Shorter Westminster Catechism
Question 1
What is the chief end of man?
A: Man's chief end is
to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 4
What is God?
A: 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?
A: There is but one
only, the living and true God.
Question 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.
Question 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 fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass.
Question 8
How doth God execute his decrees?
A: God executeth his
decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 14
What is sin?
A: 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?
A: 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?
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.
Question 17
Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A: The fall brought
mankind into an estate of sin and misery.
Question 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.
Question 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 for ever.
Q20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? A20. God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.
Question 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, for ever.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 39
What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A: 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?
A: 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?
A: The Moral Law is
summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.
Question 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, 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?
A: The preface to the
Ten Commandments is in these words, "I am the Lord your God, who brought
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house OF SLAVERY."
Question 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.
Question 45
Which is the First Commandment?
A: The First
Commandment is, "thou shalt have no other gods before Me."
Question 46
What is required in the First Commandment?
A: The First
Commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be only true God, and
our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.
Question 47
What is forbidden in the First Commandment?
A: The First
Commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true
God, as God, and the giving of that worship and glory to any other which is due
to Him alone.
Question 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.
Question 49
Which is the Second Commandment?
A: The Second
Commandment is, "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down thyself to
them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation
of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me,
and keep my commandments."
Question 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.
Question 51
What is forbidden in the Second Commandment?
A: The Second
Commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not
appointed in His Word.
Question 52
What are the reasons annexed to the Second Commandment?
A: The reasoned annexed
to the Second Commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, and the zeal He hath
to His own worship.
Question 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."
Question 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.
Question 55
What is forbidden in the Third Commandment?
A: The Third
Commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing anything whereby God maketh
Himself known.
Question 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.
Question 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 maid- servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and
all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the
Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Q58: What is required in the Fourth
Commandment?
Answer 58
The Fourth Commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as He
appointed in His Word; expressly one whole day in seven to be a holy Sabbath to
Himself.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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."
Question 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.
Question 65
What is the 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.
Question 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.
Question 67
Which is the Sixth Commandment?
A: The Sixth
Commandment is, "thou shalt not kill."
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 70
Which is the Seventh Commandment?
A: The Seventh
Commandment is, "thou shalt not commit adultery."
Question 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.
Question 72
What is forbidden in the Seventh Commandment?
A: The Seventh
Commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.
Question 73
Which is the Eighth Commandment?
A: The Eighth
Commandment is, "thou shalt not steal."
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 76
What is the Ninth Commandment?
A: The Ninth
Commandment is, "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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 any thing that is thy neighbor's."
Question 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 this is his.
Question 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 any thing that is his.
Question 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.
Question 83
Are all transgression 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 90
How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to
salvation?
A: 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.
Question 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.
Question 92
What is a sacrament?
A: A sacrament is a
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?
A: The sacraments of
the New Testament are, Baptism, and the Lord's supper.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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 worth receivers are,
not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his
body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and
growth in grace.
Question 97
What is required to be the worthy receiving of the Lord's supper?
A: It is required of
them that would worthily partake of the Lord's super, that they examine
themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to
feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming
unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.
Question 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 acknowledgement of
his mercies.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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 the kingdom of glory may be
hastened.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Question 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 able to be 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?
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.
Question 107
What doth the conclusion 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, for ever, Amen." teacheth
us, to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to
praise him, ascribing kingdom, power and glory to him. And, in testimony of our
desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.