§ *** *** § * ***** THE LARGER CATECHISM, Agreed upon by the Affembly of Divines at Westminster; Examined and Approved, Anno 1648, by the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland; and Ratified by Act of Parliament, 1649. WHAT is the chief and highest End Queftion 1. W Man? Anfwer. Man's chief and higheft End is, to glorify God a, and fully to enjoy him for ever b. b a Rom. 11. 36. 1 Cor. 10. 31. 6 Pfal. 73. 24, to the End. John 17. 21, 22, 23. Q. 2. How doth it appear that there is a God? A. The very Light of Nature in Man, and the Works of God, declare plainly that there is a God c; but his Word and Spirit only do fufficiently and effectually reveal him unto Men for their Salvation d. c Rom. 1. 19, 20. Pfal. 19 1, 2, 3. Acts 17 28. d I Cor. 2. 9, 10 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16, 17. Ifa. 59. 21. Q. 3. What is the Word of God? A. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God e, the only Rule of Faith and Obedience f. e 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 19, 20, 21. f Eph. 2. Rev. 22. 18, 19. Ifa. 8. 20. Luke 16. 29, 31. Gal. 1. 8, 9. 2 Tim. 3. 15, 16. 20. Q4. How doth it appear the Scriptures are the Word of God? A. The Scriptures manifeft themselves to be the Word of God, by their Majesty g, and Purity b, by the Confent of all the Parts i, and the Scope of the whole, which is, to give all Glory to Godk; by their Light and Power to convince and convert Sinners, to comfort and build up Believers unto Salvation/: But the Spirit of God bearing Witnefs, by and with the Scriptures, in the Heart of Man, is alone able fully to perfwade it, that they are the very Word of God m. g Hof. 8. 12. 1 Cor. 2. 6, 7, 12. Pfal. 119. 18, 129. Pfal. 12. 6, & 119.140. i Acts 10. 43, & 26, 22. k Rom. 3. 19, 27. / Acts 18. 28. Heb. 4. 12. James 1. 18. Pfal. 19 7,8,9. Rom. 15. 4. Acts 20. 32. m John 16. 13. 14. 1 John 2. 20, 27. John 20. 31. Q. 5. 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 2, n 2 Tim. 1. 13. Q6. What do the Scriptures make known of God? A. The Scriptures make known what God is 0, the Perfons in the Godhead p, his Decrees q, and the Execution of his Decrees r. o Heb. 11.6. p 1 John 5. 7. 4 A&ts 15. 14, 15, 18. r Acts 4. 27, 28. Q. 7. What is God? A. God is a Spirit f, in and of himself infinite in Being t, Glory u, Bleffedness w, and Perfection x, Allfufficienty, Eternal z, Unchangeable a, Incomprehenfible b, every where prefent c, Almighty d, knowing all Things e, moft wife f, moft holy g, noft juft h, moft John 4. 24. Exod. 3. 14. Job 11. 7,8,9. u Acts 7. 2. w 1 Tim. 6. 15. x Mat. 5. 48. y Gen. 17. 1. z Pfal. 90. 2. a Mal. 3.6. James I. 17. br Kings &. 27. c Pfal. 139. 1, to 13. d Rev. 4. 8. Pfal. 147. 5. f Rom. 16. 27. g Ifa. 6. 3. b Deut. 32. 4. e Heb. 4. 13. Rev. 15. 4. moft merciful and gracious, long-fuffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth i. i Exod. 34. 6. Q. 8. Are there more Gods than One? A. There is but One only, the living and true God k. k Deut. 9. 4. 1 Cor. 8. 4, 6. Jer. 10. 10. Q9. How many Perfons are there in the Godhead? A. There be Three Perfons in the Godhead, the Fa ther, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; and these Three are One, True, Eternal God, the fame in Substance, equal in Power and Glory; although distinguished by their Perfonal Properties /. 1 John 5. 7. Mat. 3. 16, 17. and 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 14 John 10. 30. Q10. What are the Perfonal Properties of the Three Perfons in the Godhead? A. It is proper to the Father to beget the Son m, and to the Son to be Begotten of the Father n, and to the Holy Ghost to Proceed from the Father and the Son from all Eternity . m Heb. 1. 5, 6, 8. # John 1. 14, 18. 0 John 15. 26. Gal. 4. 6. Q. 11. How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Choft are God equal with the Father ? A The Scriptures manifeft, that the Son and the Holy Ghoft are God equal with the Father, afcribing unto them fuch Namesp, Attributes q, Works r, and Worship, as are proper to God only ƒ. pIfa. 6, 3, 5, 8. with John 12. 41. and Acts 28. 25. 1 John 5. 20. Acts 5. 3, 4. 9 John 1. 1. Ifa. 9. 6. John 2. 24, 25. 1 Cor. 2. 10, II. Col. 1. 16. Gen. 1. 2. Mat. 28. 19. 2 Cor. 13. 14. Q. 12. What are the Decrees of God? A. God's Decrees are the Wife, Free, and Holy Acts of the Counsel of his Will, whereby from all Eternity he hath, for his own Glory, unchangeably fore-ordained what foever comes to pafs in Time u; efpecially concerning Angels and Men. Eph. 1. 11. Rom. 11. 33. and 9. 14, 15, 18. u Eph. 1. 4, 11. Rom. 9. 22, 23. Pfal. 33. II. Q. 13. What hath God efpecially decreed concerning Angels and Men? A. God, by eternal and immutable Decree, out of his mere Love, for the Praise of his glorious Grace to be manifested in due Time, hath elected fome Angels to Glory w; and in Christ hath chofen fome Men to eternal Life, and the Means thereof x: And alfo, according to his fovereign Power, and the unfearchable Counfel of his own Will, (whereby he extendeth or with holdeth Favour as he pleafeth) hath paffed by, and foreordained the reft to Difhonor and Wrath, to be for their Sin inflicted, to the Praife of the Glory of his Justice y. w 1 Tim. 5. 21. x Eph. 1. 4, 5, 6. 2 Theff. 2. 13, 14. y Rom. 9. 17, 18, 21, 22. Mat. 11. 25, 26. 2 Tim. 2. 20. Jude verfe 4. 1 Pet. 2. 8. Q. 14. How doth God execute his Decrees? A. 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 z. z Eph. I. II. Q. 15. What is the Work of Creation? A. 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 a. a Gen. 1ft Chap. Heb. 11. 3. Prov. 16. 4. Q. 16.. How did God create the Angels? A. God created all the Angels 6, Spirits c, Immortal d, Holy e, Excelling in Knowledge f, Mighty in Powerg, to execute his Commandments, and to praise his Nameh; yet fubject to change i. b Col. 1. 16. c Pfal. 104. 4. d Mat. 22. 30. e Mat.. 25. 31. f2 Sam. 14. 17. Mat. 24. 36. g 2 Thef. 1. 7. h Pfal. 103. 20, 21. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Q. 17. How did God create Man ? A After God had made all other Creatures, he crea ted Man Male and Female k; formed the Body of the k Gen. 1. 27. Man Man of the Duft of the Ground /, and the Woman of a Rib of the Man m; endued them with living, reasonable and immortal Souls n; made them after his own Image o, in Knowledge p, Righteoufnefs and Holinefs q having the Law of God written in their Hearts r, and Power to fulfil it s, with Dominion over the Creatures t, yet fubject to fa!! . / Gen. 2. 7. m Gen. 2. 22. n Gen. 2. 7. with Job 35. 11. Eccl. 12. 7. Matth. 10. 28. Luke 23. 43. • Gen. 1. 27. p Col. 3. 10. q Eph. 4. 24. r Rum. 2. 14, 15. s Eccl. 7. 29. t Gen. 1. 28. u Gen. 3. 6. Eccl. 7. 29. Q. 18. What are God's Works of Providence? A. God's Works of Providence are, his most Holy w, Wife x, and Powerful Prefervingy, and Governing all his Creatures z; Ordering them, and all their Actions a, to his own Glory b. w Pfal. 145. 17. x Pfal. 104. 24. Ifa. 28. 29. y Heb. 1. 3. z Pfal, 103. 19. a Matth. 10. 29, 30, 31. Gen. 45. 7. b Rom. 11, 36. Ifa, 63. 14. Q. 19. What is God's Providence toward the Angels? A. God by his Providence permitted fome of the Angels wilfully and irrecoverably to fall into Sin and Damnation c, limiting and ordering that and their Sins to his own Glory d; and established the reft in Holinefs and Happiness e, employing them all f, at his Pleasure, in the Adminiftrations of his Power, Mercy and Justice g. c Jude ver. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Heb. 2. 16. Joh. 8. 44. d Job 1. 12. Mat. 8. 31. e 1 Tim. 5. 21. Mark 8. 38. Heb. 12. 22. ƒ Pfal. 104. 4. g 2 Kings 19. 35. Heb. 1. 14. Q. 20. What was the Providence of God toward Man in the Eltate in which he was created? A. The Providence of God toward Man, in the Eftate in which he was created, was, the placing him in Paradife, appointing him to drefs it, giving him Liberty to eat of the Fruit of the Earth h, putting the Creatures under his Dominion i; and ordaining Marriage for b Gen. 2. 8. 15, 16. i Gen. 1. 28. his |