Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is
to glorify God,[1] and to enjoy him forever.[2]
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,[3] is the only rule to direct us how we
may glorify and enjoy him.[4]
Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?
A. The
Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God,[5] and what duty God requires of man.[6]
Q. 4. What is God?
A. God is a Spirit,[7] infinite,[8] eternal,[9] and unchangeable,[10] in his being,[11] wisdom,[12] power,[13] holiness,[14] justice,[15] goodness,[16] and truth.[17]
Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one
only,[18] the living and true God.[19]
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;[20] and these three are one God, the
same in substance, equal in power and glory.[21]
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.[22]
Q. 8. How doth God execute his decrees?
A. God executeth
his decrees in the works of creation and providence.[23]
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,[24] in the space of six days, and all
very good.[25]
Q. 10. How did God create man?
A. God created man male and
female, after his own image,[26] in knowledge,[27] righteousness, and holiness,[28] with dominion over the creatures.[29]
Q. 11. What are God’s works of providence?
A. God’s works
of providence are, his most holy,[30] wise,[31] and powerful[32] preserving[33] and governing[34] all his creatures, and all their
actions.[35]
Q. 12. What special act of providence did God exercise towards 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 pain of death.[36]
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.[37]
Q. 14. What is sin?
A. Sin is any want of conformity unto,
or transgression of, the law of God.[38]
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.[39]
Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first
transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam,[40] 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.[41]
Q. 17. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A. The
fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.[42]
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,[43] the want of original
righteousness,[44] and the corruption of his whole
nature,[45] which is commonly called original
sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.[46]
Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man
fell?
A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God,[47] are under his wrath[48] and curse,[49] and so made liable to all the
miseries of this life,[50] to death[51] itself, and to the pains of hell
forever.[52]
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,[53] 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.[54]
Q. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?
A. The only
Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ,[55] who, being the eternal Son of God,[56] became man,[57] and so was, and continueth to be,
God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.[58]
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,[59] being conceived by the power of the
Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, and born of her,[60] yet without sin.[61]
Q. 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
A.
Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet,[62] of a priest,[63] and of a king,[64] 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[65] and Spirit,[66] the will of God for our salvation.[67]
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,[68] and reconcile us to God,[69] and in making continual intercession
for us.[70]
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,[71] and in restraining and conquering
all his and our enemies.[72]
Q. 27. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?
A.
Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low
condition,[73] made under the law,[74] undergoing the miseries of this
life,[75] the wrath of God,[76] and the cursed death of the cross;[77] in being buried, and continuing
under the power of death for a time.[78]
Q. 28. Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation?
A. Christ’s
exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third
day,[79] in ascending up into heaven,[80] in sitting at the right hand[81] of God the Father, and in coming to
judge the world at the last day.[82]
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.[83]
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,[84] and thereby uniting us to Christ in
our effectual calling.[85]
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,[86] and renewing our wills,[87] he doth persuade and enable us to
embrace Jesus Christ,[88] freely offered to us in the
gospel.[89]
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.[90]
Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of
God’s free grace,[91] wherein he pardoneth all our sins,[92] and accepteth us as righteous in
sight,[93] only for the righteousness of Christ
imputed to us,[94] and received by faith alone.[95]
Q. 34. What is adoption?
A. Adoption is an act of God’s
free grace,a whereby we are received into the number, and have a right
to all the privileges, of the sons of God.[96]
Q. 35. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the
work of God’s free grace,[97] whereby we are renewed in the whole
man after the image of God,[98] and are enabled more and more to die
unto sin, and live unto righteousness.[99]
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,[100] peace of conscience,[101] joy in the Holy Ghost,[102] increase of grace,[103] and perseverance therein to the
end.[104]
Q. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at
death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect
in holiness,[105] and do immediately pass into
glory;[106] and their bodies, being still
united in Christ,[107] do rest in their graves, till the
resurrection.[108]
Q. 38. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the
resurrection?
A. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up
in glory,[109] shall be openly acknowledged and
acquitted in the day of judgment,[110] and made perfectly blessed in the
full enjoying of God[111] to all eternity.[112]
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.[113]
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.[114]
Q. 41. Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A.
The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.[115]
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.[116]
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.[117]
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.[118]
Q. 45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first
commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.[119]
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.[120]
Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The
first commandment forbiddeth the denying,[121] or not worshiping and glorifying,
the true God as God,[122] and our God;[123] and the giving of that worship and
glory to any other, which is due to him alone.[124]
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.[125]
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.[126]
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.[127]
Q. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The
second commandment forbiddeth the worshiping of God by images,[128] or any other way not appointed in
his Word.[129]
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,[130] his propriety in us,[131] and the zeal he hath to his own
worship.[132]
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.[133]
Q. 54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The
third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names,
titles,[134] attributes,[135] ordinances,[136] Word,[137] and works.[138]
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.[139]
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.[140]
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 maidservent, 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.[141]
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.[142]
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;[143] and the first day of the week ever
since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian
sabbath.[144]
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;[145] and spending the whole time in the
public and private exercises of God’s worship,[146] except so much as is to be taken
up in the works of necessity and mercy.[147]
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.[148]
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,[149] his challenging a special
propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath
day.[150]
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.[151]
Q. 64. What is required in the fifth commandment?
A. The
fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the
duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as
superiors, inferiors, or equals.[152]
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 everyone in their several
places and relations.[153]
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.[154]
Q. 67. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth
commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.[155]
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.[156]
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.[157]
Q. 70. Which is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh
commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.[158]
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.[159]
Q. 72. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The
seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and
actions.[160]
Q. 73. Which is the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth
commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.[161]
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.[162]
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.[163]
Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth
commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbor.[164]
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,[165] especially in witness-bearing.[166]
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.[167]
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.[168]
Q. 80. What is required in the tenth commandment?
A. The
tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition,[169] with a right and charitable frame
of spirit toward our neighbor, and all that is his.[170]
Q. 81. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The
tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate,[171] envying or grieving at the good of
our neighbor, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that
is his.[172]
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.[173]
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.[174]
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.[175]
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,[176] with the diligent use of all the
outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of
redemption.[177]
Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus
Christ is a saving grace,[178] whereby we receive and rest upon
him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.[179]
Q. 87. What is repentance unto life?
A. Repentance unto
life is a saving grace,[180] whereby a sinner, out of a true
sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ,[181] doth, with grief and hatred of his
sin, turn from it unto God,[182] with full purpose of, and endeavor
after, new obedience.[183]
Q. 88. What are the outward and ordinary 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.[184]
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.[185]
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;[186] receive it with faith and love,
lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.[187]
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.[188]
Q. 92. What is a sacrament?
A. A sacrament is a holy
ordinance instituted by Christ;[189] wherein, by sensible signs,
Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed,
and applied to believers.[190]
Q. 93. Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?
A.
The sacraments of the New Testament are, baptism,[191] and the Lord’s Supper.[192]
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,[193] 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.[194]
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;[195] but the infants of such as are
members of the visible church are to be baptized.[196]
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;[197] 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.[198]
Q. 97. What is required for 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.[199]
Q. 98. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is an offering up of our
desires unto God,[200] for things agreeable to his
will,[201] in the name of Christ,[202] with confession of our sins,[203] and thankful acknowledgment of his
mercies.[204]
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;[205] but the special rule of direction
is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly
called the Lord’s Prayer.[206]
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[207] and confidence,[208] as children to a father,[209] able and ready to help us;[210] and that we should pray with and
for others.[211]
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;[212] and that he would dispose all
things to his own glory.[213]
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;[214] and that the kingdom of grace may
be advanced,[215] ourselves and others brought into
it, and kept in it;[216] and that the kingdom of glory may
be hastened.[217]
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,[218] as the angels do in heaven.[219]
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.[220]
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;[221] which we are the rather encouraged
to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive
others.[222]
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,[223] or support and deliver us when we
are tempted.[224]
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,[225] and in our prayers to praise him,
ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him;[226] and, in testimony of our desire,
and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.[227]