Westminster Shorter Catechism

Front 1

What is the chief end of man?

Back 1

Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

Front 2

What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

Back 2

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

Front 3

What do the Scriptures principally teach?

Back 3

The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man.

Front 4

What is God?

Back 4

God is a Spirit infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

Front 5

Are there more Gods than one?

Back 5

There is but one only, the living and true God.

Front 6

How many persons are there in the Godhead?

Back 6

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.

Front 7

What are the decrees of God?

Back 7

he 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.

Front 8

How doth God execute his decrees?

Back 8

God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.

Front 9

What is the work of creation?

Back 9

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.

Front 10

How did God create man?

Back 10

God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

Front 11

What are God's works of providence?

Back 11

God's works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and
powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions.

Front 12

What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the
estate wherein he was created?

Back 12

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.

Front 13

Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were
created?

Back 13

Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own
will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.

Front 14

What is sin?

Back 14

Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of
God.

Front 15

What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the
estate wherein they were created?

Back 15

The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they
were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.

Front 16

Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression?

Back 16

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.

Front 17

Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

Back 17

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

Front 18

Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?

Back 18

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.

Front 19

What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?

Back 19

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.

Front 20

Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and
misery?

Back 20

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.

Front 21

Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?

Back 21

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

Front 22

How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

Back 22

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.

Front 23

What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?

Back 23

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.

Front 24

How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?

Back 24

Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by
his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Front 25

How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?

Back 25

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.

Front 26

How doth Christ execute the office of a king?

Back 26

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.

Front 27

Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist?

Back 27

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.

Front 28

Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation?

Back 28

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.

Front 29

How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by
Christ?

Back 29

We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the
effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.

Front 30

How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by
Christ?

Back 30

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.

Front 31

What is effectual calling?

Back 31

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.

Front 32

What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in
this life?

Back 32

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.

Front 33

What is justification?

Back 33

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.

Front 34

What is adoption?

Back 34

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.

Front 35

What is sanctification?

Back 35

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.

Front 36

What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from
justification, adoption, and sanctification?

Back 36

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.

Front 37

What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?

Back 37

The souls of believers are at their death made into perfect
holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being
still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.

Front 38

What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the
resurrection?

Back 38

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.

Front 39

What is the duty which God requireth of man?

Back 39

The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his
revealed will.

Front 40

What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his
obedience?

Back 40

The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was
the moral law.

Front 41

Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?

Back 41

The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.

Front 42

What is the sum of the ten commandments?

Back 42

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 neighbour as ourselves.