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Q. 1. What is the chief
end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Q. 2. What rule hath
God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. 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.
Q. 3. What do the
scriptures principally teach?
A. The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe
concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
Q. 4. What is God?
A. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his
being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.
Q. 5. Are there more
Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living and true God.
Q. 6. How many persons
are there in the godhead?
A. 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.
Q. 7. What are the
decrees of God?
A. 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.
Q. 8. How doth God
execute his decrees?
A. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and
providence.
Q. 9. What is the work
of creation?
A. 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.
Q. 10. How did God
create man?
A. God created man male and female, after his own image, in
knowledge, righteousness and holiness, with dominion over the
creatures.
Q. 11. What are God's
works of providence?
A. God's works of providence are his most holy, wise and powerful
preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.
Q. 12. What special act
of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he
was created?
A. 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.
Q. 13. Did our first
parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will,
fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against
God.
Q. 14. What is sin?
A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law
of God.
Q. 15. What was the sin
whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were
created?
A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein
they were created was their eating the forbidden fruit.
Q. 16. Did all mankind
fall in Adam's first transgression?
A. 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.
Q. 17. Into what estate
did the fall bring mankind?
A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.
Q. 18. Wherein consists
the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. 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.
Q. 19. What is the
misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. 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.
Q. 20. Did God leave
all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?
A. 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.
Q. 21. Who is the
redeemer of God's elect?
A. The only redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who,
being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth
to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.
Q. 22. How did Christ,
being the Son of God, become man?
A. 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.
Q. 23. What offices
doth Christ execute as our redeemer?
A. 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.
Q. 24. How doth Christ
execute the office of a prophet?
A. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by
his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.
Q. 25. How doth Christ
execute the office of a priest?
A. 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.
Q. 26. How doth Christ
execute the office of a king?
A. 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.
Q. 27. Wherein did
Christ's humiliation consist?
A. 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.
Q. 28. Wherein
consisteth Christ's exaltation?
A. 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.
Q. 29. How are we made
partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by
the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.
Q. 30. How doth the
Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. 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.
Q. 31. What is
effectual calling?
A. 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.
Q. 32. What benefits do
they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
A. 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.
Q. 33. What is
justification?
A. 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.
Q. 34. What is
adoption?
A. 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.
Q. 35. What is
sanctification?
A. 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.
Q. 36. What are the
benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification,
adoption and sanctification?
A. 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.
Q. 37. What benefits do
believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in
holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies,
being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the
resurrection.
Q. 38. What benefits do
believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
A. 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.
Q. 39. What is the duty
which God requireth of man?
A. The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to his revealed
will.
Q. 40. What did God at
first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was
the moral law.
Q. 41. Where is the
moral law summarily comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.
Q. 42. What is the sum
of the ten commandments?
A. 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.
Q. 43. What is the
preface to the ten commandments?
A. 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.
Q. 44. What doth the
preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A. 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.
Q. 45. Which is the
first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before
me.
Q. 46. What is required
in the first commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 47. What is
forbidden in the first commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 48. What are we
specially taught by these words before me in the first
commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 49. Which is the
second commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 50. What is required
in the second commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 51. What is
forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshiping of God by
images, or any other way not appointed in his word.
Q. 52. What are the
reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 53. Which is the
third commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 54. What is required
in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of
God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works.
Q. 55. What is
forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of
anything whereby God maketh himself known.
Q. 56. What is the
reason annexed to the third commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 57. Which is the
fourth commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 58. What is required
in the fourth commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 59. Which day of the
seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ,
God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath;
and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of
the world, which is the Christian sabbath.
Q. 60. How is the
sabbath to be sanctified?
A. 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.
Q. 61. What is
forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless
performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by
idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary
thoughts, words or works, about our worldly employments or
recreations.
Q. 62. What are the
reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 63. Which is the
fifth commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 64. What is required
in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and
performing the duties, belonging to every one in their several
places and relations, as superiors, inferiors or equals.
Q. 65. What is
forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing
anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to every one in
their several places and relations.
Q. 66. What is the
reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is a promise of long
life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and
their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
Q. 67. Which is the
sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.
Q. 68. What is required
in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve
our own life, and the life of others.
Q. 69. What is
forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life,
or the life of our neighbor unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth
thereunto.
Q. 70. Which is the
seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q. 71. What is required
in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and
our neighbor's chastity, in heart, speech and behavior.
Q. 72. What is
forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words
and actions.
Q. 73. Which is the
eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.
Q. 74. What is required
in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and
furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q. 75. What is
forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly
hinder our own or our neighbor's wealth or outward estate.
Q. 76. Which is the
ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor.
Q. 77. What is required
in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of
truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor's good
name, especially in witness-bearing.
Q. 78. What is
forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to
truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor's good name.
Q. 79. Which is the
tenth commandment?
A. 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.
Q. 80. What is required
in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own
condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our
neighbor, and all that is his.
Q. 81. What is
forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth 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.
Q. 82. Is any man able
perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. 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.
Q. 83. Are all
transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations,
are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Q. 84. What doth every
sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and
that which is to come.
Q. 85. What doth God
require of us that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for
sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God
requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with
the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ
communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
Q. 86. What is faith in
Jesus Christ?
A. 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.
Q. 87. What is
repentance unto life?
A. 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.
Q. 88. What are the
outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of
redemption?
A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us
the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the word,
sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect
for salvation.
Q. 89. How is the word
made effectual to salvation?
A. 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.
Q. 90. How is the word
to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?
A. That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend
thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer; receive it with
faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our
lives.
Q. 91. How do the
sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
A. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any
virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the
blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by
faith receive them.
Q. 92. What is a
sacrament?
A. 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.
Q. 93. Which are the
sacraments of the New Testament?
A. The sacraments of the New Testament are baptism and the Lord's
supper.
Q. 94. What is baptism?
A. 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.
Q. 95. To whom is
baptism to be administered?
A. 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.
Q. 96. What is the
Lord's supper?
A. 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.
Q. 97. What is required
to the worthy receiving of the Lord's supper?
A. 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.
Q. 98. What is prayer?
A. 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.
Q. 99. What rule hath
God given for our direction in prayer?
A. 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.
Q. 100. What doth the
preface of the Lord's prayer teach us?
A. 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.
Q. 101. What do we pray
for in the first petition?
A. 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.
Q. 102. What do we pray
for in the second petition?
A. 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.
Q. 103. What do we pray
for in the third petition?
A. In the third petition, which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it
is in heaven, we pray that God, by his grace, would make us able and
willing to know, obey and submit to his will in all things, as the
angels do in heaven.
Q. 104. What do we pray
for in the fourth petition?
A. 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.
Q. 105. What do we pray
for in the fifth petition?
A. 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.
Q. 106. What do we pray
for in the sixth petition?
A. 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.
Q.
107. What doth the conclusion of the Lord's prayer teach us?
A. 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 |
