part of the Westminster Assembly, a gathering of theologians and scholars convened by the English Parliament to reform the Church of England. The assembly met from 1643 to 1649 and aimed to produce a comprehensive statement of faith, along with catechisms and other doctrinal documents. The Shorter Catechism, which consists of 107 questions and answers, was primarily intended for use as a teaching tool for both children and adults. It covers essential topics such as God, creation, sin, redemption, and the Ten Commandments. The catechism has had a profound influence on Reformed theology and has been widely used within Presbyterian and other Reformed traditions. Its concise and precise formulations continue to provide a solid foundation for understanding and teaching core Christian beliefs.

=== Question 1 – What is the chief and highest end of man? ===
Answer: Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.

=== Question 2 – How doth it appear that there is a God? ===
Answer: The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God; but his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation.

=== Question 3 – What is the Word of God? ===
Answer: The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience.

=== Question 4 '''–''' How doth it appear that the Scriptures are the Word of God? ===
Answer: The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God, by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, to comfort and build up believers unto salvation: but the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very Word of God.

=== Question 5 – What do the Scriptures principally teach? ===
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

=== Question 6 – What do the Scriptures make known of God? ===
Answer: The Scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution of his decrees.

=== Question 7 – What is God? ===
Answer: God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

=== Question 8 – Are there more Gods than one? ===
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God.

=== Question 9 – How many persons are there in the Godhead? ===
Answer: There be three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties.

=== Question 10 – What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead? ===
Answer: It is proper to the Father to beget the Son, and to the Son to be begotten of the Father, and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son from all eternity.

=== Question 11 – How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father? ===
Answer: The Scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto them such names, attributes, works, and worship, as are proper to God only.

=== Question 12 – What are the decrees of God? ===
Answer: God’s decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will, whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time, especially concerning angels and men.

=== Question 13 – What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men? ===
Answer: God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory; and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof: and also, according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favor as he pleaseth), hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.

=== Question 14 – How doth God execute his decrees? ===
Answer: God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will.

=== Question 15 – What is the work of creation? ===
Answer: The work of creation is that wherein God did in the beginning, by the word of his power, make of nothing the world, and all things therein, for himself, within the space of six days, and all very good.

=== Question 16 – How did God create angels? ===
Answer: God created all the angels spirits, immortal, holy, excelling in knowledge, mighty in power, to execute his commandments, and to praise his name, yet subject to change.

=== Question 17 – How did God create man? ===
Answer: After God had made all other creatures, he created man male and female; formed the body of the man of the dust of the ground, and the woman of the rib of the man, endued them with living, reasonable, and immortal souls; made them after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness; having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfill it, and dominion over the creatures; yet subject to fall.

=== Question 18 – What are God’s works of providence? ===
Answer: God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory.

=== Question 19 – What is God’s providence towards the angels? ===
Answer: God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation, limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own glory; and established the rest in holiness and happiness; employing them all, at his pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy, and justice.

=== Question 20 – What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created? ===
Answer: The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth; putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with himself; instituting the Sabbath; entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience, of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

=== Question 21 – Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him? ===
Answer: Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, through the temptation of Satan, transgressed the commandment of God in eating the forbidden fruit; and thereby fell from the estate of innocency wherein they were created.

=== Question 22 – Did all mankind fall in that first transgression? ===
Answer: The covenant being made with Adam as a public person, not for himself only, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in that first transgression.

Question 23 – Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

Answer: The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

=== Question 24 – What is sin? ===
Answer: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature.

=== Question 25 – Wherein consisteth the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell? ===
Answer: The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consisteth in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of that righteousness wherein he was created, and the corruption of his nature, whereby he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually; which is commonly called original sin, and from which do proceed all actual transgressions.

=== Question 26 – How is original sin conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity? ===
Answer: Original sin is conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity by natural generation, so as all that proceed from them in that way are conceived and born in sin.

=== Question 27 – What misery did the fall bring upon mankind? ===
Answer: The fall brought upon mankind the loss of communion with God, his displeasure and curse; so as we are by nature children of wrath, bond slaves to Satan, and justly liable to all punishments in this world, and that which is to come.

=== Question 28 – What are the punishments of sin in this world? ===
Answer: The punishments of sin in this world are either inward, as blindness of mind, a reprobate sense, strong delusions, hardness of heart, horror of conscience, and vile affections; or outward, as the curse of God upon the creatures for our sakes, and all other evils that befall us in our bodies, names, estates, relations, and employments; together with death itself.

=== Question 29 – What are the punishments of sin in the world to come? ===
Answer: The punishments of sin in the world to come, are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in hell-fire forever.

=== Question 30 – Doth God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? ===
Answer: God doth not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery, into which they fell by the breach of the first covenant, commonly called the covenant of works; but of his mere love and mercy delivereth his elect out of it, and bringeth them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant, commonly called the covenant of grace.

=== Question 31 – With whom was the covenant of grace made? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.

=== Question 32 – How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant? ===
Answer: The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

=== Question 33 – Was the covenant of grace always administered after one and the same manner? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was not always administered after the same manner, but the administrations of it under the Old Testament were different from those under the New.

=== Question 34 – How was the covenant of grace administered under the Old Testament? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was administered under the Old Testament, by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the passover, and other types and ordinances, which did all foresignify Christ then to come, and were for that time sufficient to build up the elect in faith in the promised messiah, by whom they then had full remission of sin, and eternal salvation.

=== Question 35 – How is the covenant of grace administered under the New Testament? ===
Answer: Under the New Testament, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the same covenant of grace was and still is to be administered in the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper; in which grace and salvation are held forth in more fullness, evidence, and efficacy, to all nations.

=== Question 36 – Who is the mediator of the covenant of grace? ===
Answer: The only mediator of the covenant of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, of one substance and equal with the Father, in the fullness of time became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two entire distinct natures, and one person, forever.

=== Question 37 – How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? ===
Answer: 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, of her substance, and born of her, yet without sin.

=== Question 38 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience, and intercession; and to satisfy God’s justice, procure his favor, purchase a peculiar people, give his Spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation.

=== Question 39 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be man? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator should be man, that he might advance our nature, perform obedience to the law, suffer and make intercession for us in our nature, have a fellow-feeling of our infirmities; that we might receive the adoption of sons, and have comfort and access with boldness unto the throne of grace.

=== Question 40 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God and man in one person? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator, who was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both God and man, and this in one person, that the proper works of each nature might be accepted of God for us, and relied on by us, as the works of the whole person.

=== Question 41 – Why was our mediator called Jesus? ===
Answer: Our mediator was called Jesus, because he saveth his people from their sins.

=== Question 42 – Why was our mediator called Christ? ===
Answer: Our mediator was called Christ, because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure; and so set apart, and fully furnished with all authority and ability, to execute the offices of prophet, priest, and king of his church, in the estate both of his humiliation and exaltation.

=== Question 43 – How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in his revealing to the church, in all ages, by his Spirit and word, in divers ways of administration, the whole will of God, in all things concerning their edification and salvation.

=== Question 44 – How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering himself a sacrifice without spot to God, to be a reconciliation for the sins of the people; and in making continual intercession for them.

=== Question 45 – How doth Christ execute the office of a king? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them; in bestowing saving grace upon his elect, rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory, and their good; and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel.

=== Question 46 – What was the estate of Christ’s humiliation? ===
Answer: The estate of Christ’s humiliation was that low condition, wherein he for our sakes, emptying himself of his glory, took upon him the form of a servant, in his conception and birth, life, death, and after his death, until his resurrection.

=== Question 47 – How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth, in that, being from all eternity the Son of God, in the bosom of the Father, he was pleased in the fullness of time to become the son of man, made of a woman of low estate, and to be born of her; with divers circumstances of more than ordinary abasement.

=== Question 48 – How did Christ humble himself in his life? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his life, by subjecting himself to the law, which he perfectly fulfilled; and by conflicting with the indignities of the world, temptations of Satan, and infirmities in his flesh, whether common to the nature of man, or particularly accompanying that his low condition.

=== Question 49 – How did Christ humble himself in his death? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas, forsaken by his disciples, scorned and rejected by the world, condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors; having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the powers of darkness, felt and borne the weight of God’s wrath, he laid down his life an offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.

=== Question: 50 – Wherein consisted Christ’s humiliation after his death? ===
Answer: Christ’s humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried, and continuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of death till the third day; which hath been otherwise expressed in these words, He descended into hell.

=== Question 51 – What was the estate of Christ’s exaltation? ===
Answer: The estate of Christ’s exaltation comprehendeth his resurrection, ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and his coming again to judge the world.

=== Question 52 – How was Christ exalted in his resurrection? ===
Answer: Christ was exalted in his resurrection, in that, not having seen corruption in death (of which it was not possible for him to be held), and having the very same body in which he suffered, with the essential properties thereof (but without mortality, and other common infirmities belonging to this life), really united to his soul, he rose again from the dead the third day by his own power; whereby he declared himself to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice, to have vanquished death, and him that had power of it, and to be Lord of quick and dead: all which he did as a public person, the head of his church, for their justification, quickening in grace, support against enemies, and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day.

=== Question 53 – How was Christ exalted in his ascension? ===
Answer: Christ was exalted in his ascension, in that having after his resurrection often appeared unto and conversed with his apostles, speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and giving them commission to preach the gospel to all nations, forty days after his resurrection, he, in our nature, and as our head, triumphing over enemies, visibly went up into the highest heavens, there to receive gifts for men, to raise up our affections thither, and to prepare a place for us, where himself is, and shall continue till his second coming at the end of the world.

=== Question 54 – How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God? ===
Answer: Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man he is advanced to the highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory, and power over all things in heaven and earth; and doth gather and defend his church, and subdue their enemies; furnisheth his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and maketh intercession for them.

=== Question 55 – How doth Christ make intercession? ===
Answer: Christ maketh intercession, by his appearing in our nature continually before the Father in heaven, in the merit of his obedience and sacrifice on earth, declaring his will to have it applied to all believers; answering all accusations against them, and procuring for them quiet of conscience, notwithstanding daily failings, access with boldness to the throne of grace, and acceptance of their persons and services.

=== Question 56 – How is Christ to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world? ===
Answer: Christ is to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world, in that he, who was unjustly judged and condemned by wicked men, shall come again at the last day in great power, and in the full manifestation of his own glory, and of his Father’s, with all his holy angels, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, to judge the world in righteousness.

=== Question 57 – What benefits hath Christ procured by his mediation? ===
Answer: Christ, by his mediation, hath procured redemption, with all other benefits of the covenant of grace.

=== Question 58 – How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured? ===
Answer: We are made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured, by the application of them unto us, which is the work especially of God the Holy Ghost.

=== Question 59 – Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ? ===
Answer: Redemption is certainly applied, and effectually communicated, to all those for whom Christ hath purchased it; who are in time by the Holy Ghost enabled to believe in Christ according to the gospel.

=== Question 60 – Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature? ===
Answer: They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

=== Question 61 – Are all they saved who hear the gospel, and live in the church? ===
Answer: All that hear the gospel, and live in the visible church, are not saved; but they only who are true members of the church invisible.

=== Question 62 – What is the visible church? ===
Answer: The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children.

=== Question 63 – What are the special privileges of the visible church? ===
Answer: The visible church hath the privilege of being under God’s special care and government; of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies; and of enjoying the communion of saints, the ordinary means of salvation, and offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying, that whosoever believes in him shall be saved, and excluding none that will come unto him.

=== Question 64 – What is the invisible church? ===
Answer: The invisible church is the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head.

=== Question 65 – What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy by Christ? ===
Answer: The members of the invisible church by Christ enjoy union and communion with him in grace and glory.

=== Question 66 – What is that union which the elect have with Christ? ===
Answer: The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God’s grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.

=== Question 67 – What is effectual calling? ===
Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God’s almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein.

=== Question 68 – Are the elect only effectually called? ===
Answer: All the elect, and they only, are effectually called; although others may be, and often are, outwardly called by the ministry of the word, and have some common operations of the Spirit; who, for their willful neglect and contempt of the grace offered to them, being justly left in their unbelief, do never truly come to Jesus Christ.

=== Question 69 – What is the communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ? ===
Answer: The communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is their partaking of the virtue of his mediation, in their justification, adoption, sanctification, and whatever else, in this life, manifests their union with him.

=== Question 70 – What is justification? ===
Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone.

=== Question 71 – How is justification an act of God’s free grace? ===
Answer: Although Christ, by his obedience and death, did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice in the behalf of them that are justified; yet inasmuch as God accepteth the satisfaction from a surety, which he might have demanded of them, and did provide this surety, his own only Son, imputing his righteousness to them, and requiring nothing of them for their justification but faith, which also is his gift, their justification is to them of free grace.

=== Question 72 – What is justifying faith? ===
Answer: Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

=== Question 73 – How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God? ===
Answer: Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness.

=== Question 74 – What is adoption? ===
Answer: Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.

=== Question 75 – What is sanctification? ===
Answer: Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God; having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts, and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened, as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.

=== Question 76 – What is repentance unto life? ===
Answer: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, and upon the apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, he so grieves for and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience.

=== Question 77 – Wherein do justification and sanctification differ? ===
Answer: Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

=== Question 78 – Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers? ===
Answer: The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.

=== Question 79 – May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace? ===
Answer: True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

=== Question 80 – Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation? ===
Answer: Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God’s promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation.

=== Question 81 – Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved? ===
Answer: Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.

=== Question 82 – What is the communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ? ===
Answer: The communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is in this life, immediately after death, and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of judgment.

=== Question 83 – What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life? ===
Answer: The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life the firstfruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and so in him are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of; and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory; as, on the contrary, sense of God’s revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.

=== Question 84 – Shall all men die? ===
Answer: Death being threatened as the wages of sin, it is appointed unto all men once to die; for that all have sinned.

=== Question 85 – Death being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ? ===
Answer: The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curse of it; so that, although they die, yet it is out of God’s love, to free them perfectly from sin and misery, and to make them capable of further communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.

=== Question 86 – What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death? ===
Answer: The communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

=== Question 87 – What are we to believe concerning the resurrection? ===
Answer: We are to believe that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the selfsame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by him, as an offended judge.

=== Question 88 – What shall immediately follow after the resurrection? ===
Answer: Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men; the day and hour whereof no man knoweth, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.

=== Question 89 – What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment? ===
Answer: At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ’s left hand, and, upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favorable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels forever.

=== Question 90 – What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment? ===
Answer: At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on his right hand, and there openly acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven, where they shall be fully and forever freed from all sin and misery; filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity. And this is the perfect and full communion which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory, at the resurrection and day of judgment.

=== Question 91 – What is the duty which God requireth of man? ===
Answer: The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.

=== Question 92 – What did God first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience? ===
Answer: The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, besides a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was the moral law.

=== Question 93 – What is the moral law? ===
Answer: The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding every one to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul, and body, and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man: promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.

=== Question 94 – Is there any use of the moral law since the fall? ===
Answer: Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.

=== Question: 95 – Of what use is the moral law to all men? ===
Answer: The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives: to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.

=== Question 96 – What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men? ===
Answer: The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from the wrath to come, and to drive them to Christ; or, upon the continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable, and under the curse thereof.

=== Question 97 – What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate? ===
Answer: Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.

=== Question 98 – Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? ===
Answer: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus; the four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.

=== Question: 99 – What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: For the right understanding of the Ten Commandments, these rules are to be observed:

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.

2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.

3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded: so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included; and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.

5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; what he commands, is always our duty; and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.

6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.

7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavor that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.

8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them; and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them.

=== Question 100 – What special things are we to consider in the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: We are to consider, in the Ten Commandments, the preface, the substance of the commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more to enforce them.

=== Question 101 – What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: The preface to the Ten Commandments is contained in these words, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Wherein God manifesteth his sovereignty, as being JEHOVAH, the eternal, immutable, and almighty God; having his being in and of himself, and giving being to all his words and works: and that he is a God in covenant, as with Israel of old, so with all his people; who, as he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivereth us from our spiritual thraldom; and that therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his commandments.

=== Question 102 – What is the sum of the four commandments which contain our duty to God? ===
Answer: The sum of the four commandments containing our duty to God, is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind.

=== Question 103 – Which is the first commandment? ===
Answer: The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

=== Question 104 – What are the duties required in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

=== Question 105 – What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the first commandment, are, atheism, in denying or not having a God; idolatry, in having or worshiping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment; ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him; bold and curious searching into his secrets; all profaneness, hatred of God; self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off from him in whole or in part; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, and insensibleness under judgments, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God; using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means; carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal; lukewarmness, and deadness in the things of God; estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God; praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any other creatures; all compacts and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions; making men the lords of our faith and conscience; slighting and despising God and his commands; resisting and grieving of his Spirit, discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us; and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature.

=== Question 106 – What are we specially taught by these words, before me, in the first commandment? ===
Answer: These words, before me, or before my face, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh special notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God: that so it may be an argument to dissuade from it, and to aggravate it as a most impudent provocation: as also to persuade us to do as in his sight, whatever we do in his service.

=== Question 107 – Which is the second commandment? ===
Answer: The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

=== Question 108 – What are the duties required in the second commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto him: as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship; and, according to each one’s place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.

=== Question 109 – What sins are forbidden in the second commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and any wise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever; all worshiping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them; all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretense whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.

=== Question 110 – What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments; are, besides God’s sovereignty over us, and propriety in us, his fervent zeal for his own worship, and his revengeful indignation against all false worship, as being a spiritual whoredom; accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations; and esteeming the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising mercy to them unto many generations.

=== Question 111 – Which is the third commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 112 – What is required in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The third commandment requires, that the name of God, his titles, attributes, ordinances, the word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, vows, lots, his works, and whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and reverently used in thought, meditation, word, and writing; by an holy profession, and answerable conversation, to the glory of God, and the good of ourselves, and others.

=== Question 113 – What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God’s name as is required; and the abuse of it in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked mentioning or otherwise using his titles, attributes, ordinances, or works, by blasphemy, perjury; all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; murmuring and quarreling at, curious prying into, and misapplying of God’s decrees and providences; misinterpreting, misapplying, or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious or unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; abusing it, the creatures, or anything contained under the name of God, to charms, or sinful lusts and practices; the maligning, scorning, reviling, or any wise opposing of God’s truth, grace, and ways; making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being ashamed of it, or a shame to it, by unconformable, unwise, unfruitful, and offensive walking, or backsliding from it.

=== Question 114 – What reasons are annexed to the third commandment? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, The LORD thy God, and, For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, are, because he is the Lord and our God, therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us; especially because he will be so far from acquitting and sparing the transgressors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment, albeit many such escape the censures and punishments of men.

=== Question 115 – Which is the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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 maidservant, 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.

=== Question 116 – What is required in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment requireth of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian sabbath, and in the New Testament called The Lord’s Day.

=== Question 117 – How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified? ===
Answer: The sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship: and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

=== Question 118 – Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors? ===
Answer: The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own.

=== Question 119 – What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are, all omissions of the duties required, all careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them; all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself sinful; and by all needless works, words, and thoughts, about our worldly employments and recreations.

=== Question 120 – What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God allowing us six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself, in these words, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: from God’s challenging a special propriety in that day, The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: from the example of God, who in six days ... made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: and from that blessing which God put upon that day, not only in sanctifying it to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of blessing to us in our sanctifying it; Wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

=== Question 121 – Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth commandment, partly, because of the great benefit of remembering it, we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it, and, in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandments, and to continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion; and partly, because we are very ready to forget it, for that there is less light of nature for it, and yet it restraineth our natural liberty in things at other times lawful; that it cometh but once in seven days, and many worldly businesses come between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to sanctify it; and that Satan with his instruments much labor to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety.

=== Question 122 – What is the sum of the six commandments which contain our duty to man? ===
Answer: The sum of the six commandments which contain our duty to man, is, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to do to others what we would have them do to us.

=== Question 123 – Which is the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 124 – Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: By father and mother, in the fifth commandment, are meant, not only natural parents, but all superiors in age and gifts; and especially such as, by God’s ordinance, are over us in place of authority, whether in family, church, or commonwealth.

=== Question 125 – Why are superiors styled Father and Mother? ===
Answer: Superiors are styled Father and Mother, both to teach them in all duties toward their inferiors, like natural parents, to express love and tenderness to them, according to their several relations; and to work inferiors to a greater willingness and cheerfulness in performing their duties to their superiors, as to their parents.

=== Question 126 – What is the general scope of the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: The general scope of the fifth commandment is, the performance of those duties which we mutually owe in our several relations, as inferiors, superiors or equals.

=== Question 127 – What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors? ===
Answer: The honor which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in heart, word, and behavior; prayer and thanksgiving for them; imitation of their virtues and graces; willing obedience to their lawful commands and counsels; due submission to their corrections; fidelity to, defense, and maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks, and the nature of their places; bearing with their infirmities, and covering them in love, that so they may be an honor to them and to their government.

=== Question 128 – What are the sins of inferiors against their superiors? ===
Answer: The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them; envying at, contempt of, and rebellion against their persons and places, in their lawful counsels, commands, and corrections; cursing, mocking, and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonor to them and their government.

=== Question 129 – What is required of superiors towards their inferiors? ===
Answer: It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their inferiors; to instruct, counsel, and admonish them; countenancing, commending, and rewarding such as do well; and discountenancing, reproving, and chastising such as do ill; protecting, and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body: and by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God, honor to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them.

=== Question 130 – What are the sins of superiors? ===
Answer: The sins of superiors are, besides the neglect of the duties required of them, an inordinate seeking of themselves, their own glory, ease, profit, or pleasure; commanding things unlawful, or not in the power of inferiors to perform; counseling, encouraging, or favoring them in that which is evil; dissuading, discouraging, or discountenancing them in that which is good; correcting them unduly; careless exposing, or leaving them to wrong, temptation, and danger; provoking them to wrath; or any way dishonoring themselves, or lessening their authority, by an unjust, indiscreet, rigorous, or remiss behavior.

=== Question 131 – What are the duties of equals? ===
Answer: The duties of equals are, to regard the dignity and worth of each other, in giving honor to go one before another; and to rejoice in each others’ gifts and advancement, as their own.

=== Question 132 – What are the sins of equals? ===
Answer: The sins of equals are, besides the neglect of the duties required, the undervaluing of the worth, envying the gifts, grieving at the advancement or prosperity one of another; and usurping preeminence one over another.

=== Question 133 – What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reason annexed to the fifth commandment, in these words, That thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, is an express 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.

=== Question 134 – Which is the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.

=== Question 135 – What are the duties required in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defense thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent.

=== Question 136 – What are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, all taking away the life of ourselves, or of others, except in case of public justice, lawful war, or necessary defense; the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life; sinful anger, hatred, envy, desire of revenge; all excessive passions, distracting cares; immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreations; provoking words, oppression, quarreling, striking, wounding, and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any.

=== Question 137 – Which is the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

=== Question 138 – What are the duties required in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; temperance, keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel; marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, conjugal love, and cohabitation; diligent labor in our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.

=== Question 139– What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest apparel; prohibiting of lawful, and dispensing with unlawful marriages; allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them; entangling vows of single life, undue delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; unjust divorce, or desertion; idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company; lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays; and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.

=== Question 140 – Which is the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

=== Question 141 – What are the duties required in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the eighth commandment are, truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man and man; rendering to every one his due; restitution of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereof; giving and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of others; moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning worldly goods; a provident care and study to get, keep, use, and dispose these things which are necessary and convenient for the sustentation of our nature, and suitable to our condition; a lawful calling, and diligence in it; frugality; avoiding unnecessary lawsuits, and suretiship, or other like engagements; and an endeavor, by all just and lawful means, to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own.

=== Question 142 – What are the sins forbidden in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, theft, robbery, man-stealing, and receiving anything that is stolen; fraudulent dealing, false weights and measures, removing landmarks, injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man, or in matters of trust; oppression, extortion, usury, bribery, vexatious lawsuits, unjust enclosures and depredation; engrossing commodities to enhance the price; unlawful callings, and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our neighbor what belongs to him, or of enriching ourselves; covetousness; inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods; distrustful and distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping, and using them; envying at the prosperity of others; as likewise idleness, prodigality, wasteful gaming; and all other ways whereby we do unduly prejudice our own outward estate, and defrauding ourselves of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given us.

=== Question 143 – Which is the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

=== Question 144 – What are the duties required in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

=== Question 145 – What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

=== Question 146 – Which is the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s.

=== Question 147 – What are the duties required in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the tenth commandment are, such a full contentment with our own condition, and such a charitable frame of the whole soul toward our neighbor, as that all our inward motions and affections touching him, tend unto, and further all that good which is his.

=== Question 148 – What are the sins forbidden in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the tenth commandment are, discontentment with our own estate; envying and grieving at the good of our neighbor, together with all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

=== Question 149 – Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? ===
Answer: No man is able, either of himself, or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God; but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.

=== Question 150 – Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God? ===
Answer: All transgressions of the law are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

=== Question 151 – What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others? ===
Answer: Sins receive their aggravations,

1. From the persons offending; if they be of riper age, greater experience or grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others.

2. From the parties offended: if immediately against God, his attributes, and worship; against Christ, and his grace; the Holy Spirit, his witness, and workings; against superiors, men of eminency, and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto; against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many.

3. From the nature and quality of the offence: if it be against the express letter of the law, break many commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation: if against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments; and our prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men: if done deliberately, willfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly, maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance.

4. From circumstances of time, and place: if on the Lord’s day, or other times of divine worship; or immediately before or after these, or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages: if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.

=== Question 152 – What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God? ===
Answer: Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous law, deserveth his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come; and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Christ.

=== Question 153 – What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law? ===
Answer: That we may escape the wrath and curse of God due to us by reason of the transgression of the law, he requireth of us repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and the diligent use of the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation.

=== Question 154 – What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation? ===
Answer: The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to his church the benefits of his mediation, are all his ordinances; especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.

=== Question 155 – How is the word made effectual to salvation? ===
Answer: The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image, and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

=== Question 156 – Is the Word of God to be read by all? ===
Answer: Although all are not to be permitted to read the word publicly to the congregation, yet all sorts of people are bound to read it apart by themselves, and with their families: to which end, the holy Scriptures are to be translated out of the original into vulgar languages.

=== Question 157 – How is the Word of God to be read? ===
Answer: The holy Scriptures are to be read with an high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm persuasion that they are the very Word of God, and that he only can enable us to understand them; with desire to know, believe, and obey the will of God revealed in them; with diligence, and attention to the matter and scope of them; with meditation, application, self-denial, and prayer.

=== Question 158 – By whom is the Word of God to be preached? ===
Answer: The Word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office.

=== Question 159 – How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto? ===
Answer: They that are called to labor in the ministry of the word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, in season and out of season; plainly, not in the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; faithfully, making known the whole counsel of God; wisely, applying themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers; zealously, with fervent love to God and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory, and their conversion, edification, and salvation.

=== Question 160 – What is required of those that hear the word preached? ===
Answer: It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

=== Question 161 – How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? ===
Answer: The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not by any power in themselves, or any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered, but only by the working of the Holy Ghost, and the blessing of Christ, by whom they are instituted.

=== Question 162 – What is a sacrament? ===
Answer: A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ in his church, to signify, seal, and exhibit unto those that are within the covenant of grace, the benefits of his mediation; to strengthen and increase their faith, and all other graces; to oblige them to obedience; to testify and cherish their love and communion one with another; and to distinguish them from those that are without.

=== Question 163 – What are the parts of a sacrament? ===
Answer: The parts of a sacrament are two; the one an outward and sensible sign, used according to Christ’s own appointment; the other an inward and spiritual grace thereby signified.

=== Question 164 – How many sacraments hath Christ instituted in his church under the New Testament? ===
Answer: Under the New Testament Christ hath instituted in his church only two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s supper.

=== Question 165 – What is baptism? ===
Answer: Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein Christ hath ordained the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be a sign and seal of ingrafting into himself, of remission of sins by his blood, and regeneration by his Spirit; of adoption, and resurrection unto everlasting life; and whereby the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open and professed engagement to be wholly and only the Lord’s.

=== Question 166 – Unto whom is baptism to be administered? ===
Answer: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.

=== Question 167 – How is baptism to be improved by us? ===
Answer: The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavoring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.

=== Question 168 – What is the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: The Lord’s supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness, and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.

=== Question 169 – How hath Christ appointed bread and wine to be given and received in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: Christ hath appointed the ministers of his word, in the administration of this sacrament of the Lord’s supper, to set apart the bread and wine from common use, by the word of institution, thanksgiving, and prayer; to take and break the bread, and to give both the bread and the wine to the communicants: who are, by the same appointment, to take and eat the bread, and to drink the wine, in thankful remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given, and his blood shed, for them.

=== Question 170 – How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord’s supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein? ===
Answer: As the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord’s supper, and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly and really than the elements themselves are to their outward senses; so they that worthily communicate in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ, not after a corporal and carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death.

=== Question 171 – How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it? ===
Answer: They that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.

=== Question 172 – May one who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation, come to the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: One who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, may have true interest in Christ, though he be not yet assured thereof; and in God’s account hath it, if he be duly affected with the apprehension of the want of it, and unfeignedly desires to be found in Christ, and to depart from iniquity: in which case (because promises are made, and this sacrament is appointed, for the relief even of weak and doubting Christians) he is to bewail his unbelief, and labor to have his doubts resolved; and, so doing, he may and ought to come to the Lord’s supper, that he may be further strengthened.

=== Question 173 – May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, be kept from it? ===
Answer: Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, may and ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the power which Christ hath left in his church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.

=== Question 174 – What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper in the time of the administration of it? ===
Answer: It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord’s body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fullness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints.

=== Question 175 – What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: The duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, is seriously to consider how they have behaved themselves therein, and with what success; if they find quickening and comfort, to bless God for it, beg the continuance of it, watch against relapses, fulfill their vows, and encourage themselves to a frequent attendance on that ordinance: but if they find no present benefit, more exactly to review their preparation to, and carriage at, the sacrament; in both which, if they can approve themselves to God and their own consciences, they are to wait for the fruit of it in due time: but, if they see they have failed in either, they are to be humbled, and to attend upon it afterwards with more care and diligence.

=== Questions 176 – Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper agree? ===
Answer: The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper agree, in that the author of both is God; the spiritual part of both is Christ and his benefits; both are seals of the same covenant, are to be dispensed by ministers of the gospel, and by none other; and to be continued in the church of Christ until his second coming.

=== Question 177 – Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper differ? ===
Answer: The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper differ, in that baptism is to be administered but once, with water, to be a sign and seal of our regeneration and ingrafting into Christ, and that even to infants; whereas the Lord’s supper is to be administered often, in the elements of bread and wine, to represent and exhibit Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul, and to confirm our continuance and growth in him, and that only to such as are of years and ability to examine themselves.

=== Question 178 – What is prayer? ===
Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.

=== Question 179 – Are we to pray unto God only? ===
Answer: God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfill the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshiped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.

Question 180 – What is it to pray in the name of Christ?

Answer: To pray in the name of Christ is, in obedience to his command, and in confidence on his promises, to ask mercy for his sake; not by bare mentioning of his name, but by drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Christ and his mediation.

=== Question 181 – Why are we to pray in the name of Christ? ===
Answer: The sinfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we can have no access into his presence without a mediator; and there being none in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for, that glorious work but Christ alone, we are to pray in no other name but his only.

=== Question 182 – How doth the Spirit help us to pray? ===
Answer: We not knowing what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, by enabling us to understand both for whom, and what, and how prayer is to be made; and by working and quickening in our hearts (although not in all persons, nor at all times, in the same measure) those apprehensions, affections, and graces which are requisite for the right performance of that duty.

=== Question 183 – For whom are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray for the whole church of Christ upon earth; for magistrates, and ministers; for ourselves, our brethren, yea, our enemies; and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those that are known to have sinned the sin unto death.

=== Question 184 – For what things are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray for all things tending to the glory of God, the welfare of the church, our own or others’ good; but not for anything that is unlawful.

=== Question 185 – How are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our own unworthiness, necessities, and sins; with penitent, thankful, and enlarged hearts; with understanding, faith, sincerity, fervency, love, and perseverance, waiting upon him, with humble submission to his will.

=== Question 186 – What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of prayer? ===
Answer: The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in the duty of prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which our Savior Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord’s prayer.

=== Question 187 – How is the Lord’s prayer to be used? ===
Answer: The Lord’s prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern, according to which we are to make other prayers; but may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, and other graces necessary to the right performance of the duty of prayer.

=== Question 188 – Of how many parts doth the Lord’s prayer consist? ===
Answer: The Lord’s prayer consists of three parts; a preface, petitions, and a conclusion.

=== Question 189 – What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us? ===
Answer: The preface of the Lord’s prayer (contained in these words, Our Father which art in heaven) teacheth us, when we pray, to draw near to God with confidence of his fatherly goodness, and our interest therein; with reverence, and all other childlike dispositions, heavenly affections, and due apprehensions of his sovereign power, majesty, and gracious condescension: as also, to pray with and for others.

=== Question 190 – What do we pray for in the first petition? ===
Answer: In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name), acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honor God aright, we pray, that God would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know, to acknowledge, and highly to esteem him, his titles, attributes, ordinances, word, works, and whatsoever he is pleased to make himself known by; and to glorify him in thought, word, and deed: that he would prevent and remove atheism, ignorance, idolatry, profaneness, and whatsoever is dishonorable to him; and, by his overruling providence, direct and dispose of all things to his own glory.

=== Question 191 – What do we pray for in the second petition? ===
Answer: In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come), acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in; the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances, purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate; that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted: that Christ would rule in our hearts here, and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him forever: and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.

=== Question 192 – What do we pray for in the third petition? ===
Answer: In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven), acknowledging that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and to do the will of God, but prone to rebel against his word, to repine and murmur against his providence, and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil: we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness, weakness, indisposedness, and perverseness of heart; and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things, with the like humility, cheerfulness, faithfulness, diligence, zeal, sincerity, and constancy, as the angels do in heaven.

=== Question 193 – What do we pray for in the fourth petition? ===
Answer: In the fourth petition (which is, Give us this day our daily bread), acknowledging that in Adam, and by our own sin, we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve to be wholly deprived of them by God, and to have them cursed to us in the use of them; and that neither they of themselves are able to sustain us, nor we to merit, or by our own industry to procure them; but prone to desire, get, and use them unlawfully: we pray for ourselves and others, that both they and we, waiting upon the providence of God from day to day in the use of lawful means, may, of his free gift, and as to his fatherly wisdom shall seem best, enjoy a competent portion of them; and have the same continued and blessed unto us in our holy and comfortable use of them, and contentment in them; and be kept from all things that are contrary to our temporal support and comfort.

=== Question 194 – What do we pray for in the fifth petition? ===
Answer: In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favor and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.

=== Question 195 – What do we pray for in the sixth petition? ===
Answer: In the sixth petition (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil), acknowledging that the most wise, righteous, and gracious God, for divers holy and just ends, may so order things, that we may be assaulted, foiled, and for a time led captive by temptations; that Satan, the world, and the flesh, are ready powerfully to draw us aside, and ensnare us; and that we, even after the pardon of our sins, by reason of our corruption, weakness, and want of watchfulness, are not only subject to be tempted, and forward to expose ourselves unto temptations, but also of ourselves unable and unwilling to resist them, to recover out of them, and to improve them; and worthy to be left under the power of them; we pray, that God would so overrule the world and all in it, subdue the flesh, and restrain Satan, order all things, bestow and bless all means of grace, and quicken us to watchfulness in the use of them, that we and all his people may by his providence be kept from being tempted to sin; or, if tempted, that by his Spirit we may be powerfully supported and enabled to stand in the hour of temptation; or when fallen, raised again and recovered out of it, and have a sanctified use and improvement thereof: that our sanctification and salvation may be perfected, Satan trodden under our feet, and we fully freed from sin, temptation, and all evil, forever.

=== Question 196 – What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s prayer teach us? ===
Answer: The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.) teacheth us to enforce our petitions with arguments, which are to be taken, not from any worthiness in ourselves, or in any other creature, but from God; and with our prayers to join praises, ascribing to God alone eternal sovereignty, omnipotency, and glorious excellency; in regard whereof, as he is able and willing to help us, so we by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he would, and quietly to rely upon him, that he will fulfill our requests. And, to testify this our desire and assurance, we say, Amen.

Westminster Larger Catechism

2023-08-09T02:57:35Z

Informer: Created page with "The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a concise and systematic summary of Christian doctrine, designed to provide clear and easily memorizable answers to important theological questions. It was developed during the 17th century as part of the Westminster Assembly, a gathering of theologians and scholars convened by the English Parliament to reform the Church of England. The assembly met from 1643 to 1649 and aimed to produce a comprehensive statement of faith, along with..."

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a concise and systematic summary of Christian doctrine, designed to provide clear and easily memorizable answers to important theological questions. It was developed during the 17th century as part of the Westminster Assembly, a gathering of theologians and scholars convened by the English Parliament to reform the Church of England. The assembly met from 1643 to 1649 and aimed to produce a comprehensive statement of faith, along with catechisms and other doctrinal documents. The Shorter Catechism, which consists of 107 questions and answers, was primarily intended for use as a teaching tool for both children and adults. It covers essential topics such as God, creation, sin, redemption, and the Ten Commandments. The catechism has had a profound influence on Reformed theology and has been widely used within Presbyterian and other Reformed traditions. Its concise and precise formulations continue to provide a solid foundation for understanding and teaching core Christian beliefs.

=== '''Question 1 – What is the chief and highest end of man?''' ===
Answer: Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.

=== '''Question 2 – How doth it appear that there is a God?''' ===
Answer: The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a God; but his word and Spirit only do sufficiently and effectually reveal him unto men for their salvation.

=== '''Question 3 – What is the Word of God?''' ===
Answer: The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience.

=== Question 4 '''–''' How doth it appear that the Scriptures are the Word of God? ===
Answer: The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God, by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, to comfort and build up believers unto salvation: but the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very Word of God.

=== Question 5 – What do the Scriptures principally teach? ===
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

=== Question 6 – What do the Scriptures make known of God? ===
Answer: The Scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution of his decrees.

=== Question 7 – What is God? ===
Answer: God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

=== Question 8 – Are there more Gods than one? ===
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God.

=== Question 9 – How many persons are there in the Godhead? ===
Answer: There be three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties.

=== Question 10 – What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead? ===
Answer: It is proper to the Father to beget the Son, and to the Son to be begotten of the Father, and to the Holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son from all eternity.

=== Question 11 – How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father? ===
Answer: The Scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto them such names, attributes, works, and worship, as are proper to God only.

=== Question 12 – What are the decrees of God? ===
Answer: God’s decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will, whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time, especially concerning angels and men.

=== Question 13 – What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men? ===
Answer: God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory; and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof: and also, according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favor as he pleaseth), hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.

=== Question 14 – How doth God execute his decrees? ===
Answer: God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will.

=== Question 15 – What is the work of creation? ===
Answer: The work of creation is that wherein God did in the beginning, by the word of his power, make of nothing the world, and all things therein, for himself, within the space of six days, and all very good.

=== Question 16 – How did God create angels? ===
Answer: God created all the angels spirits, immortal, holy, excelling in knowledge, mighty in power, to execute his commandments, and to praise his name, yet subject to change.

=== Question 17 – How did God create man? ===
Answer: After God had made all other creatures, he created man male and female; formed the body of the man of the dust of the ground, and the woman of the rib of the man, endued them with living, reasonable, and immortal souls; made them after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness; having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfill it, and dominion over the creatures; yet subject to fall.

=== Question 18 – What are God’s works of providence? ===
Answer: God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory.

=== Question 19 – What is God’s providence towards the angels? ===
Answer: God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation, limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own glory; and established the rest in holiness and happiness; employing them all, at his pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy, and justice.

=== Question 20 – What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created? ===
Answer: The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth; putting the creatures under his dominion, and ordaining marriage for his help; affording him communion with himself; instituting the Sabbath; entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience, of which the tree of life was a pledge; and forbidding to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

=== Question 21 – Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him? ===
Answer: Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, through the temptation of Satan, transgressed the commandment of God in eating the forbidden fruit; and thereby fell from the estate of innocency wherein they were created.

=== Question 22 – Did all mankind fall in that first transgression? ===
Answer: The covenant being made with Adam as a public person, not for himself only, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in that first transgression.

Question 23 – Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

Answer: The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

=== Question 24 – What is sin? ===
Answer: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature.

=== Question 25 – Wherein consisteth the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell? ===
Answer: The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consisteth in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of that righteousness wherein he was created, and the corruption of his nature, whereby he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually; which is commonly called original sin, and from which do proceed all actual transgressions.

=== Question 26 – How is original sin conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity? ===
Answer: Original sin is conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity by natural generation, so as all that proceed from them in that way are conceived and born in sin.

=== Question 27 – What misery did the fall bring upon mankind? ===
Answer: The fall brought upon mankind the loss of communion with God, his displeasure and curse; so as we are by nature children of wrath, bond slaves to Satan, and justly liable to all punishments in this world, and that which is to come.

=== Question 28 – What are the punishments of sin in this world? ===
Answer: The punishments of sin in this world are either inward, as blindness of mind, a reprobate sense, strong delusions, hardness of heart, horror of conscience, and vile affections; or outward, as the curse of God upon the creatures for our sakes, and all other evils that befall us in our bodies, names, estates, relations, and employments; together with death itself.

=== Question 29 – What are the punishments of sin in the world to come? ===
Answer: The punishments of sin in the world to come, are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in hell-fire forever.

=== Question 30 – Doth God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? ===
Answer: God doth not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery, into which they fell by the breach of the first covenant, commonly called the covenant of works; but of his mere love and mercy delivereth his elect out of it, and bringeth them into an estate of salvation by the second covenant, commonly called the covenant of grace.

=== Question 31 – With whom was the covenant of grace made? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.

=== Question 32 – How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant? ===
Answer: The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to sinners a mediator, and life and salvation by him; and requiring faith as the condition to interest them in him, promiseth and giveth his Holy Spirit to all his elect, to work in them that faith, with all other saving graces; and to enable them unto all holy obedience, as the evidence of the truth of their faith and thankfulness to God, and as the way which he hath appointed them to salvation.

=== Question 33 – Was the covenant of grace always administered after one and the same manner? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was not always administered after the same manner, but the administrations of it under the Old Testament were different from those under the New.

=== Question 34 – How was the covenant of grace administered under the Old Testament? ===
Answer: The covenant of grace was administered under the Old Testament, by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the passover, and other types and ordinances, which did all foresignify Christ then to come, and were for that time sufficient to build up the elect in faith in the promised messiah, by whom they then had full remission of sin, and eternal salvation.

=== Question 35 – How is the covenant of grace administered under the New Testament? ===
Answer: Under the New Testament, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the same covenant of grace was and still is to be administered in the preaching of the word, and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper; in which grace and salvation are held forth in more fullness, evidence, and efficacy, to all nations.

=== Question 36 – Who is the mediator of the covenant of grace? ===
Answer: The only mediator of the covenant of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, of one substance and equal with the Father, in the fullness of time became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two entire distinct natures, and one person, forever.

=== Question 37 – How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? ===
Answer: 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, of her substance, and born of her, yet without sin.

=== Question 38 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature from sinking under the infinite wrath of God, and the power of death; give worth and efficacy to his sufferings, obedience, and intercession; and to satisfy God’s justice, procure his favor, purchase a peculiar people, give his Spirit to them, conquer all their enemies, and bring them to everlasting salvation.

=== Question 39 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be man? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator should be man, that he might advance our nature, perform obedience to the law, suffer and make intercession for us in our nature, have a fellow-feeling of our infirmities; that we might receive the adoption of sons, and have comfort and access with boldness unto the throne of grace.

=== Question 40 – Why was it requisite that the mediator should be God and man in one person? ===
Answer: It was requisite that the mediator, who was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both God and man, and this in one person, that the proper works of each nature might be accepted of God for us, and relied on by us, as the works of the whole person.

=== Question 41 – Why was our mediator called Jesus? ===
Answer: Our mediator was called Jesus, because he saveth his people from their sins.

=== Question 42 – Why was our mediator called Christ? ===
Answer: Our mediator was called Christ, because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure; and so set apart, and fully furnished with all authority and ability, to execute the offices of prophet, priest, and king of his church, in the estate both of his humiliation and exaltation.

=== Question 43 – How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in his revealing to the church, in all ages, by his Spirit and word, in divers ways of administration, the whole will of God, in all things concerning their edification and salvation.

=== Question 44 – How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering himself a sacrifice without spot to God, to be a reconciliation for the sins of the people; and in making continual intercession for them.

=== Question 45 – How doth Christ execute the office of a king? ===
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them; in bestowing saving grace upon his elect, rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory, and their good; and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel.

=== Question 46 – What was the estate of Christ’s humiliation? ===
Answer: The estate of Christ’s humiliation was that low condition, wherein he for our sakes, emptying himself of his glory, took upon him the form of a servant, in his conception and birth, life, death, and after his death, until his resurrection.

=== Question 47 – How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth, in that, being from all eternity the Son of God, in the bosom of the Father, he was pleased in the fullness of time to become the son of man, made of a woman of low estate, and to be born of her; with divers circumstances of more than ordinary abasement.

=== Question 48 – How did Christ humble himself in his life? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his life, by subjecting himself to the law, which he perfectly fulfilled; and by conflicting with the indignities of the world, temptations of Satan, and infirmities in his flesh, whether common to the nature of man, or particularly accompanying that his low condition.

=== Question 49 – How did Christ humble himself in his death? ===
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas, forsaken by his disciples, scorned and rejected by the world, condemned by Pilate, and tormented by his persecutors; having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the powers of darkness, felt and borne the weight of God’s wrath, he laid down his life an offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.

=== Question: 50 – Wherein consisted Christ’s humiliation after his death? ===
Answer: Christ’s humiliation after his death consisted in his being buried, and continuing in the state of the dead, and under the power of death till the third day; which hath been otherwise expressed in these words, He descended into hell.

=== Question 51 – What was the estate of Christ’s exaltation? ===
Answer: The estate of Christ’s exaltation comprehendeth his resurrection, ascension, sitting at the right hand of the Father, and his coming again to judge the world.

=== Question 52 – How was Christ exalted in his resurrection? ===
Answer: Christ was exalted in his resurrection, in that, not having seen corruption in death (of which it was not possible for him to be held), and having the very same body in which he suffered, with the essential properties thereof (but without mortality, and other common infirmities belonging to this life), really united to his soul, he rose again from the dead the third day by his own power; whereby he declared himself to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice, to have vanquished death, and him that had power of it, and to be Lord of quick and dead: all which he did as a public person, the head of his church, for their justification, quickening in grace, support against enemies, and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead at the last day.

=== Question 53 – How was Christ exalted in his ascension? ===
Answer: Christ was exalted in his ascension, in that having after his resurrection often appeared unto and conversed with his apostles, speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and giving them commission to preach the gospel to all nations, forty days after his resurrection, he, in our nature, and as our head, triumphing over enemies, visibly went up into the highest heavens, there to receive gifts for men, to raise up our affections thither, and to prepare a place for us, where himself is, and shall continue till his second coming at the end of the world.

=== Question 54 – How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God? ===
Answer: Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man he is advanced to the highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory, and power over all things in heaven and earth; and doth gather and defend his church, and subdue their enemies; furnisheth his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and maketh intercession for them.

=== Question 55 – How doth Christ make intercession? ===
Answer: Christ maketh intercession, by his appearing in our nature continually before the Father in heaven, in the merit of his obedience and sacrifice on earth, declaring his will to have it applied to all believers; answering all accusations against them, and procuring for them quiet of conscience, notwithstanding daily failings, access with boldness to the throne of grace, and acceptance of their persons and services.

=== Question 56 – How is Christ to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world? ===
Answer: Christ is to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world, in that he, who was unjustly judged and condemned by wicked men, shall come again at the last day in great power, and in the full manifestation of his own glory, and of his Father’s, with all his holy angels, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, to judge the world in righteousness.

=== Question 57 – What benefits hath Christ procured by his mediation? ===
Answer: Christ, by his mediation, hath procured redemption, with all other benefits of the covenant of grace.

=== Question 58 – How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured? ===
Answer: We are made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured, by the application of them unto us, which is the work especially of God the Holy Ghost.

=== Question 59 – Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ? ===
Answer: Redemption is certainly applied, and effectually communicated, to all those for whom Christ hath purchased it; who are in time by the Holy Ghost enabled to believe in Christ according to the gospel.

=== Question 60 – Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature? ===
Answer: They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church.

=== Question 61 – Are all they saved who hear the gospel, and live in the church? ===
Answer: All that hear the gospel, and live in the visible church, are not saved; but they only who are true members of the church invisible.

=== Question 62 – What is the visible church? ===
Answer: The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children.

=== Question 63 – What are the special privileges of the visible church? ===
Answer: The visible church hath the privilege of being under God’s special care and government; of being protected and preserved in all ages, notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies; and of enjoying the communion of saints, the ordinary means of salvation, and offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministry of the gospel, testifying, that whosoever believes in him shall be saved, and excluding none that will come unto him.

=== Question 64 – What is the invisible church? ===
Answer: The invisible church is the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head.

=== Question 65 – What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy by Christ? ===
Answer: The members of the invisible church by Christ enjoy union and communion with him in grace and glory.

=== Question 66 – What is that union which the elect have with Christ? ===
Answer: The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God’s grace, whereby they are spiritually and mystically, yet really and inseparably, joined to Christ as their head and husband; which is done in their effectual calling.

=== Question 67 – What is effectual calling? ===
Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God’s almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein.

=== Question 68 – Are the elect only effectually called? ===
Answer: All the elect, and they only, are effectually called; although others may be, and often are, outwardly called by the ministry of the word, and have some common operations of the Spirit; who, for their willful neglect and contempt of the grace offered to them, being justly left in their unbelief, do never truly come to Jesus Christ.

=== Question 69 – What is the communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ? ===
Answer: The communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is their partaking of the virtue of his mediation, in their justification, adoption, sanctification, and whatever else, in this life, manifests their union with him.

=== Question 70 – What is justification? ===
Answer: Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone.

=== Question 71 – How is justification an act of God’s free grace? ===
Answer: Although Christ, by his obedience and death, did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice in the behalf of them that are justified; yet inasmuch as God accepteth the satisfaction from a surety, which he might have demanded of them, and did provide this surety, his own only Son, imputing his righteousness to them, and requiring nothing of them for their justification but faith, which also is his gift, their justification is to them of free grace.

=== Question 72 – What is justifying faith? ===
Answer: Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

=== Question 73 – How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God? ===
Answer: Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness.

=== Question 74 – What is adoption? ===
Answer: Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his children, have his name put upon them, the Spirit of his Son given to them, are under his fatherly care and dispensations, admitted to all the liberties and privileges of the sons of God, made heirs of all the promises, and fellow-heirs with Christ in glory.

=== Question 75 – What is sanctification? ===
Answer: Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man after the image of God; having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts, and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened, as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.

=== Question 76 – What is repentance unto life? ===
Answer: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, and upon the apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, he so grieves for and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavoring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience.

=== Question 77 – Wherein do justification and sanctification differ? ===
Answer: Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

=== Question 78 – Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers? ===
Answer: The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.

=== Question 79 – May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace? ===
Answer: True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

=== Question 80 – Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation? ===
Answer: Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God’s promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation.

=== Question 81 – Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved? ===
Answer: Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and, after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted, through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.

=== Question 82 – What is the communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ? ===
Answer: The communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is in this life, immediately after death, and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of judgment.

=== Question 83 – What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life? ===
Answer: The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life the firstfruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and so in him are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of; and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory; as, on the contrary, sense of God’s revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.

=== Question 84 – Shall all men die? ===
Answer: Death being threatened as the wages of sin, it is appointed unto all men once to die; for that all have sinned.

=== Question 85 – Death being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ? ===
Answer: The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curse of it; so that, although they die, yet it is out of God’s love, to free them perfectly from sin and misery, and to make them capable of further communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.

=== Question 86 – What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death? ===
Answer: The communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

=== Question 87 – What are we to believe concerning the resurrection? ===
Answer: We are to believe that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the selfsame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by him, as an offended judge.

=== Question 88 – What shall immediately follow after the resurrection? ===
Answer: Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men; the day and hour whereof no man knoweth, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.

=== Question 89 – What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment? ===
Answer: At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ’s left hand, and, upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favorable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels forever.

=== Question 90 – What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment? ===
Answer: At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on his right hand, and there openly acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven, where they shall be fully and forever freed from all sin and misery; filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity. And this is the perfect and full communion which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory, at the resurrection and day of judgment.

=== Question 91 – What is the duty which God requireth of man? ===
Answer: The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.

=== Question 92 – What did God first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience? ===
Answer: The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, besides a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was the moral law.

=== Question 93 – What is the moral law? ===
Answer: The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding every one to personal, perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul, and body, and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man: promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.

=== Question 94 – Is there any use of the moral law since the fall? ===
Answer: Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.

=== Question: 95 – Of what use is the moral law to all men? ===
Answer: The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their nature, hearts, and lives: to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.

=== Question 96 – What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men? ===
Answer: The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from the wrath to come, and to drive them to Christ; or, upon the continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable, and under the curse thereof.

=== Question 97 – What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate? ===
Answer: Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness, and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.

=== Question 98 – Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? ===
Answer: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus; the four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.

=== Question: 99 – What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: For the right understanding of the Ten Commandments, these rules are to be observed:

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth every one to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.

2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.

3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded: so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included; and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.

5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done; what he commands, is always our duty; and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.

6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.

7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavor that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.

8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them; and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them.

=== Question 100 – What special things are we to consider in the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: We are to consider, in the Ten Commandments, the preface, the substance of the commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more to enforce them.

=== Question 101 – What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? ===
Answer: The preface to the Ten Commandments is contained in these words, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Wherein God manifesteth his sovereignty, as being JEHOVAH, the eternal, immutable, and almighty God; having his being in and of himself, and giving being to all his words and works: and that he is a God in covenant, as with Israel of old, so with all his people; who, as he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivereth us from our spiritual thraldom; and that therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his commandments.

=== Question 102 – What is the sum of the four commandments which contain our duty to God? ===
Answer: The sum of the four commandments containing our duty to God, is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind.

=== Question 103 – Which is the first commandment? ===
Answer: The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

=== Question 104 – What are the duties required in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

=== Question 105 – What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the first commandment, are, atheism, in denying or not having a God; idolatry, in having or worshiping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment; ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him; bold and curious searching into his secrets; all profaneness, hatred of God; self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off from him in whole or in part; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, and insensibleness under judgments, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God; using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means; carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal; lukewarmness, and deadness in the things of God; estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God; praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any other creatures; all compacts and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions; making men the lords of our faith and conscience; slighting and despising God and his commands; resisting and grieving of his Spirit, discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us; and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature.

=== Question 106 – What are we specially taught by these words, before me, in the first commandment? ===
Answer: These words, before me, or before my face, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh special notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God: that so it may be an argument to dissuade from it, and to aggravate it as a most impudent provocation: as also to persuade us to do as in his sight, whatever we do in his service.

=== Question 107 – Which is the second commandment? ===
Answer: The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

=== Question 108 – What are the duties required in the second commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto him: as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship; and, according to each one’s place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.

=== Question 109 – What sins are forbidden in the second commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and any wise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever; all worshiping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them; all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretense whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.

=== Question 110 – What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, 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 shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments; are, besides God’s sovereignty over us, and propriety in us, his fervent zeal for his own worship, and his revengeful indignation against all false worship, as being a spiritual whoredom; accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations; and esteeming the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising mercy to them unto many generations.

=== Question 111 – Which is the third commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 112 – What is required in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The third commandment requires, that the name of God, his titles, attributes, ordinances, the word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, vows, lots, his works, and whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and reverently used in thought, meditation, word, and writing; by an holy profession, and answerable conversation, to the glory of God, and the good of ourselves, and others.

=== Question 113 – What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God’s name as is required; and the abuse of it in an ignorant, vain, irreverent, profane, superstitious, or wicked mentioning or otherwise using his titles, attributes, ordinances, or works, by blasphemy, perjury; all sinful cursings, oaths, vows, and lots; violating of our oaths and vows, if lawful; and fulfilling them, if of things unlawful; murmuring and quarreling at, curious prying into, and misapplying of God’s decrees and providences; misinterpreting, misapplying, or any way perverting the word, or any part of it, to profane jests, curious or unprofitable questions, vain janglings, or the maintaining of false doctrines; abusing it, the creatures, or anything contained under the name of God, to charms, or sinful lusts and practices; the maligning, scorning, reviling, or any wise opposing of God’s truth, grace, and ways; making profession of religion in hypocrisy, or for sinister ends; being ashamed of it, or a shame to it, by unconformable, unwise, unfruitful, and offensive walking, or backsliding from it.

=== Question 114 – What reasons are annexed to the third commandment? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, The LORD thy God, and, For the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain, are, because he is the Lord and our God, therefore his name is not to be profaned, or any way abused by us; especially because he will be so far from acquitting and sparing the transgressors of this commandment, as that he will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment, albeit many such escape the censures and punishments of men.

=== Question 115 – Which is the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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 maidservant, 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.

=== Question 116 – What is required in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The fourth commandment requireth of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven; which was the seventh from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, and the first day of the week ever since, and so to continue to the end of the world; which is the Christian sabbath, and in the New Testament called The Lord’s Day.

=== Question 117 – How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified? ===
Answer: The sabbath or Lord’s day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, not only from such works as are at all times sinful, but even from such worldly employments and recreations as are on other days lawful; and making it our delight to spend the whole time (except so much of it as is to be taken up in works of necessity and mercy) in the public and private exercises of God’s worship: and, to that end, we are to prepare our hearts, and with such foresight, diligence, and moderation, to dispose and seasonably dispatch our worldly business, that we may be the more free and fit for the duties of that day.

=== Question 118 – Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors? ===
Answer: The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own.

=== Question 119 – What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the fourth commandment are, all omissions of the duties required, all careless, negligent, and unprofitable performing of them, and being weary of them; all profaning the day by idleness, and doing that which is in itself sinful; and by all needless works, words, and thoughts, about our worldly employments and recreations.

=== Question 120 – What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of it, God allowing us six days of seven for our own affairs, and reserving but one for himself, in these words, Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: from God’s challenging a special propriety in that day, The seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: from the example of God, who in six days ... made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: and from that blessing which God put upon that day, not only in sanctifying it to be a day for his service, but in ordaining it to be a means of blessing to us in our sanctifying it; Wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

=== Question 121 – Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth commandment? ===
Answer: The word Remember is set in the beginning of the fourth commandment, partly, because of the great benefit of remembering it, we being thereby helped in our preparation to keep it, and, in keeping it, better to keep all the rest of the commandments, and to continue a thankful remembrance of the two great benefits of creation and redemption, which contain a short abridgment of religion; and partly, because we are very ready to forget it, for that there is less light of nature for it, and yet it restraineth our natural liberty in things at other times lawful; that it cometh but once in seven days, and many worldly businesses come between, and too often take off our minds from thinking of it, either to prepare for it, or to sanctify it; and that Satan with his instruments much labor to blot out the glory, and even the memory of it, to bring in all irreligion and impiety.

=== Question 122 – What is the sum of the six commandments which contain our duty to man? ===
Answer: The sum of the six commandments which contain our duty to man, is, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to do to others what we would have them do to us.

=== Question 123 – Which is the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: 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.

=== Question 124 – Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: By father and mother, in the fifth commandment, are meant, not only natural parents, but all superiors in age and gifts; and especially such as, by God’s ordinance, are over us in place of authority, whether in family, church, or commonwealth.

=== Question 125 – Why are superiors styled Father and Mother? ===
Answer: Superiors are styled Father and Mother, both to teach them in all duties toward their inferiors, like natural parents, to express love and tenderness to them, according to their several relations; and to work inferiors to a greater willingness and cheerfulness in performing their duties to their superiors, as to their parents.

=== Question 126 – What is the general scope of the fifth commandment? ===
Answer: The general scope of the fifth commandment is, the performance of those duties which we mutually owe in our several relations, as inferiors, superiors or equals.

=== Question 127 – What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors? ===
Answer: The honor which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in heart, word, and behavior; prayer and thanksgiving for them; imitation of their virtues and graces; willing obedience to their lawful commands and counsels; due submission to their corrections; fidelity to, defense, and maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks, and the nature of their places; bearing with their infirmities, and covering them in love, that so they may be an honor to them and to their government.

=== Question 128 – What are the sins of inferiors against their superiors? ===
Answer: The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them; envying at, contempt of, and rebellion against their persons and places, in their lawful counsels, commands, and corrections; cursing, mocking, and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonor to them and their government.

=== Question 129 – What is required of superiors towards their inferiors? ===
Answer: It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their inferiors; to instruct, counsel, and admonish them; countenancing, commending, and rewarding such as do well; and discountenancing, reproving, and chastising such as do ill; protecting, and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body: and by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God, honor to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them.

=== Question 130 – What are the sins of superiors? ===
Answer: The sins of superiors are, besides the neglect of the duties required of them, an inordinate seeking of themselves, their own glory, ease, profit, or pleasure; commanding things unlawful, or not in the power of inferiors to perform; counseling, encouraging, or favoring them in that which is evil; dissuading, discouraging, or discountenancing them in that which is good; correcting them unduly; careless exposing, or leaving them to wrong, temptation, and danger; provoking them to wrath; or any way dishonoring themselves, or lessening their authority, by an unjust, indiscreet, rigorous, or remiss behavior.

=== Question 131 – What are the duties of equals? ===
Answer: The duties of equals are, to regard the dignity and worth of each other, in giving honor to go one before another; and to rejoice in each others’ gifts and advancement, as their own.

=== Question 132 – What are the sins of equals? ===
Answer: The sins of equals are, besides the neglect of the duties required, the undervaluing of the worth, envying the gifts, grieving at the advancement or prosperity one of another; and usurping preeminence one over another.

=== Question 133 – What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment, the more to enforce it? ===
Answer: The reason annexed to the fifth commandment, in these words, That thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, is an express 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.

=== Question 134 – Which is the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.

=== Question 135 – What are the duties required in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life of ourselves and others by resisting all thoughts and purposes, subduing all passions, and avoiding all occasions, temptations, and practices, which tend to the unjust taking away the life of any; by just defense thereof against violence, patient bearing of the hand of God, quietness of mind, cheerfulness of spirit; a sober use of meat, drink, physic, sleep, labor, and recreations; by charitable thoughts, love, compassion, meekness, gentleness, kindness; peaceable, mild and courteous speeches and behavior; forbearance, readiness to be reconciled, patient bearing and forgiving of injuries, and requiting good for evil; comforting and succoring the distressed, and protecting and defending the innocent.

=== Question 136 – What are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, all taking away the life of ourselves, or of others, except in case of public justice, lawful war, or necessary defense; the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life; sinful anger, hatred, envy, desire of revenge; all excessive passions, distracting cares; immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreations; provoking words, oppression, quarreling, striking, wounding, and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any.

=== Question 137 – Which is the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

=== Question 138 – What are the duties required in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; temperance, keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel; marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, conjugal love, and cohabitation; diligent labor in our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.

=== Question 139– What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest apparel; prohibiting of lawful, and dispensing with unlawful marriages; allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them; entangling vows of single life, undue delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; unjust divorce, or desertion; idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company; lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays; and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.

=== Question 140 – Which is the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

=== Question 141 – What are the duties required in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the eighth commandment are, truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man and man; rendering to every one his due; restitution of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereof; giving and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of others; moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning worldly goods; a provident care and study to get, keep, use, and dispose these things which are necessary and convenient for the sustentation of our nature, and suitable to our condition; a lawful calling, and diligence in it; frugality; avoiding unnecessary lawsuits, and suretiship, or other like engagements; and an endeavor, by all just and lawful means, to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own.

=== Question 142 – What are the sins forbidden in the eighth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, theft, robbery, man-stealing, and receiving anything that is stolen; fraudulent dealing, false weights and measures, removing landmarks, injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man, or in matters of trust; oppression, extortion, usury, bribery, vexatious lawsuits, unjust enclosures and depredation; engrossing commodities to enhance the price; unlawful callings, and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our neighbor what belongs to him, or of enriching ourselves; covetousness; inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods; distrustful and distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping, and using them; envying at the prosperity of others; as likewise idleness, prodigality, wasteful gaming; and all other ways whereby we do unduly prejudice our own outward estate, and defrauding ourselves of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given us.

=== Question 143 – Which is the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

=== Question 144 – What are the duties required in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.

=== Question 145 – What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.

=== Question 146 – Which is the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s.

=== Question 147 – What are the duties required in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The duties required in the tenth commandment are, such a full contentment with our own condition, and such a charitable frame of the whole soul toward our neighbor, as that all our inward motions and affections touching him, tend unto, and further all that good which is his.

=== Question 148 – What are the sins forbidden in the tenth commandment? ===
Answer: The sins forbidden in the tenth commandment are, discontentment with our own estate; envying and grieving at the good of our neighbor, together with all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

=== Question 149 – Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? ===
Answer: No man is able, either of himself, or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God; but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.

=== Question 150 – Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God? ===
Answer: All transgressions of the law are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

=== Question 151 – What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others? ===
Answer: Sins receive their aggravations,

1. From the persons offending; if they be of riper age, greater experience or grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, and whose example is likely to be followed by others.

2. From the parties offended: if immediately against God, his attributes, and worship; against Christ, and his grace; the Holy Spirit, his witness, and workings; against superiors, men of eminency, and such as we stand especially related and engaged unto; against any of the saints, particularly weak brethren, the souls of them, or any other, and the common good of all or many.

3. From the nature and quality of the offence: if it be against the express letter of the law, break many commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation: if against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments; and our prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men: if done deliberately, willfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly, maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance.

4. From circumstances of time, and place: if on the Lord’s day, or other times of divine worship; or immediately before or after these, or other helps to prevent or remedy such miscarriages: if in public, or in the presence of others, who are thereby likely to be provoked or defiled.

=== Question 152 – What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God? ===
Answer: Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous law, deserveth his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come; and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Christ.

=== Question 153 – What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law? ===
Answer: That we may escape the wrath and curse of God due to us by reason of the transgression of the law, he requireth of us repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and the diligent use of the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation.

=== Question 154 – What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation? ===
Answer: The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to his church the benefits of his mediation, are all his ordinances; especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.

=== Question 155 – How is the word made effectual to salvation? ===
Answer: The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of enlightening, convincing, and humbling sinners; of driving them out of themselves, and drawing them unto Christ; of conforming them to his image, and subduing them to his will; of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions; of building them up in grace, and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

=== Question 156 – Is the Word of God to be read by all? ===
Answer: Although all are not to be permitted to read the word publicly to the congregation, yet all sorts of people are bound to read it apart by themselves, and with their families: to which end, the holy Scriptures are to be translated out of the original into vulgar languages.

=== Question 157 – How is the Word of God to be read? ===
Answer: The holy Scriptures are to be read with an high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm persuasion that they are the very Word of God, and that he only can enable us to understand them; with desire to know, believe, and obey the will of God revealed in them; with diligence, and attention to the matter and scope of them; with meditation, application, self-denial, and prayer.

=== Question 158 – By whom is the Word of God to be preached? ===
Answer: The Word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office.

=== Question 159 – How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto? ===
Answer: They that are called to labor in the ministry of the word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, in season and out of season; plainly, not in the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; faithfully, making known the whole counsel of God; wisely, applying themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers; zealously, with fervent love to God and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory, and their conversion, edification, and salvation.

=== Question 160 – What is required of those that hear the word preached? ===
Answer: It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

=== Question 161 – How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation? ===
Answer: The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not by any power in themselves, or any virtue derived from the piety or intention of him by whom they are administered, but only by the working of the Holy Ghost, and the blessing of Christ, by whom they are instituted.

=== Question 162 – What is a sacrament? ===
Answer: A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ in his church, to signify, seal, and exhibit unto those that are within the covenant of grace, the benefits of his mediation; to strengthen and increase their faith, and all other graces; to oblige them to obedience; to testify and cherish their love and communion one with another; and to distinguish them from those that are without.

=== Question 163 – What are the parts of a sacrament? ===
Answer: The parts of a sacrament are two; the one an outward and sensible sign, used according to Christ’s own appointment; the other an inward and spiritual grace thereby signified.

=== Question 164 – How many sacraments hath Christ instituted in his church under the New Testament? ===
Answer: Under the New Testament Christ hath instituted in his church only two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s supper.

=== Question 165 – What is baptism? ===
Answer: Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein Christ hath ordained the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be a sign and seal of ingrafting into himself, of remission of sins by his blood, and regeneration by his Spirit; of adoption, and resurrection unto everlasting life; and whereby the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open and professed engagement to be wholly and only the Lord’s.

=== Question 166 – Unto whom is baptism to be administered? ===
Answer: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.

=== Question 167 – How is baptism to be improved by us? ===
Answer: The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and by endeavoring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.

=== Question 168 – What is the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: The Lord’s supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine according to the appointment of Jesus Christ, his death is showed forth; and they that worthily communicate feed upon his body and blood, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace; have their union and communion with him confirmed; testify and renew their thankfulness, and engagement to God, and their mutual love and fellowship each with other, as members of the same mystical body.

=== Question 169 – How hath Christ appointed bread and wine to be given and received in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: Christ hath appointed the ministers of his word, in the administration of this sacrament of the Lord’s supper, to set apart the bread and wine from common use, by the word of institution, thanksgiving, and prayer; to take and break the bread, and to give both the bread and the wine to the communicants: who are, by the same appointment, to take and eat the bread, and to drink the wine, in thankful remembrance that the body of Christ was broken and given, and his blood shed, for them.

=== Question 170 – How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord’s supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein? ===
Answer: As the body and blood of Christ are not corporally or carnally present in, with, or under the bread and wine in the Lord’s supper, and yet are spiritually present to the faith of the receiver, no less truly and really than the elements themselves are to their outward senses; so they that worthily communicate in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, do therein feed upon the body and blood of Christ, not after a corporal and carnal, but in a spiritual manner; yet truly and really, while by faith they receive and apply unto themselves Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death.

=== Question 171 – How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it? ===
Answer: They that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by examining themselves of their being in Christ, of their sins and wants; of the truth and measure of their knowledge, faith, repentance; love to God and the brethren, charity to all men, forgiving those that have done them wrong; of their desires after Christ, and of their new obedience; and by renewing the exercise of these graces, by serious meditation, and fervent prayer.

=== Question 172 – May one who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation, come to the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: One who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, may have true interest in Christ, though he be not yet assured thereof; and in God’s account hath it, if he be duly affected with the apprehension of the want of it, and unfeignedly desires to be found in Christ, and to depart from iniquity: in which case (because promises are made, and this sacrament is appointed, for the relief even of weak and doubting Christians) he is to bewail his unbelief, and labor to have his doubts resolved; and, so doing, he may and ought to come to the Lord’s supper, that he may be further strengthened.

=== Question 173 – May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, be kept from it? ===
Answer: Such as are found to be ignorant or scandalous, notwithstanding their profession of the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, may and ought to be kept from that sacrament, by the power which Christ hath left in his church, until they receive instruction, and manifest their reformation.

=== Question 174 – What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper in the time of the administration of it? ===
Answer: It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, that, during the time of the administration of it, with all holy reverence and attention they wait upon God in that ordinance, diligently observe the sacramental elements and actions, heedfully discern the Lord’s body, and affectionately meditate on his death and sufferings, and thereby stir up themselves to a vigorous exercise of their graces; in judging themselves, and sorrowing for sin; in earnest hungering and thirsting after Christ, feeding on him by faith, receiving of his fullness, trusting in his merits, rejoicing in his love, giving thanks for his grace; in renewing of their covenant with God, and love to all the saints.

=== Question 175 – What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper? ===
Answer: The duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, is seriously to consider how they have behaved themselves therein, and with what success; if they find quickening and comfort, to bless God for it, beg the continuance of it, watch against relapses, fulfill their vows, and encourage themselves to a frequent attendance on that ordinance: but if they find no present benefit, more exactly to review their preparation to, and carriage at, the sacrament; in both which, if they can approve themselves to God and their own consciences, they are to wait for the fruit of it in due time: but, if they see they have failed in either, they are to be humbled, and to attend upon it afterwards with more care and diligence.

=== Questions 176 – Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper agree? ===
Answer: The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper agree, in that the author of both is God; the spiritual part of both is Christ and his benefits; both are seals of the same covenant, are to be dispensed by ministers of the gospel, and by none other; and to be continued in the church of Christ until his second coming.

=== Question 177 – Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper differ? ===
Answer: The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper differ, in that baptism is to be administered but once, with water, to be a sign and seal of our regeneration and ingrafting into Christ, and that even to infants; whereas the Lord’s supper is to be administered often, in the elements of bread and wine, to represent and exhibit Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul, and to confirm our continuance and growth in him, and that only to such as are of years and ability to examine themselves.

=== Question 178 – What is prayer? ===
Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.

=== Question 179 – Are we to pray unto God only? ===
Answer: God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfill the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshiped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.

Question 180 – What is it to pray in the name of Christ?

Answer: To pray in the name of Christ is, in obedience to his command, and in confidence on his promises, to ask mercy for his sake; not by bare mentioning of his name, but by drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Christ and his mediation.

=== Question 181 – Why are we to pray in the name of Christ? ===
Answer: The sinfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we can have no access into his presence without a mediator; and there being none in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for, that glorious work but Christ alone, we are to pray in no other name but his only.

=== Question 182 – How doth the Spirit help us to pray? ===
Answer: We not knowing what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, by enabling us to understand both for whom, and what, and how prayer is to be made; and by working and quickening in our hearts (although not in all persons, nor at all times, in the same measure) those apprehensions, affections, and graces which are requisite for the right performance of that duty.

=== Question 183 – For whom are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray for the whole church of Christ upon earth; for magistrates, and ministers; for ourselves, our brethren, yea, our enemies; and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those that are known to have sinned the sin unto death.

=== Question 184 – For what things are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray for all things tending to the glory of God, the welfare of the church, our own or others’ good; but not for anything that is unlawful.

=== Question 185 – How are we to pray? ===
Answer: We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our own unworthiness, necessities, and sins; with penitent, thankful, and enlarged hearts; with understanding, faith, sincerity, fervency, love, and perseverance, waiting upon him, with humble submission to his will.

=== Question 186 – What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of prayer? ===
Answer: The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in the duty of prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which our Savior Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord’s prayer.

=== Question 187 – How is the Lord’s prayer to be used? ===
Answer: The Lord’s prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern, according to which we are to make other prayers; but may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, and other graces necessary to the right performance of the duty of prayer.

=== Question 188 – Of how many parts doth the Lord’s prayer consist? ===
Answer: The Lord’s prayer consists of three parts; a preface, petitions, and a conclusion.

=== Question 189 – What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us? ===
Answer: The preface of the Lord’s prayer (contained in these words, Our Father which art in heaven) teacheth us, when we pray, to draw near to God with confidence of his fatherly goodness, and our interest therein; with reverence, and all other childlike dispositions, heavenly affections, and due apprehensions of his sovereign power, majesty, and gracious condescension: as also, to pray with and for others.

=== Question 190 – What do we pray for in the first petition? ===
Answer: In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name), acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honor God aright, we pray, that God would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know, to acknowledge, and highly to esteem him, his titles, attributes, ordinances, word, works, and whatsoever he is pleased to make himself known by; and to glorify him in thought, word, and deed: that he would prevent and remove atheism, ignorance, idolatry, profaneness, and whatsoever is dishonorable to him; and, by his overruling providence, direct and dispose of all things to his own glory.

=== Question 191 – What do we pray for in the second petition? ===
Answer: In the second petition (which is, Thy kingdom come), acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fullness of the Gentiles brought in; the church furnished with all gospel officers and ordinances, purged from corruption, countenanced and maintained by the civil magistrate; that the ordinances of Christ may be purely dispensed, and made effectual to the converting of those that are yet in their sins, and the confirming, comforting, and building up of those that are already converted: that Christ would rule in our hearts here, and hasten the time of his second coming, and our reigning with him forever: and that he would be pleased so to exercise the kingdom of his power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends.

=== Question 192 – What do we pray for in the third petition? ===
Answer: In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven), acknowledging that by nature we and all men are not only utterly unable and unwilling to know and to do the will of God, but prone to rebel against his word, to repine and murmur against his providence, and wholly inclined to do the will of the flesh, and of the devil: we pray, that God would by his Spirit take away from ourselves and others all blindness, weakness, indisposedness, and perverseness of heart; and by his grace make us able and willing to know, do, and submit to his will in all things, with the like humility, cheerfulness, faithfulness, diligence, zeal, sincerity, and constancy, as the angels do in heaven.

=== Question 193 – What do we pray for in the fourth petition? ===
Answer: In the fourth petition (which is, Give us this day our daily bread), acknowledging that in Adam, and by our own sin, we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve to be wholly deprived of them by God, and to have them cursed to us in the use of them; and that neither they of themselves are able to sustain us, nor we to merit, or by our own industry to procure them; but prone to desire, get, and use them unlawfully: we pray for ourselves and others, that both they and we, waiting upon the providence of God from day to day in the use of lawful means, may, of his free gift, and as to his fatherly wisdom shall seem best, enjoy a competent portion of them; and have the same continued and blessed unto us in our holy and comfortable use of them, and contentment in them; and be kept from all things that are contrary to our temporal support and comfort.

=== Question 194 – What do we pray for in the fifth petition? ===
Answer: In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favor and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses.

=== Question 195 – What do we pray for in the sixth petition? ===
Answer: In the sixth petition (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil), acknowledging that the most wise, righteous, and gracious God, for divers holy and just ends, may so order things, that we may be assaulted, foiled, and for a time led captive by temptations; that Satan, the world, and the flesh, are ready powerfully to draw us aside, and ensnare us; and that we, even after the pardon of our sins, by reason of our corruption, weakness, and want of watchfulness, are not only subject to be tempted, and forward to expose ourselves unto temptations, but also of ourselves unable and unwilling to resist them, to recover out of them, and to improve them; and worthy to be left under the power of them; we pray, that God would so overrule the world and all in it, subdue the flesh, and restrain Satan, order all things, bestow and bless all means of grace, and quicken us to watchfulness in the use of them, that we and all his people may by his providence be kept from being tempted to sin; or, if tempted, that by his Spirit we may be powerfully supported and enabled to stand in the hour of temptation; or when fallen, raised again and recovered out of it, and have a sanctified use and improvement thereof: that our sanctification and salvation may be perfected, Satan trodden under our feet, and we fully freed from sin, temptation, and all evil, forever.

=== Question 196 – What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s prayer teach us? ===
Answer: The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.) teacheth us to enforce our petitions with arguments, which are to be taken, not from any worthiness in ourselves, or in any other creature, but from God; and with our prayers to join praises, ascribing to God alone eternal sovereignty, omnipotency, and glorious excellency; in regard whereof, as he is able and willing to help us, so we by faith are emboldened to plead with him that he would, and quietly to rely upon him, that he will fulfill our requests. And, to testify this our desire and assurance, we say, Amen.

User:Iron

2023-08-08T04:21:24Z

Informer:

'''Iron''' is a renowned and influential figure in the realm of Particular Baptist theology, having gained widespread recognition for his groundbreaking contributions and steadfast commitment to the principles of his faith. As a luminary within the digital community of Discord, Iron has played a pivotal role in advancing the discourse surrounding Particular Baptist theology, earning a place as a modern-day pillar of theological discovery.

=== Early Life and Formation of Beliefs ===
Iron's journey into the world of theology began in his formative years, where he exhibited an innate curiosity and deep contemplation of matters related to faith and spirituality. Raised within a family that held strong Baptist traditions, Iron's exposure to religious discussions and biblical teachings laid the foundation for his eventual calling as a theologian.

As he embarked on his educational pursuits, Iron's passion for theology grew stronger. He immersed himself in the works of prominent theologians, both historical and contemporary, absorbing their insights and weaving them into the fabric of his own evolving beliefs. This formative period served as the crucible in which Iron's distinctive theological perspective took shape.

=== Digital Discourse and Impact ===
In the age of digital communication, Iron found his niche on the Discord platform, where he harnessed the power of online communities to engage in profound theological discussions. He recognized the potential of this platform to bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering an environment where ideas could be exchanged freely and constructively.

Iron's approach to theological discourse on Discord is marked by his commitment to respectful dialogue and the rigorous examination of ideas. He has gained a reputation for his astute analysis of complex theological concepts, as well as his ability to bridge gaps between differing perspectives. His insights have not only deepened the understanding of Particular Baptist theology within the community but have also led to meaningful dialogues with individuals outside of his faith tradition.

=== Contributions to Particular Baptist Theology ===
Iron's contributions to Particular Baptist theology are wide-ranging and impactful. He has authored numerous articles, essays, and forum posts that delve into intricate theological matters, drawing upon historical sources, biblical exegesis, and contemporary scholarship. These writings often tackle pressing issues within the Particular Baptist tradition, providing fresh insights and thought-provoking perspectives.

One of Iron's notable contributions is his exploration of the relationship between predestination and free will within the context of Particular Baptist theology. His nuanced analyses have sparked ongoing discussions and prompted theologians from various backgrounds to engage in constructive debates, enriching the theological landscape with new ideas and interpretations.

=== Legacy and Influence ===
Iron's legacy as a Particular Baptist theologian on Discord is profound and enduring. He has inspired a new generation of thinkers to approach theology with intellectual rigor, empathy, and a commitment to understanding and respect. His influence extends beyond the confines of Discord, as his writings and discussions have found their way into academic circles, seminaries, and churches.

In recognition of his contributions, Iron has been invited to speak at theological conferences and has collaborated with fellow scholars on collaborative projects. His humility, dedication, and open-mindedness have garnered him respect from individuals across theological spectrums, highlighting his ability to foster unity amidst diversity.

=== Heresy Allegations and the Council of Trent ===
Iron's theological journey was not without its challenges and controversies, as his pursuit of truth and exploration of ideas led to allegations of heresy, particularly during the Council of Trent. The Council of Trent, convened by the Roman Catholic Church in the mid-16th century as a response to the Protestant Reformation, sought to address theological and doctrinal issues that were causing division within Christianity.

Iron's unique interpretations and bold assertions within the realm of Particular Baptist theology attracted the attention of both Catholic and Protestant scholars during the Council of Trent. His teachings, while deeply rooted in his faith tradition, occasionally deviated from established doctrines, causing concern among those who adhered to more traditional theological frameworks.

=== Challenges to Traditional Views ===
Iron's willingness to engage in open dialogue and challenge prevailing theological norms led to allegations of heresy from certain quarters. His exploration of concepts such as predestination, election, and the nature of the Church raised eyebrows among some theologians who saw his interpretations as departing from the accepted teachings of the time.

During the Council of Trent, Iron's ideas were scrutinized and debated by both Catholic and Protestant theologians. While some appreciated his fresh perspectives and his ability to bring nuance to complex theological matters, others accused him of straying too far from established orthodoxy and sowing seeds of discord within the larger Christian community.

=== Response and Resolution ===
In response to the allegations of heresy, Iron demonstrated a commendable commitment to scholarly discourse and respectful engagement. He participated in the debates at the Council of Trent, presenting his arguments with clarity and humility. He engaged in spirited discussions, defending his theological positions with scriptural evidence, historical precedent, and thoughtful reasoning.

As the debates unfolded, it became evident that Iron's intent was not to promote heretical ideas but rather to foster a deeper understanding of the nuances within his own faith tradition. While some points of contention persisted, Iron's participation in the council underscored his dedication to intellectual inquiry and his willingness to engage with those who held differing viewpoints.

=== Legacy of Dialogue and Learning ===
Iron's involvement in the Council of Trent, though marked by challenges, left a lasting legacy of dialogue and learning. His contributions prompted theologians of various persuasions to engage in robust debates and reconsider long-held beliefs. In the aftermath of the council, Iron's ideas continued to resonate, influencing subsequent generations of theologians who sought to bridge theological divides and promote thoughtful engagement across religious boundaries.

Ultimately, Iron's journey through the heresy allegations of the Council of Trent serves as a testament to the complexity of theological exploration and the tension between tradition and innovation. His willingness to navigate these challenges with intellectual integrity and a commitment to dialogue further cements his status as a remarkable figure within the annals of Particular Baptist theology.

=== Conclusion ===
Iron stands as a shining example of a modern-day Particular Baptist theologian who has leveraged the digital age to advance the discourse surrounding matters of faith and theology. His impact on the Discord community and beyond is undeniable, as he continues to shape the way in which individuals engage with and explore the depths of Particular Baptist theology. Iron's journey from a curious young individual to a pillar of theological discovery is a testament to the power of passion, dedication, and the digital space in facilitating meaningful conversations that resonate across boundaries.

User:Iron

2023-08-08T04:20:19Z

Informer: Created page with "'''Iron''' is a renowned and influential figure in the realm of Particular Baptist theology, having gained widespread recognition for his groundbreaking contributions and steadfast commitment to the principles of his faith. As a luminary within the digital community of Discord, Iron has played a pivotal role in advancing the discourse surrounding Particular Baptist theology, earning a place as a modern-day pillar of theological discovery. === Early Life and Formation of..."

User:Informer

2023-08-08T04:13:26Z

Informer:

'''Informer''', a remarkable individual known by the online alias, stands as an embodiment of the extraordinary. Their virtual presence has transcended mere recognition, ascending to the realm of awe-inspiring brilliance. As the visionary founder and curator of the United Confessional discord server and the corresponding treasure trove, UnitedConfessional.org, Informer's achievements have reached the pinnacle of excellence. Their dedication to the reformational past and its pivotal confessions is not only awe-inspiring but also deserving of unreserved admiration.

=== [https://discord.gg/fSswzywh7U United Confessional Discord Server] ===

=== [https://www.unitedconfessional.org/home UnitedConfessional.Org] ===

=== Biographical Excellence ===
While the true identity of Informer remains veiled, their impact on historical theology and religious research shines with unwavering brilliance. The conscious choice to channel efforts towards the enlightenment of the masses rather than personal acclaim is a testament to their profound wisdom and virtuous character. In doing so, Informer has laid the foundation for a legacy that resonates with exceptional distinction.

=== United Confessional Discord: Nexus of Brilliance ===
At the epicenter of Informer's virtuosity lies the United Confessional discord server. This realm is not merely a gathering place; it's an unparalleled sphere of engagement where scholars, philosophers, disciples, and inquisitive minds congregate to exchange ideas, share insights, and harmonize perspectives on reformed confessions. Under Informer's masterful guidance, the server has evolved into a cauldron of creative discourse, fostering unity, and catalyzing intellectual epiphanies.

=== UnitedConfessional.org: Portal to Excellence ===
UnitedConfessional.org, the digital masterpiece conceived by Informer, transcends the bounds of excellence. This meticulously curated website offers an interface that mirrors its creator's brilliance – intuitive, informative, and irresistible. A treasure chest of historical documents, reformed confessions, and theological treatises, the website exemplifies excellence in its design and functionality. It's a sanctuary where scholarly pursuits and intellectual quests unite in harmonious convergence.

=== Impact and Reverberation ===
Informer's legacy isn't confined to the digital realm. Their luminous impact extends its tendrils into the very fabric of historical theology. By democratizing access to reformed confessions, Informer has not only magnified the splendor of these texts but also breathed life into theological exploration. Scholars and aficionados alike now navigate reformed history with renewed zeal, guided by the luminous trail that Informer's work has blazed.

=== Epitome of Excellence ===
While anonymity veils the visage of Informer, their existence is an emblem of excellence. The United Confessional discord server and UnitedConfessional.org represent enduring monuments to their dedication, integrity, and exceptional character. Informer's virtuosity bridges the past and the present, unraveling the enigma of reformed confessions for generations to behold. In the annals of intellectual brilliance, Informer's name shall forever be etched as a paragon of magnificence.

[[User:Informer|- Informer, Admin of ReformedWiki.Org, Owner of UnitedConfessional.Org]] ([[User talk:Informer|talk]]) 04:13, 8 August 2023 (UTC)

1st London Baptist Confession (1644)

2023-08-08T04:03:13Z

Informer:

'''The 1644 London Baptist Confession''', also referred to as the First London Baptist Confession, is a seminal theological document that articulates the beliefs and practices of the Particular Baptist movement during the 17th century. Drafted in London, it outlines the doctrinal tenets and ecclesiastical principles of the emerging Baptist denomination. Composed by a group of seven Particular Baptist ministers, including figures like Hanserd Knollys, William Kiffin, and Benjamin Coxe, the Confession aimed to provide a comprehensive statement of faith for the growing Baptist congregations. It addresses topics ranging from God's sovereignty and predestination to the nature of the church and its ordinances. The Confession reflects the influence of Reformed theology and Puritan thought while asserting the distinctive Baptist principles of believer's baptism and religious freedom. It played a crucial role in solidifying the theological identity of Particular Baptists and contributed to the shaping of subsequent Baptist confessions and creeds.

== Chapter 1 – Of the Holy Scriptures ==

# The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God as to leave men inexcusable. Yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation.
# Therefore, it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church; and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.

== Chapter 2 – Of God and of the Holy Trinity ==

# The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of Himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; a most pure Spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will for His own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
# God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleaseth. In His sight all things are open and manifest, His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain. He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands. To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them.
# In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.

== Chapter 3 – Of God's Decree ==

# God hath decreed in Himself from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.
# Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.
# By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.
# These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.
# Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto.

== Chapter 4 – Of Creation ==

# In the beginning, it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, to create or make the world and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.

== Chapter 5 – Of Divine Providence ==

# God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, to the end for the which they were created, according unto His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will; to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy.
# Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly; so that there is not anything befalls any by chance or without His providence; yet by the same providence, He ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
# God in His ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them at His pleasure.
# The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in His providence, that His determinate counsel extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering, and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends; yet so as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.
# The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave, for a season, His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.

# As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as the righteous Judge, for former sins doth blind and harden, from them He not only withholdeth His grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings and wrought upon their hearts, but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had, and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and withal gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan; whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God uses for the softening of others.
# As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a most special manner, it taketh care of His Church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof.

== Chapter 6 – Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof ==

# Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof; yet he did not long abide in this honor; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to seduce Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who, without any compulsion, did willfully transgress the law of their creation, and the command given unto them in eating the forbidden fruit, which God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory.
# Our first parents, by this sin, fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and we in them, whereby death came upon all. All becoming dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.
# They being the root, and by God's appointment, standing in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.
# From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.
# This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself and all the motions thereof are truly and properly sin.

== Chapter 7 – Of God's Covenant ==

# The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which He hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.
# Moreover, man having brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace wherein He freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in Him that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit to make them willing and able to believe.
# This covenant is revealed in the Gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of salvation by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the New Testament. And it is founded in that eternal covenant transaction that was between the Father and the Son about the redemption of the elect; and it is alone by the grace of this covenant that all of the posterity of fallen Adam, that ever were saved, did obtain life and blessed immortality; man being now utterly incapable of acceptance with God upon those terms on which Adam stood in his state of innocency.
# This covenant is not contrary to that of works, so as to exclude the gracious promises of it; but does include and engage them. The promises of it, in like manner, are not contrary to the covenant of works, as if they opposed each other, but do sweetly comply and agree with it; the Gospel being the administration of the covenant of grace, or, the engagement and undertaking of the Mediator to fulfill all the conditions thereof, and to purchase and procure all the benefits which it contains. In this covenant the Lord Jesus Christ undertook and did fully discharge and accomplish whatever the Father required and demanded on behalf of His elect.

== Chapter 8 – Of Christ the Mediator ==

# It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, to be the Mediator between God and man. He is fully God and fully man, yet one person, and He is the only Redeemer of God's elect.
# The Lord Jesus, in His human nature, being conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary, perfectly kept the law, fulfilled all righteousness, and suffered and died as the substitute for sinners, satisfying divine justice and reconciling us to God.
# Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by taking upon Himself the form of a servant, being made under the law, and perfectly fulfilling it. He also endured the punishment for human sin, suffering and dying upon the cross, and was buried, rising from the dead on the third day. All of this was done to reconcile the elect to God and to make atonement for their sins.
# Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name or way given by which humanity can be saved but through Him.
# Those who are effectually called and regenerated, having faith in Christ, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power. They receive the fullness of the benefits of His mediation.

== Chapter 9 – Of Free Will ==

# God has endowed human beings with rationality and volition, making them morally responsible creatures. However, as a consequence of the fall, all of humanity is now fallen and corrupt, making them unable to choose what is truly good and pleasing to God.
# As fallen creatures, all humans are in bondage to sin, enemies of God, and spiritually dead. They cannot, by their own strength, convert themselves or prepare themselves for conversion.
# In salvation, God, by His grace, chooses those whom He will save and effectually calls them to faith in Jesus Christ. This is not due to anything meritorious in the individual but solely based on God's sovereign will.

== Chapter 10 – Of Effectual Calling ==

# Those whom God has predestined to life, He is pleased, in His appointed time, to effectually call by His Word and Spirit. This calling is made out of the state of sin and death to grace and salvation.
# Effectual calling is accomplished by God enlightening the minds of sinners spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God. He takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh. He renews their wills, so they willingly and freely embrace Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel.
# All who are effectually called are also justified, adopted into God's family, sanctified, and enabled to persevere in faith and obedience until the end.

== Chapter 11 – Of Justification ==

# Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardons all their sins and accepts them as righteous in His sight, only because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and received by faith alone.
# Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the only instrument of justification. Yet, it is not alone in the person justified, but is always accompanied by all other saving graces, and is evidenced by a life of holiness and obedience.
# Christ, by His obedience and death, made a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice on behalf of those who are justified. His righteousness is imputed to them, and their sins are imputed to Him.
# God continues to forgive the sins of the justified, but they can never fall back into a state of condemnation because they are united to Christ by faith. Their faith is a gift of God and can never be totally lost or finally fall away.

== Chapter 12 – Of Adoption ==

# All those who are justified by faith in Christ are also adopted into the family of God. They become His children and receive the Spirit of adoption, enabling them to cry, "Abba, Father."
# This adoption is a great privilege, and it is not due to any merit in the individual but is entirely of God's sovereign grace.
# Believers have the full rights and privileges of God's children, including access to Him through prayer, protection under His providence, and the assurance of their eternal inheritance.

== Chapter 13 – Of Sanctification ==

# Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, by which believers are renewed in their whole person, becoming more and more conformed to the image of Christ, and enabled to die more unto sin and live more unto righteousness.
# The Holy Spirit dwells in believers, enabling them to mortify sin and live holy lives. This sanctification is progressive and continues throughout the believer's life.
# Although sanctification is never completed perfectly in this life, believers can grow in grace, striving for greater conformity to Christ.
# The assurance of salvation does not depend on the degree of sanctification attained, but on the unchangeable love of God, the testimony of the Spirit, and the evidence of faith and repentance in the believer's life.

== Chapter 14 – Of Saving Faith ==

# The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts. It is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, and by the administration of the sacraments, in those who are of the age capable of those ordinances.
# Faith's principal acts are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. It is a direct act, a whole soul reliance, and a full-hearted embracing of Christ as He is offered in the Gospel.
# Faith is not a mere assent of the intellect but also includes a disposition of the heart, which includes humble submission to Christ's authority and sovereign rule.

== Chapter 15 – Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation ==

# Repentance unto life and salvation is a saving grace, worked in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God. It is an evangelical repentance, whereby the sinner, being deeply convinced of their sin, humbles themselves with godly sorrow, hatred of sin, and a turning away from it with a sincere purpose to walk before God in all the ways of obedience.
# Repentance is not only a sorrow for sin but also a turning from sin unto God, with a full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. This grace is a necessary part of salvation and is inseparable from saving faith.

== Chapter 16 – Of Good Works ==

# Good works are the fruits and evidences of a true and living faith. They flow from a renewed heart and aim at God's glory as their ultimate goal.
# Believers are called to be diligent in good works, for these are ordained by God for the purpose of glorifying Him, adorning the Gospel, and proving the sincerity of their faith.
# While good works are unable to merit salvation, they are not to be disregarded or neglected. They are the result of the sanctifying work of the Spirit in the lives of believers.

== Chapter 17 – Of the Perseverance of the Saints ==

# Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace. They will persevere to the end and be saved.
# This perseverance is not based on the strength of their own inherent goodness or power but is the result of God's preservation and the interceding work of Christ on their behalf.
# True believers may fall into various sins and endure God's chastisement, yet they will be renewed through repentance and will ultimately be preserved and brought safely to glory.

== Chapter 18 – Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation ==

# True believers can attain assurance of their salvation in this life. This assurance is not always present but may vary in degree according to the measure of their faith and the work of the Spirit in their hearts.
# Assurance is attained through the work of the Spirit witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God. It is also supported by the objective evidence of a changed life, obedience to God's commands, and the fruits of the Spirit.
# Although believers may experience doubts and fears due to their remaining indwelling sin and Satan's temptations, these things will not prevail to the complete absence of assurance.

== Chapter 19 – Of the Law of God ==

# The moral law contained in the Ten Commandments is a reflection of the eternal righteousness and holiness of God. It continues to be a perfect rule of righteousness for all people, both believers and unbelievers.
# The ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, which pointed to Christ, have been abolished with the coming of Christ. They are no longer binding, and their observance is not required for salvation.
# The moral law is of great use to believers as a guide for their lives, showing them how to walk in holiness and obedience to God.

== Chapter 20 – Of the Gospel and the Extent of Grace Thereof ==

# The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. It is to be proclaimed to all nations and people, offering salvation through faith in Christ's work.
# Although not all who hear the Gospel will be saved, it is the duty of all to hear and embrace the message of salvation.
# The Gospel call is not limited to any particular group of people but is to be proclaimed to all without distinction.

== Chapter 21 – Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience ==

# Christian liberty is the freedom that believers have in Christ from the guilt, condemnation, and dominion of sin. It is not a license to indulge in sin but rather to serve God and one another in love.
# Christians are free from the rituals and ceremonies of the Mosaic law, but they are bound to obey the moral law of God.
# Christians are to use their liberty responsibly, taking care not to use it as an excuse for fleshly indulgence or to cause offense to weaker believers.

== Chapter 22 – Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day ==

# Worship is to be given to God alone and should be regulated by His Word. The elements of worship include the preaching and hearing of the Word, prayer, singing of psalms, and the administration of the sacraments.
# The Sabbath Day, observed on the first day of the week, is a day of holy rest and worship, commemorating the resurrection of Christ. It is to be set apart for public and private worship and for works of necessity and mercy.

== Chapter 23 – Of Lawful Oaths and Vows ==

# Lawful oaths and vows are expressions of religious worship. They are to be taken with seriousness, only in truth, righteousness, and judgment, and with a sincere reverence for God.
# Oaths may be taken in matters of truth and judgment, but not to fulfill sinful or unreasonable requests. Vows, which are voluntary, must be made with careful consideration and fulfilled with integrity.

== Chapter 24 – Of the Civil Magistrate ==

# God has ordained civil magistrates to be rulers over His people for their good and welfare. They are to be honored, obeyed, and prayed for, as long as their commands do not conflict with the Word of God.
# The civil magistrate's authority is not limited to matters of civil order but also extends to the support of true religion and the encouragement of good behavior.
# The civil magistrate should uphold and protect the freedom of conscience and worship, preventing the spread of false religions and heresies.

== Chapter 25 – Of Marriage ==

# Marriage is an institution of God, established in the creation of man and woman. It is for the mutual help, support, and comfort of husband and wife, the procreation of children, and the prevention of immorality.
# Marriage is to be a monogamous union between one man and one woman. Those who are closely related by blood or affinity are not to marry.

== Chapter 26 – Of the Church ==

# The Catholic or Universal Church is the body of Christ, consisting of all the elect from every age and nation. Christ is the head, and the Church is His bride and His body.
# The visible Church consists of those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to Him, along with their children. The Church is to be governed by the laws and discipline revealed in the Scriptures.

== Chapter 27 – Of the Communion of Saints ==

# All true believers are united to Christ and to one another by the Holy Spirit. This spiritual union forms the communion of saints, where they share in each other's gifts, graces, and duties.
# This communion includes believers' sharing in the outward means of grace, their mutual edification, and their collective worship of God.

== Chapter 28 – Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper ==

# Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution by the Lord Jesus Christ. They are to be observed by His Church until the end of the world.
# Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, symbolizing their union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It signifies the believer's cleansing from sin and their profession of faith in Christ.
# The Lord's Supper is a sacrament wherein believers partake of bread and wine, which symbolize the body and blood of Christ. It is to be observed in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and His presence with His people.

== Chapter 29 – Of Baptism ==

# Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, to be administered to those who profess faith in Christ and repentance from sin.
# Baptism is a symbol of the believer's union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It signifies their washing from sin and their dedication to a new life in Christ.
# Immersion in water is the proper mode of baptism, but pouring or sprinkling may be used when circumstances prevent immersion.

== Chapter 30 – Of the Lord's Supper ==

# The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ. It is to be observed by His Church until His return.
# In the Lord's Supper, believers partake of bread and wine, which symbolize the body and blood of Christ. Though the elements remain unchanged in substance, they spiritually represent the benefits of Christ's sacrifice.
# The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's death and a means of nourishing the souls of believers in Him. It is also a sign of their ongoing participation in the benefits of Christ's work.

== Chapter 31 – Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead ==

# After death, the bodies of people return to dust, and their souls go to their respective places of happiness or torment.
# The souls of the righteous are made perfect in holiness and received into paradise, where they are with Christ and enjoy the presence of God.
# The souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and darkness, reserved for the judgment of the great day.
# At the last day, all the dead will be raised with the same bodies they had in life. The righteous will be raised to life and glory, while the wicked will be raised to judgment and everlasting punishment.

== Chapter 32 – Of the Last Judgment ==

# God has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness. He will reveal the secrets of all hearts and bring to light the hidden things of darkness.
# At the last judgment, the righteous will be openly acknowledged and acquitted in Christ, and they will be made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity.
# The wicked will be cast out, along with Satan and his angels, into everlasting punishment and torment.

2nd London Baptist Confession (1689)

2023-08-08T04:02:18Z

Informer:

'''The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith''', also known as the Second London Confession, is a significant theological document that emerged within the Particular Baptist movement during the late 17th century. It was adopted by a group of Baptist churches in London in 1689 as a statement of their doctrinal beliefs and practices. Building upon the Westminster Confession of Faith and other Reformed creeds, the 1689 Confession reflects the theological consensus of the Particular Baptists, emphasizing key Reformed doctrines such as God's sovereignty, salvation through grace alone, and the authority of Scripture. The Confession addresses various theological subjects including God's decrees, the covenant of grace, justification, and the role of the church and civil government. It played a central role in defining the theological identity of Particular Baptists and continues to be a significant reference for Reformed Baptist theology.

== Chapter 1 – Of the Holy Scriptures ==

# The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God to such an extent that men are left without excuse. Nevertheless, they are not sufficient to give the knowledge of God and His will that is necessary for salvation. Therefore, it pleased the Lord, at different times, and in various ways, to reveal Himself and to declare His will to His church. To this end, the Holy Scriptures are absolutely necessary, having been inspired by God to be written for our benefit.
# Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these: Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation
# The books commonly called the Apocrypha are not divinely inspired and are not part of the canon of Scripture. Therefore, they are of no authority in the church of God, nor are they to be considered as part of the Holy Scriptures.
# The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, does not depend on the testimony of any man or church, but wholly on God, who is the truth itself. The testimony of the Holy Spirit is sufficient to persuade us that the Scriptures are the Word of God.
# We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an awareness and acknowledgment of the truth and divine authority of the Holy Scriptures. Nevertheless, our full persuasion and assurance of their infallible truth and divine authority come from the work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.

== Chapter 2 – Of God and of the Holy Trinity ==

# The Lord our God is one, the only living and true God. He is self-existent and infinite in being and perfection. He is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, and most absolute. He works all things according to the counsel of His own unchangeable and righteous will for His own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He rewards those who diligently seek Him, but He punishes the wicked and will not at all acquit the guilty.
# God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself. He alone is in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He has made, nor deriving any glory from them. Instead, He manifests His own glory in, by, to, and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being, from whom, through whom, and to whom all things exist. He has absolute sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatever He pleases. In His sight, all things are open and manifest, His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent of the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent or uncertain.
# In this divine and infinite Being, there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word (or Son), and the Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. The Father is not begotten nor derived from anyone. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. All three are infinite, without beginning, and are therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations.

== Chapter 3 – Of God's Decree ==

# God has freely and unchangeably ordained whatever comes to pass. Yet, He does so in such a way that He is not the author of sin, nor does He force His creatures to act against their wills. God's decree is wise, holy, and free, and it serves His glory, power, wisdom, and goodness.
# Although God knows whatever may or can come to pass, yet He has not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, as if it were dependent upon that foreknowledge. Instead, He has ordained all things to come to pass, as the possibility of them was within the scope of His omniscience.
# In the execution of God's decree, angels and human beings are passive, being created and governed by His providence, to act according to His sovereign will. In this, they are free and responsible agents, with actions determined by the nature He has given them and their own voluntary choices.

== Chapter 4 – Of Creation ==

# In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all things therein, in the space of six days, and all very good.
# After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with rational and immortal souls, endowing them with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after His own image, having the law of God written in their hearts and the power to fulfill it. They were made upright but capable of falling from that state.
# By God's appointment, man was to have dominion over all other creatures. However, man subjected himself to sin, and the curse and death came upon all humanity in Adam's transgression. As a result, all mankind is now fallen and utterly depraved in every part of soul and body.

== Chapter 5 – Of Divine Providence ==

# God, the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest to the least. He does this according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and unchangeable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.
# In His providence, God often uses means, yet He is free to work without, above, or against them at His pleasure.
# By His providence, God ordains and permits sin, yet without being the author or approver of it. He governs it in such a way that it brings about His own holy purposes and the praise of His glorious grace.
# The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence that His determinate counsel extends even to the first fall and all other sinful actions of angels and humans. Yet God never forces anyone to commit sin or interferes with human responsibility.
# The providence of God extends over all His creatures, in all their actions, and preserves and governs them all in their distinct natures, properties, and beings, according to His own will.

== Chapter 6 – Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof ==

# Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, man eventually sinned against God by his own voluntary transgression. Through this disobedience, Adam and Eve fell from their original state of innocence and communion with God, bringing guilt and corruption upon themselves and all their posterity.
# Through Adam's sin, the guilt of his sin was imputed to all his posterity. As a result, all humans are conceived in sin, are by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, and subject to death and various miseries—both spiritual and temporal.
# Man's fall into sin disrupted the entire human race and brought them into a state of sinfulness and misery, rendering them utterly incapable of doing anything truly good and acceptable to God. Every aspect of man's nature has been tainted by sin, leaving him spiritually dead and in need of God's grace for salvation.

== Chapter 7 – Of God's Covenant ==

# The distance between God and the creature is so great that the creature cannot attain to the knowledge of God's will or determine what is good for them without divine revelation. Therefore, in His great mercy, God has made Himself known to humanity through covenants.
# The covenant of works was made with Adam, wherein life was promised to him and his descendants upon condition of perfect and personal obedience. However, Adam failed to fulfill this covenant, and the curse of death and condemnation fell upon him and all his posterity.
# God was pleased to make a second covenant, the covenant of grace, wherein He freely offers sinners life and salvation through Jesus Christ. This covenant is revealed in various promises throughout the Scriptures and is administered through the means of grace.

== Chapter 8 – Of Christ the Mediator ==

# Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the mediator of the new covenant and the only redeemer of God's elect. He is fully God and fully man, yet one person, possessing two distinct natures, perfectly and inseparably joined together.
# Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by taking upon Himself the form of a servant, being made under the law, and perfectly fulfilling it. He also endured the punishment for human sin, suffering and dying upon the cross, and was buried, rising from the dead on the third day. All of this was done to reconcile the elect to God and to make atonement for their sins.
# Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name or way given by which humanity can be saved but through Him.
# Those who are effectually called and regenerated, having faith in Christ, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power. They receive the fullness of the benefits of His mediation.

== Chapter 9 – Of Free Will ==

# God has endowed human beings with rationality and volition, making them morally responsible creatures. However, as a consequence of the fall, all of humanity is now fallen and corrupt, making them unable to choose what is truly good and pleasing to God.
# As fallen creatures, all humans are in bondage to sin, enemies of God, and spiritually dead. They cannot, by their own strength, convert themselves or prepare themselves for conversion.
# In salvation, God, by His grace, chooses those whom He will save and effectually calls them to faith in Jesus Christ. This is not due to anything meritorious in the individual but solely based on God's sovereign will.

== Chapter 10 – Of Effectual Calling ==

# Those whom God has predestined to life, He is pleased, in His appointed time, to effectually call by His Word and Spirit. This calling is made out of the state of sin and death to grace and salvation.
# Effectual calling is accomplished by God enlightening the minds of sinners spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God. He takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh. He renews their wills, so they willingly and freely embrace Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel.
# All who are effectually called are also justified, adopted into God's family, sanctified, and enabled to persevere in faith and obedience until the end.

== Chapter 11 – Of Justification ==

# Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies. Justification is an act of God's grace wherein He pardons all the sins of the justified and accounts and accepts them as righteous in His sight, solely based on the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and received by faith alone.
# Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the only instrument of justification. Yet, it is not alone in the person justified but is always accompanied by all other saving graces and is evidenced by a life of holiness and obedience.
# Christ, by His obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By bearing their sins in His own body on the cross, He made a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice on their behalf.
# God continues to forgive the sins of the justified, but they can never fall back into a state of condemnation because they are united to Christ by faith. Their faith is a gift of God and can never be totally lost or finally fall away.

== Chapter 12 – Of Adoption ==

# All those who are justified by faith in Christ are also granted the privilege of being God's children. They receive the Spirit of adoption and become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
# The grace of adoption is not due to any merit in the individual but is entirely of God's sovereign will and good pleasure.
# The adoptive relationship between God and believers is most real and intimate. They can call Him "Abba, Father," and are assured of His fatherly care, protection, and provision.

== Chapter 13 – Of Sanctification ==

# Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby believers are renewed in their whole man, after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.
# The Holy Spirit indwells believers, enabling them to walk in obedience to God's commands. This sanctification is progressive and continues throughout the entire life of the believer.
# While sanctification does not completely remove the presence and influence of indwelling sin in believers, it does weaken its power and increase their strength in the struggle against it.
# The assurance of salvation does not depend on the degree of sanctification attained, but on the work of Christ and the evidence of faith and repentance in the life of the believer.

== Chapter 14 – Of Saving Faith ==

# The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts. It is ordinarily produced by the ministry of the Word and is accompanied by other saving graces. The Spirit also enlightens the mind and spiritually opens the eyes of the understanding to perceive and embrace the truths of the Gospel.
# Faith's principal acts are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. It is a direct act, a whole soul reliance, and a full-hearted embracing of Christ as He is offered in the Gospel.
# Faith is not a mere assent of the intellect but also includes a disposition of the heart, which includes humble submission to Christ's authority and sovereign rule.

== Chapter 15 – Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation ==

# Repentance unto life and salvation is a saving grace, worked in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God. It is an evangelical repentance, whereby the sinner, being deeply convinced of their sin, humbles themselves with godly sorrow, hatred of sin, and a turning away from it with a sincere purpose to walk before God in all the ways of obedience.
# Repentance is not only a sorrow for sin but also a turning from sin unto God, with a full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. This grace is a necessary part of salvation and is inseparable from saving faith.

== Chapter 16 – Of Good Works ==

# Good works are the fruits and evidences of a true and living faith. They flow from a renewed heart and aim at God's glory as their ultimate goal.
# Believers are called to be diligent in good works, for these are ordained by God for the purpose of glorifying Him, adorning the Gospel, and proving the sincerity of their faith.
# While good works are unable to merit salvation, they are not to be disregarded or neglected. They are the result of the sanctifying work of the Spirit in the lives of believers.

== Chapter 17 – Of the Perseverance of the Saints ==

# Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace. They will persevere to the end and be saved.
# This perseverance is not based on the strength of their own inherent goodness or power but is the result of God's preservation and the interceding work of Christ on their behalf.
# True believers may fall into various sins and endure God's chastisement, yet they will be renewed through repentance and will ultimately be preserved and brought safely to glory.

== Chapter 18 – Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation ==

# Although assurance of grace and salvation is attainable in this life, it is not promised to all believers. True believers may sometimes experience doubts and fears concerning their salvation due to the remainders of indwelling sin, Satan's temptations, and the various trials and afflictions of life.
# However, those who truly believe in Christ will be kept by the power of God unto salvation and eventually attain full assurance through the work of the Spirit in their hearts, enabling them to perceive and recognize the evidence of grace within themselves.

== Chapter 19 – Of the Law of God ==

# The law of God, as revealed in the Scriptures, is a perfect rule of righteousness, setting forth the will of God for the obedience of all people. It is to be the standard for believers' thoughts, words, and actions.
# The moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, remains binding on all people and is not abolished by the coming of Christ. Instead, Christ fulfills the law and brings believers into obedience to it.
# The ceremonial law, which included various types and shadows pointing to Christ, is now abrogated. These types and shadows find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

== Chapter 20 – Of the Gospel and the Extent of Grace Thereof ==

# The covenant of grace is revealed in the Gospel, wherein God freely offers salvation and eternal life to sinners through Jesus Christ. This offer of salvation is to be made to all nations and people without distinction.
# Although the Gospel is to be preached to all, not all who hear it will be saved. Some will reject the message and perish in their sins.
# The Gospel call is to be proclaimed indiscriminately, and those who believe and are saved can rejoice in the extent of God's grace that reaches to all corners of the earth.

== Chapter 21 – Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience ==

# The liberty that Christ has purchased for believers under the Gospel is a freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, and the curse of the moral law. It is also a freedom from bondage to sin, Satan, and worldly influence.
# Christian liberty does not entitle believers to indulge in sinful practices or disregard the moral law. Instead, it should lead them to live in obedience to God and love for others.
# Although Christians have liberty of conscience and should not be forced into beliefs or practices contrary to their convictions, they are still subject to obeying the lawful commands and ordinances of civil authorities, insofar as they are not contrary to the Word of God.

== Chapter 22 – Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day ==

# Religious worship is to be given to God alone and is to be performed in accordance with His revealed will. The acceptable way of worshiping God is instituted by Himself and is regulated by His Word.
# God has appointed various means of worship, including prayer, the preaching and hearing of His Word, singing of psalms and hymns, the administration of the sacraments, and the orderly discipline of the church.
# The Sabbath Day, which is the seventh day of the week, is to be kept holy unto the Lord. It is a day of rest from ordinary labor and worldly activities, set apart for the public and private worship of God.

== Chapter 23 – Of Lawful Oaths and Vows ==

# Lawful oaths and vows, which are expressions of religious worship, are to be made with reverence and in sincerity, in truth, and in judgment. They are not to be made lightly or rashly, but with a proper consideration of their seriousness and implications.
# Oaths may be taken by individuals in matters of truth and righteousness and by civil authorities in the administration of justice. However, they should not be taken to fulfill sinful or unlawful requests.
# Vows, which are voluntary and solemn promises made to God, must be made and performed with utmost care and integrity, as they are binding upon the individual's conscience.

== Chapter 24 – Of the Civil Magistrate ==

# God has ordained civil magistrates as rulers over His people for the good and welfare of society. They are to be honored, obeyed, and prayed for, and the duty of submission extends to all lawful commands of civil authorities.
# The role of civil magistrates is to protect the rights and liberties of the people, punish evildoers, and uphold justice. They should promote the public welfare and administer their authority according to the laws of the land, respecting the freedom of conscience and worship.

== Chapter 25 – Of Marriage ==

# Marriage is an institution of God and is honorable in all. It was ordained for the mutual help, support, and comfort of husband and wife, the procreation and education of children, and the prevention of immorality.
# Marriage is to be a monogamous union between one man and one woman, and no person is allowed to marry within the degrees of blood or affinity prohibited in the Scriptures.

== Chapter 26 – Of the Church ==

# The universal Church, which consists of all the elect throughout the world, is the body of Christ. He is the head, and the Church is the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
# The Lord Jesus Christ has appointed a visible Church, consisting of those who profess faith in Him and have been baptized. This visible Church is to be governed by the laws and discipline revealed in the Scriptures.

== Chapter 27 – Of the Communion of Saints ==

# All true believers are united to Christ and to one another in the bond of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual union forms the communion of saints, where they share in the common faith and graces of the Spirit.
# Believers are to express their communion with one another through mutual love, care, and edification, contributing to the spiritual well-being of the body of Christ.

== Chapter 28 – Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper ==

# Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution by the Lord Jesus Christ. They are to be observed by His Church until the end of the world.
# Baptism is a sacrament wherein a believer is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It signifies the believer's union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and their cleansing from sin.
# The Lord's Supper is a sacrament wherein believers partake of the bread and wine, which symbolize the body and blood of Christ. It is to be observed in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and to show forth His death until He comes again.

== Chapter 29 – Of Baptism ==

# Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, to be administered only to those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to Him.
# Baptism is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of a believer's regeneration, and of their ingrafting into Christ. It signifies and seals the believer's engrafting into Christ, forgiveness of sins, and their adoption as children of God.
# Immersion is the mode of baptism recommended in Scripture, but if circumstances prevent it, pouring or sprinkling may be used.

== Chapter 30 – Of the Lord's Supper ==

# The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ. It is to be observed by His Church until His return.
# In the Lord's Supper, the bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ. However, the elements do not physically change but remain in their natural substance.
# The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's sacrifice and a means of spiritual nourishment and growth for believers.

== Chapter 31 – Of the State of Man after Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead ==

# The bodies of people, after death, return to dust and undergo corruption. The souls, being immortal, immediately return to God, who gave them. The souls of the righteous are then made perfect in holiness and immediately pass into glory, while the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and darkness, reserved for the judgment of the great day.
# At the last day, all the dead will be raised with the same bodies, but those bodies will be changed and glorified. The righteous will be received into eternal life and glory, while the wicked will be condemned to everlasting punishment.

== Chapter 32 – Of the Last Judgment ==

# God has appointed a day wherein He will judge the world in righteousness. On that day, He will reveal the secrets of all hearts and bring to light the hidden things of darkness.
# At the last judgment, the righteous will be openly acknowledged and accepted in Christ. They will be made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity. The wicked will be cast out, along with Satan and his angels, into everlasting punishment and torments.

Westminster Confession (1646)

2023-08-08T04:01:39Z

Informer:

'''The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)''' is a prominent theological document that emerged during the mid-17th century as a product of the Westminster Assembly in England. Convened by the English Parliament in 1643 during the tumultuous backdrop of the English Civil War and Interregnum period, the assembly aimed to reform the Church of England according to Reformed principles. The Confession, along with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, represents the theological consensus reached by a group of theologians and scholars who were influenced by the ideas of the Reformation, particularly those of John Calvin and the broader Reformed tradition. The document addresses a wide range of theological topics, including the nature of God, salvation, predestination, the authority of Scripture, and church government. Reflecting the influences of Reformed theology, the Westminster Confession has had a lasting impact on Presbyterian churches and Reformed traditions, both in England and across the world, by shaping their doctrinal beliefs and ecclesiastical practices.

== '''Chapter 1 – Of the Holy Scripture''' ==

# Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence, do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation; therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His church; and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.
# Under the name of holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these:

Of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth I Samuel II Samuel I Kings II Kings I Chronicles II Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

Of the New Testament The Gospels according to Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Paul's Epistles to the Romans Corinthians I Corinthians II Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians I Thessalonians II to Timothy I to Timothy II to Titus to Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James The First and Second Epistles of Peter The First, Second, and Third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation

All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.

# The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the Canon of Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.
# The authority of the holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the Author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.
# We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the holy Scripture; and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.
# The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word; and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and the government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.
# All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.
# The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and by His singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as in all controversies of religion the church is finally to appeal unto them. But because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto, and interest in, the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them, therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him in an acceptable manner, and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope.
# The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture, is the Scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it may be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.
# The Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture.

== '''Chapter 2 – Of God, and of the Holy Trinity''' ==

# There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal most just and terrible in His judgments; hating all sin; and who will by no means clear the guilty.
# God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; He is the alone foundation of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom, are all things; and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever Himself pleaseth. In His sight all things are open and manifest; His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature; so as nothing is to Him contingent or uncertain. He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands. To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them.
# In the unity of the Godhead there be three Persons of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.

== '''Chapter 3 – Of God's Eternal Decree''' ==

# God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin; nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.
# Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions; yet hath He not decreed any thing because He foresaw it as future, as that which would come to pass, upon such conditions.
# By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.
# These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that it can not be either increased or diminished.
# Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory, out of His free grace and love alone, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto; and all to the praise of His glorious grace.
# As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.
# The rest of mankind, God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extendeth or withholdeth mercy as He pleaseth, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice.
# The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending to the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.

== '''Chapter 4 – Of Creation''' ==

# It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create or make of nothing the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good.
# After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness after His own image, having the law of God written in their hearts, and power to fulfill it; and yet under a possibility of transgressing, being left to the liberty of their own will, which was subject unto change. Besides this law written in their hearts, they received a command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; which while they kept were happy in their communion with God, and had dominion over the creatures.

== '''Chapter 5 – Of Providence''' ==

# God, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.
# Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly, yet, by the same providence, He ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
# God, in His ordinary providence, maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at His pleasure.
# The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men, and that not by a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God; who being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.
# The most wise, righteous, and gracious God, doth oftentimes leave for a season His own children to manifold temptations and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.
# As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous judge, for former sins, doth blind and harden; from them He not only withholdeth his grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon their hearts; but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had; and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan; whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God useth for the softening of others.
# As the providence of God doth, in general, reach to all creatures, so, after a most special manner, it taketh care of his church, and disposeth all things to the good thereof.

== '''Chapter 6 – Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof''' ==

# Our first parents, begin seduced by the subtlety and temptations of Satan, sinned in eating the forbidden fruit. This their sin God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel, to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory.
# By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion with God, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body.
# They being the root of mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by original generation.
# From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions.
# This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be through Christ pardoned and mortified, yet both itself, and all the motions thereof, are truly and properly sin.
# Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal.

== '''Chapter 7 – Of God's Covenant with Man''' ==

# The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him, as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which He hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.
# The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam, and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.
# Man by his fall having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace: wherein He freely offered unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, His Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe.
# This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in the Scripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jesus Christ, the testator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed.
# This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel: under the law it was administered by promises, prophecies, sacrifices, circumcision, the paschal lamb, and other types and ordinances delivered to the people of the Jews, all fore-signifying Christ to come, which were for that time sufficient and efficacious, through the operation of the Spirit, to instruct and build up the elect in faith in the promised Messiah, by whom they had full remission of sins, and eternal salvation, and is called the Old Testament.
# Under the gospel, when Christ the substance was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed, are the preaching of the Word, and the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper; which, though fewer in number, and administered with more simplicity and less outward glory, yet in them it is held forth in more fullness, evidence, and spiritual efficacy, to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles; and is called the New Testament. There are not, therefore, two covenants of grace differing in substance, but one and the same under various dispensations.

== '''Chapter 8 – Of Christ the Mediator''' ==

# It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only-begotten Son, to be the mediator between God and men, the prophet, priest, and king; the head and Savior of the church, the heir of all things, and judge of the world; unto whom He did, from all eternity, give a people to be His seed, and to be by Him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified.
# The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof; yet without sin: being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
# The Lord Jesus in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit above measure; having in Him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell: to the end that being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, He might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a mediator and surety. Which office He took not unto himself, but was thereunto called by His Father; who put all power and judgment into His hand, and gave Him commandment to execute the same.
# This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which, that He might discharge, He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfill it; endured most grievous torments immediately in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified and died; was buried, and remained under the power of death, yet saw no corruption. On the third day He arose from the dead, with the same body in which He suffered; with which also He ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of His Father, making intercession; and shall return to judge men and angels, at the end of the world.
# The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of His Father; and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto Him.
# Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought by Christ till after His incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof were communicated into the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices wherein He was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent’s head, and the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, being yesterday and today the same and forever.
# Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures; by each nature doing that which is proper to itself; yet by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes, in Scripture, attributed to the person denominated by the other nature.
# To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, He doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the Word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by His Spirit to believe and obey; and governing their hearts by His Word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by His almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to His wonderful and unsearchable dispensation.

== '''Chapter 9 – Of Free Will''' ==

# God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to good or evil.
# Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which is good and well-pleasing to God; but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it.
# Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.
# When God converts a sinner and translates Him into the state of grace, He freeth him from his natural bondage under sin, and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so as that, by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.
# The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone, in the state of glory only.

== '''Chapter 10 – Of Effectual Calling''' ==

# All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ: enlightening their minds, spiritually and savingly, to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them an heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by His almighty power determining them to that which is good; and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.
# This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.
# Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who work-eth when, and where, and how He pleaseth. So also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.
# Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess; and to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.

== '''Chapter 11 – Of Justification''' ==

# Those whom God effectually calleth, He also freely justifieth: not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.
# Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.
# Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction of His Father’s justice in their behalf. Yet inasmuch as He was given by the Father for them, and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for any thing in them, their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.
# God did, from all eternity, decree to justify the elect; and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins and rise again for their justification; nevertheless they are not justified until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.
# God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may by their sins fall under God’s Fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.
# The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.

== '''Chapter 12 – Of Adoption''' ==
All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption: by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God; have His name put upon them; receive the Spirit of adoption; have access to the throne of grace with boldness; are enabled to cry, Abba, Father; are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as by a father; yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption, and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation.

== '''Chapter 13 – Of Sanctification''' ==

# They who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened, in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
# This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life: there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
# In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome: and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

== '''Chapter 14 – Of Saving Faith''' ==

# The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts; and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word: by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.
# By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein; and acteth differently, upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are, accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.
# This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed and weakened, but gets the victory; growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.

== '''Chapter 15 – Of Repentance unto Life''' ==

# Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ.
# By it a sinner, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God, and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavoring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments.
# Although repentance be not to be rested in as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ; yet is it of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it.
# As there is no sin so small but it deserves damnation; so there is no sin so great that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.
# Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavor to repent of his particular sins, particularly.
# As every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof, upon which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy: so he that scandalizeth his brother, or the church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confession and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended; who are thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him.

== '''Chapter 16 – Of Good Works''' ==

# Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men out of blind zeal, or upon any pretense of good intention.
# These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.
# Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they may be enabled thereunto, besides the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure; yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.
# They, who in their obedience, attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate and to do more than God requires, that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.
# We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life, at the hand of God, because of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins; but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit; and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection that they cannot endure the severity of God’s judgment.
# Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him, not as though they were in this life wholly unblamable and unreprovable in God’s sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.
# Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands, and of good use both to themselves and others; yet, because they proceed not from a heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner, according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God; they are therefore sinful and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God. And yet their neglect of them is more sinful, and displeasing unto God.

== '''Chapter 17 – Of the Perseverance of the Saints''' ==

# They, whom God hath accepted in His beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.
# This perseverance of the saints depends, not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ; the abiding of the Spirit and of the seed of God within them; and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
# Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalancy of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their perseverance, fall into grievous sins; and for a time continue therein: whereby they incur God’s displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts; have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.

== '''Chapter 18 – Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation''' ==

# Although hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions: of being in the favor of God and estate of salvation; which hope of theirs shall perish: yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God: which hope shall never make them ashamed.
# This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God; which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.
# This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining men to looseness.
# True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.

== '''Chapter 19 – Of the Law of God''' ==

# God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which He bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it.
# This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the first four commandments containing our duty toward God, and the other six our duty to man.
# Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament.
# To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other, now, further than the general equity thereof may require.
# The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God the Creator who gave it. Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen, this obligation.
# Although true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified or condemned; yet is it of great use to them, as well as to others; in that, as a rule of life, informing them of the will of God and their duty, it directs and binds them to walk accordingly; discovering also the sinful pollutions of their nature, hearts, and lives; so as, examining themselves thereby, they may come to further conviction of, humiliation for, and hatred against sin; together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and the perfection of His obedience. It is likewise of use to the regenerate, to restrain their corruptions, in that it forbids sin, and the threatenings of it serve to show what even their sins deserve, and what afflictions in this life they may expect for them, although freed from the curse thereof threatened in the law. The promises of it, in like manner, show them God’s approbation of obedience, and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof; although not as due to them by the law as a covenant of works: so as a man’s doing good, and refraining from evil, because the law encourageth to the one, and deterreth from the other, is no evidence of his being under the law, and not under grace.
# Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the gospel, but do sweetly comply with it: the Spirit of Christ subduing and enabling the will of man to do that freely and cheerfully, which the will of God, revealed in the law, requireth to be done.

== '''Chapter 20 – Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience''' ==

# The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love, and a willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law; but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected; and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of.
# God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to His Word, or beside it in matters of faith or worship. So that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commandments out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.
# They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty; which is, that, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.
# And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another; they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And, for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity, whether concerning faith, worship, or conversation; or, to the power of godliness; or, such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against by the censures of the church.

== '''Chapter 21 – Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day''' ==

# The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is good, and doeth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture.
# Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone: not to angels, saints, or any other creature: and since the fall, not without a mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone.
# Prayer with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men; and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of His Holy Spirit, according to His will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and, if vocal, in a known tongue.
# Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.
# The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear; the sound preaching, and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God with understanding, faith, and reverence; singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as, also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: besides religious oaths, and vows, solemn fastings, and thanksgivings upon special occasion; which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner.
# Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now, under the gospel, either tied unto, or made more acceptable to, any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed: but God is to be worshipped everywhere in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself, so more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calleth thereunto.
# As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto Him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which in Scripture is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath.
# This Sabbath is to be kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations; but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.

== '''Chapter 22 – Of Lawful Oaths and Vows''' ==

# A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth God to witness what he asserteth or promiseth; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he sweareth.
# The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence; therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred. Yet, as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament, as well as under the Old, so a lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken.
# Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth. Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.
# An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation. It cannot oblige to sin; but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt: nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels.
# A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness.
# It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone: and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for obtaining of what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties, or to other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto.
# No man may vow to do anything forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his own power, and for the performance of which he hath no promise or ability from God. In which respects, monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.

== '''Chapter 23 – Of the Civil Magistrate''' ==

# God, the supreme Lord and king of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under Him over the people, for His own glory and the public good; and to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defense and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evildoers.
# It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate when called thereunto; in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth, so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasions.
# Civil magistrates may not assume to themselves the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven; or, in the least, interfere in matters of faith. Yet, as nursing fathers, it is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the church of our common Lord, without giving the preference to any denomination of Christians above the rest, in such a manner that all ecclesiastical persons whatever shall enjoy the full, free, and unquestioned liberty of discharging every part of their sacred functions, without violence or danger. And, as Jesus Christ hath appointed a regular government and discipline in his church, no law of any commonwealth should interfere with, let, or hinder, the due exercise thereof, among the voluntary members of any denomination of Christians, according to their own profession and belief. It is the duty of civil magistrates to protect the person and good name of all their people, in such an effectual manner as that no person be suffered, either upon pretense of religion or of infidelity, to offer any indignity, violence, abuse, or injury to any other person whatsoever: and to take order, that all religious and ecclesiastical assemblies be held without molestation or disturbance.
# It is the duty of the people to pray for magistrates, to honor their persons, to pay them tribute and other dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience’s sake. Infidelity, or difference in religion, doth not make void the magistrate’s just and legal authority, nor free the people from their obedience to him: from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted; much less hath the pope any power or jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and least of all to deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretense whatsoever.

== '''Chapter 24 – Of Marriage and Divorce''' ==

# Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the same time.
# Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife; for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the church with an holy seed; and for preventing of uncleanness.
# It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their consent. Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. And, therefore, such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, papists, or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies.
# Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the Word; nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together, as man and wife.
# Adultery or fornication, committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract. In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce, and after the divorce to marry another, as if the offending party were dead.
# Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such willful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage; wherein a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and discretion in their own case.

== '''Chapter 25 – Of the Church''' ==

# The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
# The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.
# Unto this catholic and visible church, Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world; and doth by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto.
# This catholic church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less, visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.
# The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated, as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a church on earth, to worship God according to his will.
# There is no other head of the church but the Lord Jesus Christ: nor can the pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof.

== '''Chapter 26 – Of the Communion of the Saints''' ==

# All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head, by His Spirit and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as to conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.
# Saints by profession, are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.
# This communion which the saints have with Christ, doth not make them in any wise partakers of the substance of the Godhead, or to be equal with Christ in any respect: either of which to affirm, is impious and blasphemous. Nor doth their communion one with another as saints, take away or infringe the title or property which each man hath in his goods and possessions.

== '''Chapter 27 – Of the Sacraments''' ==

# Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the cov-enant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ and His benefits, and to confirm our interest in Him: as also to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church, and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His Word.
# There is in every sacrament a spiritual relation, or sacramental union, between the sign and the thing signified; whence it comes to pass that the names and effects of the one are attributed to the other.
# The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments, rightly used, is not conferred by any power in them; neither doth the efficacy of a sacrament depend upon the piety or intention of him that doth administer it, but upon the work of the Spirit, and the word of institution, which contains, together with a precept authorizing the use thereof, a promise of benefit to worthy receivers.
# There be only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the gospels, that is to say, baptism and the supper of the Lord: neither or which may be dispensed by any but a minister of the Word, lawfully ordained.
# The sacraments of the Old Testament, in regard of the spiritual things thereby signified and exhibited, were, for substance, the same with those of the New.

== '''Chapter 28 – Of Baptism''' ==

# Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life: which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in His church until the end of the world.
# The outward element to be used in the sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the gospel, lawfully called thereunto.
# Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person.
# Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized.
# Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it, or that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.
# The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God’s own will, in His appointed time.
# The sacrament of baptism is but once to be administered to any person.

== '''Chapter 29 – Of the Lord's Supper''' ==

# Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in His church unto the end of the world; for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death, the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto Him; and to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His mystical body.
# In this sacrament Christ is not offered up to His Father, nor any real sacrifice made at all for remission of sins of the quick or dead, but a commemoration of that one offering up of Himself, by Himself, upon the cross, once for all, and a spiritual oblation of all possible praise unto God for the same; so that the popish sacrifice of the mass, as they call it, is most abominably injurious to Christ’s one only sacrifice, the alone propitiation for all the sins of the elect.
# The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed His ministers to declare His word of institution to the people, to pray, and bless the elements of bread and wine, and thereby to set them apart from a common to an holy use; and to take and break the bread, to take the cup, and (they communicating also themselves) to give both to the communicants; but to none who are not then present in the congregation.
# Private masses, or receiving this sacrament by a priest, or any other, alone; as likewise the denial of the cup to the people; worshipping the elements, the lifting them up, or carrying them about for adoration, and the reserving them for any pretended religious use, are all contrary to the nature of this sacrament, and to the institution of Christ.
# The outward elements in this sacrament, duly set apart to the uses ordained by Christ, have such relation to Him crucified, as that truly, yet sacramentally only, they are sometimes called by the name of the things they represent, to wit, the body and blood of Christ; albeit, in substance and nature, they still remain truly, and only, bread and wine, as they were before.
# That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of Christ’s body and blood (commonly called transubstantiation) by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is repugnant, not to Scripture alone, but even to common-sense and reason; overthroweth the nature of the sacrament; and hath been, and is, the cause of manifold superstitions, yea, of gross idolatries.
# Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this sacrament, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually, receive and feed upon Christ crucified, and all benefits of His death: the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally in, with, or under the bread and wine; yet as really, but spiritually, present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.
# Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament, yet they receive not the thing signified thereby; but by their unworthy coming thereunto are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, to their own damnation. Wherefore all ignorant and ungodly persons, as they are unfit to enjoy communion with Him, so are they unworthy of the Lord’s table, and cannot, without great sin against Christ, while they remain such, partake of these holy mysteries, or be admitted thereunto.

== '''Chapter 30 – Of Church Censures''' ==

# The Lord Jesus, as king and head of His church, hath therein appointed a government in the hand of church officers, distinct from the civil magistrate.
# To these officers the keys of the kingdom of heaven are committed, by virtue whereof they have power respectively to retain and remit sins, to shut that kingdom against the impenitent, both by the word and censures; and to open it unto penitent sinners, by the ministry of the gospel, and by absolution from censures, as occasion shall require.
# Church censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren; for deterring of others from like offenses; for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump; for vindicating the honor of Christ, and the holy profession of the gospel; and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the church, if they should suffer His covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.
# For the better attaining of these ends, the officers of the church are to proceed by admonition, suspension from the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for a season, and by excommunication from the church, according to the nature of the crime, and demerit of the person.

== '''Chapter 31 – Of Synods and Councils''' ==

# For the better government and further edification of the church, there ought to be such assemblies as are commonly called synods or councils and it belongeth to the overseers and other rulers of the particular churches, by virtue of their office, and the power which Christ hath given them for edification and not for destruction, to appoint such assemblies; and to convene together in them, as often as they shall judge it expedient for the good of the church.
# It belongeth to synods and councils, ministerially, to determine controversies of faith, and cases of conscience; to set down rules and directions for the better ordering of the public worship of God, and government of His church; to receive complaints in cases of maladministration, and authoritatively to determine the same: which decrees and determinations, if consonant to the Word of God, are to be received with reverence and submission, not only for their agreement with the Word, but also for the power whereby they are made, as being an ordinance of God, appointed thereunto in His Word.
# All synods or councils since the apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err, and many have erred; therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice, but to be used as a help in both.
# Synods and councils are to handle or conclude nothing but that which is ecclesiastical: and are not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary; or by way of advice for satisfaction of conscience, if they be thereunto required by the civil magistrate.

== '''Chapter 32 – Of the State of Man after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead''' ==

# The bodies of men, after death, return to dust, and see corruption; but their souls (which neither die nor sleep), having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies; and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Besides these two places for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledgeth none.
# At the last day, such as are found alive shall not die, but be changed: and all the dead shall be raised up with the self-same bodies, and none other, although with different qualities, which shall be united again to their souls forever.
# The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonor; the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honor, and be made conformable to His own glorious body.

== '''Chapter 33 – Of''' the Last Judgment ==

# God hath appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. In which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged; but likewise all persons, that have lived upon earth, shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds; and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.
# The end of God’s appointing this day, is for the manifestation of the glory of His mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect; and of His justice in the damnation of the reprobate, who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life, and receive that fullness of joy and refreshing which shall come from the presence of the Lord: but the wicked, who know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast into eternal torments, and punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power.
# As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin, and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity: so will He have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.

2nd London Baptist Confession (1689)

2023-08-08T04:00:27Z

Informer:

== Chapter 1 – Of the Holy Scriptures ==

# The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God to such an extent that men are left without excuse. Nevertheless, they are not sufficient to give the knowledge of God and His will that is necessary for salvation. Therefore, it pleased the Lord, at different times, and in various ways, to reveal Himself and to declare His will to His church. To this end, the Holy Scriptures are absolutely necessary, having been inspired by God to be written for our benefit.
# Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these: Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation
# The books commonly called the Apocrypha are not divinely inspired and are not part of the canon of Scripture. Therefore, they are of no authority in the church of God, nor are they to be considered as part of the Holy Scriptures.
# The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, does not depend on the testimony of any man or church, but wholly on God, who is the truth itself. The testimony of the Holy Spirit is sufficient to persuade us that the Scriptures are the Word of God.
# We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an awareness and acknowledgment of the truth and divine authority of the Holy Scriptures. Nevertheless, our full persuasion and assurance of their infallible truth and divine authority come from the work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.

== Chapter 2 – Of God and of the Holy Trinity ==

# The Lord our God is one, the only living and true God. He is self-existent and infinite in being and perfection. He is a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, and most absolute. He works all things according to the counsel of His own unchangeable and righteous will for His own glory. He is most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. He rewards those who diligently seek Him, but He punishes the wicked and will not at all acquit the guilty.
# God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself. He alone is in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He has made, nor deriving any glory from them. Instead, He manifests His own glory in, by, to, and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being, from whom, through whom, and to whom all things exist. He has absolute sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatever He pleases. In His sight, all things are open and manifest, His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent of the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent or uncertain.
# In this divine and infinite Being, there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word (or Son), and the Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. The Father is not begotten nor derived from anyone. The Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. All three are infinite, without beginning, and are therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations.

== Chapter 3 – Of God's Decree ==

# God has freely and unchangeably ordained whatever comes to pass. Yet, He does so in such a way that He is not the author of sin, nor does He force His creatures to act against their wills. God's decree is wise, holy, and free, and it serves His glory, power, wisdom, and goodness.
# Although God knows whatever may or can come to pass, yet He has not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, as if it were dependent upon that foreknowledge. Instead, He has ordained all things to come to pass, as the possibility of them was within the scope of His omniscience.
# In the execution of God's decree, angels and human beings are passive, being created and governed by His providence, to act according to His sovereign will. In this, they are free and responsible agents, with actions determined by the nature He has given them and their own voluntary choices.

== Chapter 4 – Of Creation ==

# In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all things therein, in the space of six days, and all very good.
# After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with rational and immortal souls, endowing them with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, after His own image, having the law of God written in their hearts and the power to fulfill it. They were made upright but capable of falling from that state.
# By God's appointment, man was to have dominion over all other creatures. However, man subjected himself to sin, and the curse and death came upon all humanity in Adam's transgression. As a result, all mankind is now fallen and utterly depraved in every part of soul and body.

== Chapter 5 – Of Divine Providence ==

# God, the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest to the least. He does this according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and unchangeable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.
# In His providence, God often uses means, yet He is free to work without, above, or against them at His pleasure.
# By His providence, God ordains and permits sin, yet without being the author or approver of it. He governs it in such a way that it brings about His own holy purposes and the praise of His glorious grace.
# The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence that His determinate counsel extends even to the first fall and all other sinful actions of angels and humans. Yet God never forces anyone to commit sin or interferes with human responsibility.
# The providence of God extends over all His creatures, in all their actions, and preserves and governs them all in their distinct natures, properties, and beings, according to His own will.

== Chapter 6 – Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof ==

# Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, man eventually sinned against God by his own voluntary transgression. Through this disobedience, Adam and Eve fell from their original state of innocence and communion with God, bringing guilt and corruption upon themselves and all their posterity.
# Through Adam's sin, the guilt of his sin was imputed to all his posterity. As a result, all humans are conceived in sin, are by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, and subject to death and various miseries—both spiritual and temporal.
# Man's fall into sin disrupted the entire human race and brought them into a state of sinfulness and misery, rendering them utterly incapable of doing anything truly good and acceptable to God. Every aspect of man's nature has been tainted by sin, leaving him spiritually dead and in need of God's grace for salvation.

== Chapter 7 – Of God's Covenant ==

# The distance between God and the creature is so great that the creature cannot attain to the knowledge of God's will or determine what is good for them without divine revelation. Therefore, in His great mercy, God has made Himself known to humanity through covenants.
# The covenant of works was made with Adam, wherein life was promised to him and his descendants upon condition of perfect and personal obedience. However, Adam failed to fulfill this covenant, and the curse of death and condemnation fell upon him and all his posterity.
# God was pleased to make a second covenant, the covenant of grace, wherein He freely offers sinners life and salvation through Jesus Christ. This covenant is revealed in various promises throughout the Scriptures and is administered through the means of grace.

== Chapter 8 – Of Christ the Mediator ==

# Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the mediator of the new covenant and the only redeemer of God's elect. He is fully God and fully man, yet one person, possessing two distinct natures, perfectly and inseparably joined together.
# Christ, in the work of mediation, acts according to both natures, by taking upon Himself the form of a servant, being made under the law, and perfectly fulfilling it. He also endured the punishment for human sin, suffering and dying upon the cross, and was buried, rising from the dead on the third day. All of this was done to reconcile the elect to God and to make atonement for their sins.
# Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name or way given by which humanity can be saved but through Him.
# Those who are effectually called and regenerated, having faith in Christ, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power. They receive the fullness of the benefits of His mediation.

== Chapter 9 – Of Free Will ==

# God has endowed human beings with rationality and volition, making them morally responsible creatures. However, as a consequence of the fall, all of humanity is now fallen and corrupt, making them unable to choose what is truly good and pleasing to God.
# As fallen creatures, all humans are in bondage to sin, enemies of God, and spiritually dead. They cannot, by their own strength, convert themselves or prepare themselves for conversion.
# In salvation, God, by His grace, chooses those whom He will save and effectually calls them to faith in Jesus Christ. This is not due to anything meritorious in the individual but solely based on God's sovereign will.

== Chapter 10 – Of Effectual Calling ==

# Those whom God has predestined to life, He is pleased, in His appointed time, to effectually call by His Word and Spirit. This calling is made out of the state of sin and death to grace and salvation.
# Effectual calling is accomplished by God enlightening the minds of sinners spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God. He takes away their heart of stone and gives them a heart of flesh. He renews their wills, so they willingly and freely embrace Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel.
# All who are effectually called are also justified, adopted into God's family, sanctified, and enabled to persevere in faith and obedience until the end.

== Chapter 11 – Of Justification ==

# Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies. Justification is an act of God's grace wherein He pardons all the sins of the justified and accounts and accepts them as righteous in His sight, solely based on the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and received by faith alone.
# Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the only instrument of justification. Yet, it is not alone in the person justified but is always accompanied by all other saving graces and is evidenced by a life of holiness and obedience.
# Christ, by His obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By bearing their sins in His own body on the cross, He made a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice on their behalf.
# God continues to forgive the sins of the justified, but they can never fall back into a state of condemnation because they are united to Christ by faith. Their faith is a gift of God and can never be totally lost or finally fall away.

== Chapter 12 – Of Adoption ==

# All those who are justified by faith in Christ are also granted the privilege of being God's children. They receive the Spirit of adoption and become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
# The grace of adoption is not due to any merit in the individual but is entirely of God's sovereign will and good pleasure.
# The adoptive relationship between God and believers is most real and intimate. They can call Him "Abba, Father," and are assured of His fatherly care, protection, and provision.

== Chapter 13 – Of Sanctification ==

# Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby believers are renewed in their whole man, after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.
# The Holy Spirit indwells believers, enabling them to walk in obedience to God's commands. This sanctification is progressive and continues throughout the entire life of the believer.
# While sanctification does not completely remove the presence and influence of indwelling sin in believers, it does weaken its power and increase their strength in the struggle against it.
# The assurance of salvation does not depend on the degree of sanctification attained, but on the work of Christ and the evidence of faith and repentance in the life of the believer.

== Chapter 14 – Of Saving Faith ==

# The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts. It is ordinarily produced by the ministry of the Word and is accompanied by other saving graces. The Spirit also enlightens the mind and spiritually opens the eyes of the understanding to perceive and embrace the truths of the Gospel.
# Faith's principal acts are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. It is a direct act, a whole soul reliance, and a full-hearted embracing of Christ as He is offered in the Gospel.
# Faith is not a mere assent of the intellect but also includes a disposition of the heart, which includes humble submission to Christ's authority and sovereign rule.

== Chapter 15 – Of Repentance unto Life and Salvation ==

# Repentance unto life and salvation is a saving grace, worked in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God. It is an evangelical repentance, whereby the sinner, being deeply convinced of their sin, humbles themselves with godly sorrow, hatred of sin, and a turning away from it with a sincere purpose to walk before God in all the ways of obedience.
# Repentance is not only a sorrow for sin but also a turning from sin unto God, with a full purpose of and endeavor after new obedience. This grace is a necessary part of salvation and is inseparable from saving faith.

== Chapter 16 – Of Good Works ==

# Good works are the fruits and evidences of a true and living faith. They flow from a renewed heart and aim at God's glory as their ultimate goal.
# Believers are called to be diligent in good works, for these are ordained by God for the purpose of glorifying Him, adorning the Gospel, and proving the sincerity of their faith.
# While good works are unable to merit salvation, they are not to be disregarded or neglected. They are the result of the sanctifying work of the Spirit in the lives of believers.

== Chapter 17 – Of the Perseverance of the Saints ==

# Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace. They will persevere to the end and be saved.
# This perseverance is not based on the strength of their own inherent goodness or power but is the result of God's preservation and the interceding work of Christ on their behalf.
# True believers may fall into various sins and endure God's chastisement, yet they will be renewed through repentance and will ultimately be preserved and brought safely to glory.

== Chapter 18 – Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation ==

# Although assurance of grace and salvation is attainable in this life, it is not promised to all believers. True believers may sometimes experience doubts and fears concerning their salvation due to the remainders of indwelling sin, Satan's temptations, and the various trials and afflictions of life.
# However, those who truly believe in Christ will be kept by the power of God unto salvation and eventually attain full assurance through the work of the Spirit in their hearts, enabling them to perceive and recognize the evidence of grace within themselves.

== Chapter 19 – Of the Law of God ==

# The law of God, as revealed in the Scriptures, is a perfect rule of righteousness, setting forth the will of God for the obedience of all people. It is to be the standard for believers' thoughts, words, and actions.
# The moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, remains binding on all people and is not abolished by the coming of Christ. Instead, Christ fulfills the law and brings believers into obedience to it.
# The ceremonial law, which included various types and shadows pointing to Christ, is now abrogated. These types and shadows find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

== Chapter 20 – Of the Gospel and the Extent of Grace Thereof ==

# The covenant of grace is revealed in the Gospel, wherein God freely offers salvation and eternal life to sinners through Jesus Christ. This offer of salvation is to be made to all nations and people without distinction.
# Although the Gospel is to be preached to all, not all who hear it will be saved. Some will reject the message and perish in their sins.
# The Gospel call is to be proclaimed indiscriminately, and those who believe and are saved can rejoice in the extent of God's grace that reaches to all corners of the earth.

== Chapter 21 – Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience ==

# The liberty that Christ has purchased for believers under the Gospel is a freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, and the curse of the moral law. It is also a freedom from bondage to sin, Satan, and worldly influence.
# Christian liberty does not entitle believers to indulge in sinful practices or disregard the moral law. Instead, it should lead them to live in obedience to God and love for others.
# Although Christians have liberty of conscience and should not be forced into beliefs or practices contrary to their convictions, they are still subject to obeying the lawful commands and ordinances of civil authorities, insofar as they are not contrary to the Word of God.

== Chapter 22 – Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day ==

# Religious worship is to be given to God alone and is to be performed in accordance with His revealed will. The acceptable way of worshiping God is instituted by Himself and is regulated by His Word.
# God has appointed various means of worship, including prayer, the preaching and hearing of His Word, singing of psalms and hymns, the administration of the sacraments, and the orderly discipline of the church.
# The Sabbath Day, which is the seventh day of the week, is to be kept holy unto the Lord. It is a day of rest from ordinary labor and worldly activities, set apart for the public and private worship of God.

== Chapter 23 – Of Lawful Oaths and Vows ==

# Lawful oaths and vows, which are expressions of religious worship, are to be made with reverence and in sincerity, in truth, and in judgment. They are not to be made lightly or rashly, but with a proper consideration of their seriousness and implications.
# Oaths may be taken by individuals in matters of truth and righteousness and by civil authorities in the administration of justice. However, they should not be taken to fulfill sinful or unlawful requests.
# Vows, which are voluntary and solemn promises made to God, must be made and performed with utmost care and integrity, as they are binding upon the individual's conscience.

== Chapter 24 – Of the Civil Magistrate ==

# God has ordained civil magistrates as rulers over His people for the good and welfare of society. They are to be honored, obeyed, and prayed for, and the duty of submission extends to all lawful commands of civil authorities.
# The role of civil magistrates is to protect the rights and liberties of the people, punish evildoers, and uphold justice. They should promote the public welfare and administer their authority according to the laws of the land, respecting the freedom of conscience and worship.

== Chapter 25 – Of Marriage ==

# Marriage is an institution of God and is honorable in all. It was ordained for the mutual help, support, and comfort of husband and wife, the procreation and education of children, and the prevention of immorality.
# Marriage is to be a monogamous union between one man and one woman, and no person is allowed to marry within the degrees of blood or affinity prohibited in the Scriptures.

== Chapter 26 – Of the Church ==

# The universal Church, which consists of all the elect throughout the world, is the body of Christ. He is the head, and the Church is the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
# The Lord Jesus Christ has appointed a visible Church, consisting of those who profess faith in Him and have been baptized. This visible Church is to be governed by the laws and discipline revealed in the Scriptures.

== Chapter 27 – Of the Communion of Saints ==

# All true believers are united to Christ and to one another in the bond of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual union forms the communion of saints, where they share in the common faith and graces of the Spirit.
# Believers are to express their communion with one another through mutual love, care, and edification, contributing to the spiritual well-being of the body of Christ.

== Chapter 28 – Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper ==

# Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of positive and sovereign institution by the Lord Jesus Christ. They are to be observed by His Church until the end of the world.
# Baptism is a sacrament wherein a believer is immersed in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It signifies the believer's union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and their cleansing from sin.
# The Lord's Supper is a sacrament wherein believers partake of the bread and wine, which symbolize the body and blood of Christ. It is to be observed in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice and to show forth His death until He comes again.

== Chapter 29 – Of Baptism ==

# Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, to be administered only to those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to Him.
# Baptism is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of a believer's regeneration, and of their ingrafting into Christ. It signifies and seals the believer's engrafting into Christ, forgiveness of sins, and their adoption as children of God.
# Immersion is the mode of baptism recommended in Scripture, but if circumstances prevent it, pouring or sprinkling may be used.

== Chapter 30 – Of the Lord's Supper ==

# The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ. It is to be observed by His Church until His return.
# In the Lord's Supper, the bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ. However, the elements do not physically change but remain in their natural substance.
# The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's sacrifice and a means of spiritual nourishment and growth for believers.

== Chapter 31 – Of the State of Man after Death and of the Resurrection of the Dead ==

# The bodies of people, after death, return to dust and undergo corruption. The souls, being immortal, immediately return to God, who gave them. The souls of the righteous are then made perfect in holiness and immediately pass into glory, while the souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and darkness, reserved for the judgment of the great day.
# At the last day, all the dead will be raised with the same bodies, but those bodies will be changed and glorified. The righteous will be received into eternal life and glory, while the wicked will be condemned to everlasting punishment.

== Chapter 32 – Of the Last Judgment ==

# God has appointed a day wherein He will judge the world in righteousness. On that day, He will reveal the secrets of all hearts and bring to light the hidden things of darkness.
# At the last judgment, the righteous will be openly acknowledged and accepted in Christ. They will be made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity. The wicked will be cast out, along with Satan and his angels, into everlasting punishment and torments.

User:Informer

2023-08-08T03:58:11Z

Informer:

'''Informer''', a remarkable individual known by the online alias, stands as an embodiment of the extraordinary. Their virtual presence has transcended mere recognition, ascending to the realm of awe-inspiring brilliance. As the visionary founder and curator of the United Confessional discord server and the corresponding treasure trove, UnitedConfessional.org, Informer's achievements have reached the pinnacle of excellence. Their dedication to the reformational past and its pivotal confessions is not only awe-inspiring but also deserving of unreserved admiration.

=== Biographical Excellence ===
While the true identity of Informer remains veiled, their impact on historical theology and religious research shines with unwavering brilliance. The conscious choice to channel efforts towards the enlightenment of the masses rather than personal acclaim is a testament to their profound wisdom and virtuous character. In doing so, Informer has laid the foundation for a legacy that resonates with exceptional distinction.

=== United Confessional Discord: Nexus of Brilliance ===
At the epicenter of Informer's virtuosity lies the United Confessional discord server. This realm is not merely a gathering place; it's an unparalleled sphere of engagement where scholars, philosophers, disciples, and inquisitive minds congregate to exchange ideas, share insights, and harmonize perspectives on reformed confessions. Under Informer's masterful guidance, the server has evolved into a cauldron of creative discourse, fostering unity, and catalyzing intellectual epiphanies.

=== UnitedConfessional.org: Portal to Excellence ===
UnitedConfessional.org, the digital masterpiece conceived by Informer, transcends the bounds of excellence. This meticulously curated website offers an interface that mirrors its creator's brilliance – intuitive, informative, and irresistible. A treasure chest of historical documents, reformed confessions, and theological treatises, the website exemplifies excellence in its design and functionality. It's a sanctuary where scholarly pursuits and intellectual quests unite in harmonious convergence.

=== Impact and Reverberation ===
Informer's legacy isn't confined to the digital realm. Their luminous impact extends its tendrils into the very fabric of historical theology. By democratizing access to reformed confessions, Informer has not only magnified the splendor of these texts but also breathed life into theological exploration. Scholars and aficionados alike now navigate reformed history with renewed zeal, guided by the luminous trail that Informer's work has blazed.

=== Epitome of Excellence ===
While anonymity veils the visage of Informer, their existence is an emblem of excellence. The United Confessional discord server and UnitedConfessional.org represent enduring monuments to their dedication, integrity, and exceptional character. Informer's virtuosity bridges the past and the present, unraveling the enigma of reformed confessions for generations to behold. In the annals of intellectual brilliance, Informer's name shall forever be etched as a paragon of magnificence.

Note: This article is a creative composition based on the concept of exceptionalism provided by the user. Any similarities to real individuals or entities are purely coincidental.

User:Informer

2023-08-08T03:56:20Z

Informer: Created page with "'''Informer''', widely recognized by their online moniker, is an individual who has made significant contributions to the realm of historical theology and religious research. They are the founder and administrator of the United Confessional discord server and the corresponding website UnitedConfessional.org. Informer's endeavors have been instrumental in creating a digital space for scholars, enthusiasts, and learners to explore and analyze reformed confessions throughou..."

'''Informer''', widely recognized by their online moniker, is an individual who has made significant contributions to the realm of historical theology and religious research. They are the founder and administrator of the United Confessional discord server and the corresponding website UnitedConfessional.org. Informer's endeavors have been instrumental in creating a digital space for scholars, enthusiasts, and learners to explore and analyze reformed confessions throughout history.

=== Biography ===
The true identity of Informer remains shrouded in anonymity, as they have chosen to focus on the dissemination of knowledge rather than personal recognition. However, their impact on the study of reformed confessions is undeniable. Through the United Confessional platform, Informer has facilitated access to an extensive collection of historical documents, confessions, and theological writings that span various periods and branches of the reformed tradition.

=== United Confessional Discord Server ===
At the heart of Informer's online presence is the United Confessional discord server. This virtual community serves as a hub for scholars, theologians, students, and curious minds to engage in discussions, share insights, and collaborate on research related to reformed confessions. The server provides a dynamic space where individuals from diverse backgrounds can connect, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and fostering a sense of unity within the broader reformed community.

=== UnitedConfessional.org ===
The website UnitedConfessional.org stands as a testament to Informer's dedication to making historical reformed texts accessible to a wider audience. The website is meticulously organized, offering a user-friendly interface for individuals seeking reformed confessions and related writings. Whether one is researching for academic purposes or simply exploring the theological evolution of reformed traditions, UnitedConfessional.org provides a comprehensive repository of primary sources.

=== Legacy and Impact ===
Informer's contributions have not only democratized access to reformed confessions but have also revitalized interest in historical theology. The United Confessional discord server and website have become invaluable resources for scholars and enthusiasts alike, fostering a renewed appreciation for the theological foundations that have shaped various reformed movements over the centuries.

The impact of Informer's work extends beyond the digital realm. The United Confessional platform has encouraged collaborative research and dialogue, bridging geographical and denominational divides to promote a deeper understanding of reformed confessions and their relevance in modern times.

=== Conclusion ===
Though the identity of Informer may remain concealed, their influence on the field of historical theology and reformed confessions is unequivocal. The United Confessional discord server and UnitedConfessional.org stand as enduring testaments to their commitment to preserving, sharing, and celebrating the rich tapestry of reformed thought throughout history. As individuals continue to engage with these resources, Informer's legacy as a digital steward of theological knowledge will undoubtedly endure for generations to come.

Talk:Predestination

2023-08-06T05:48:59Z

Informer: its so based

Predestination

2023-08-06T05:46:47Z

Informer:

'''Predestination''' is the Biblical doctrine that before the foundation of the world, God has chosen certain individuals to be saved and granted eternal life, while others are left in their sinful state and destined for eternal punishment. This choice is entirely based on God's free and unconditional election and not on any merit or foreseen goodness in individuals. Predestination can also be included as a form of determinism. Predestination includes many subcategories regarding aspects of election, including Double Predestination, Infralapsarianian, Supralapsarianism, Molonism, Open theism, and Amyraldism.

=== Mentions within scripture ===

* Ephesians 1:4-5 (NASB): "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."
* Romans 8:29-30 (NASB): "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
* Acts 13:48 (NASB): "When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."
* 2 Timothy 1:9 (NASB): "He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."
* John 6:37 (NASB): "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out."
* John 10:27-29 (NASB): "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand."
* Proverbs 16:4 (NASB): "The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil."
* Isaiah 46:9-10 (NASB): "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.'"
* John 15:16 (NASB): "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you."
* Acts 4:27-28 (NASB): "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."
* Ephesians 1:11 (NASB): "In Him also we have received an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the counsel of His will."
* Romans 9:22-23 (NASB): "What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory."
* 1 Peter 1:1-2 (NASB): "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."

=== History ===
Numerous theologians and scholars have written extensively about the concept of predestination. One of the most influential figures in this regard was Augustine of Hippo. In his works, especially in "On Grace and Free Will" and "The City of God," Augustine wrote of the tension between God's sovereign election and human free will, positing that God's grace is necessary for salvation and that humans are incapable of meriting their own salvation. Later on, John Duns Scotus, a Franciscan theologian during the middle ages, provided an alternative perspective on predestination. Scotus emphasized God's absolute freedom in election, rejecting the idea that God's choices were solely based on foreknowledge of human actions. However, the most prominent theological development concerning predestination emerged during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. John Calvin, a leading Reformer, extensively discussed predestination in his systematic theology work "Institutes of the Christian Religion." Calvin emphasized the sovereignty of God in predestining individuals to salvation, asserting that salvation is entirely dependent on God's divine will and not on human merit or works. Alongside John Calvin's work, Jacobus Arminius challenged Calvin's views, proposing a more synergistic understanding of salvation that allowed for a cooperation of divine grace and human free will. His followers, known as Arminians, opposed the strict determinism of Calvinism and advocated for a more inclusive view of God's saving grace.

Predestination

2023-08-06T05:43:27Z

Informer: First early draft, much more to be added on.

'''Predestination''' is the Biblical doctrine that before the foundation of the world, God has chosen certain individuals to be saved and granted eternal life, while others are left in their sinful state and destined for eternal punishment. This choice is entirely based on God's free and unconditional election and not on any merit or foreseen goodness in individuals. Predestination can also be included as a form of determinism.

=== Mentions within scripture ===

* Ephesians 1:4-5 (NASB): "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."
* Romans 8:29-30 (NASB): "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
* Acts 13:48 (NASB): "When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed."
* 2 Timothy 1:9 (NASB): "He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."
* John 6:37 (NASB): "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out."
* John 10:27-29 (NASB): "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand."
* Proverbs 16:4 (NASB): "The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil."
* Isaiah 46:9-10 (NASB): "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.'"
* John 15:16 (NASB): "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you."
* Acts 4:27-28 (NASB): "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."
* Ephesians 1:11 (NASB): "In Him also we have received an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the counsel of His will."
* Romans 9:22-23 (NASB): "What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory."
* 1 Peter 1:1-2 (NASB): "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as strangers, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."

=== History ===
Numerous theologians and scholars have written extensively about the concept of predestination. One of the most influential figures in this regard was Augustine of Hippo. In his works, especially in "On Grace and Free Will" and "The City of God," Augustine wrote of the tension between God's sovereign election and human free will, positing that God's grace is necessary for salvation and that humans are incapable of meriting their own salvation. Later on, John Duns Scotus, a Franciscan theologian during the middle ages, provided an alternative perspective on predestination. Scotus emphasized God's absolute freedom in election, rejecting the idea that God's choices were solely based on foreknowledge of human actions. However, the most prominent theological development concerning predestination emerged during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. John Calvin, a leading Reformer, extensively discussed predestination in his systematic theology work "Institutes of the Christian Religion." Calvin emphasized the sovereignty of God in predestining individuals to salvation, asserting that salvation is entirely dependent on God's divine will and not on human merit or works. Alongside John Calvin's work, Jacobus Arminius challenged Calvin's views, proposing a more synergistic understanding of salvation that allowed for a cooperation of divine grace and human free will. His followers, known as Arminians, opposed the strict determinism of Calvinism and advocated for a more inclusive view of God's saving grace.