Act approving the SHORTER CATECHISM. THE HE General Assembly having seriously considered the

SHORTER CATECHISM agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines sitting at Westminster, with assistance of Commissioners from this Kirk; do find, upon due examination thereof, that the said Catechism is agreeable to the word of God, and in nothing contrary to the received doctrine, worship, discipline, and government of this Kirk: And therefore approve the said Shorter Catechism, as a part of the intended uniformity, to be a Directory for catechising such as are of weaker capacity.

A. KER.

THE

SHORTER CATECHISM. Quest. 1. What is the chief end of man?

? Answ. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever b.

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

d

1. a 1 Cor. x, 31. Whether there, fore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Rom. xi. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

b Psal. lxxiii. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee, Ver. 26. My flesh and my heart fail. eth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Ver. 27. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish : thou hast de

stroyed all them that go a whoring
from thee. Ver. 28. But it is good
for me to draw near to God; I have
put my trust in the Lord God, that
I
may declare all thy works.

2.2 Tim. ii. 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Eph. ii. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone.

Q. 3. What do the scriptures principally teach?

A. The scriptures principally teach what man is to be lieve concerning God, and what duty God requires of man'.

Q. 4. What is God?

A. God is a spirit', infinite S, 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 P.

Q. 6. How

that ye also may have fellowship the children of Israel, 1 AM hath with us: and truly our fellowship is sent me unto you. with the Father, and with his Son 1 Psal. cxlvii. 5. Great is our Lord, Jesus Christ. Ver. 4. And these and of great power: his understandthings write we unto you, that your ing is infinite. oy may be full.

m Rev. iv. 8. And the four beasts 3. e 2 Tim. i. 13. Hold fast the had each of them six wings about form of sound words, which thou him, and they were full of eyes hast heard of mę, in faith and love within ; and they rest not day and which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim. night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, ji. 16. (See in letter ]

Lord God Almighty, which was, 4. f John iv. 24. God is a 'Spirit; and is, and is to come. and they that worship him must n Rev. xv. 4. Who shall not fear worship him in spirit and in truth. thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?

& Job xi. 7. Canst thou by search- for thou only art holy: for all naing find out God ? canst thou find tions shall come and worship before out the Almighty unto perfection ? thee; for thy judgments are made Ver. 8. It is as high as heaven, what' manifest. canst thou do? deeper than hell, ° Exod. xxxiv. 6. And the Lord what canst thou know? Ver. 9. The passed by before him, and promeasure thereof is longer than the claimed, The Lord, the Lord God, earth, and broader than the sea. merciful and gracious, long-suffering,

h Psal. xc. 2. Before the mountains and abundant in goodness and truth, were brought forth, or ever thou Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thouhadst formed the earth and the world: sands, forgiving iniquity, and transeven from everlasting to everlasting gression, and sin, and that will by thou art God.

no means clear the guilty ; visiting i James i. 17. Every good gift, the iniquity of the fathers upon the and every perfect gift, is from above, children, and upon the children's and cometh down from the Father children, unto the third and to the of lights, with whom is no variable fourth generation. ness, neither shadow of turning. 5. P Deut. vi. 4. Hear, O Israel;

k Exod iii. 14. And God said unto the Lord our God is one Lord. Jer. Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and x. 10. But the Lord is the true God, said, Thus shalt thou say unto he is the living God, and an everlast

ing

Р

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

r

ing King: at his wrath the earth long-suffering the vessels of wrath shall tremble, and the nations shall fitted to destruction; Ver. 23. And not be able to abide his indignation. that he might make known the

6. 91 John v. 7. For there are riches of his glory on the vessels of three that bear record in heaven, the mercy, which he had afore prepared Father, the Word, and the Holy .unto glory? Ghost: and these three are one. Mat. 9 Gen. i. throughout. Heb. xi. 3. xxviii

. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach Through faith we understand that all nations, baptizing them in the the worlds were franied by the word name of the Father, and of the Son, of God, so that things which are and of the Holy Ghost.

seen were not made of things which 7. ' Eph. i. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the founda. 10. Gen. i. 26. And God said, tion of the world, that we should be Let us make man in our image, after holy, and without blame before him our likeness: and let them have in love. Ver. 11. In whom also we dominion over the fish of the sea, have obtained an inheritance, being and over the fowl of the air, and over predestinated according to the pur- the cattle, and over all the earth, pose of him who worketh all things and over every creeping thing that after the counsel of his own will. creepeth upon the earth. Ver, 27. Rom. ix. 22. What if God, willing So God created man in his own to shew his wrath, and to make his image: in the image of God created power known, endured with much he him; male and female created he

do appear.

:

Q. 11. What are God's works of providence ?

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

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 Goda.

Q. 14. What

them. Ver. 28. And God blessed sins, sat down on the right band of them, and God said unto them, Be the Majesty on high. fruitful, and multiply, and replenish y Psal. ciii. 19. The Lord hath the earth, and subdue it: and have prepared his throne in the heavens; dominion over the fish of the sea, and his kingdom ruleth over all. and over the fowl of the air, and Mat. X. 29. Are not two sparrows over every living thing that moveth sold for a farthing ? and one of them upon the earth. Col. ii. 10. And shall not fall on the ground without have put on the new man, which is your father. Ver. 30. But the very renewed in knowledge, after the hairs of your head are all numbered. image of him that created him. Ver. 31. Fear ye not therefore, ye Eph. iv. 24. And that ye put on the

are of more value than many sparnew man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 12. 2 Gal. iii. 12. And the law is

11. u Psal. cxly. 17. The Lord is not of faith : but, The man that das righteous in all his ways, and holy in eth them shall live in them. Gen. all his works.

ii. 17. But of the tree of the know. * Psal. civ. 24. O Lord, how ledge of good and evil, thou shalt manifold are thy works! in wisdom not eat of it; for in the day that hast thou made them all: the earth thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely is full of thy riches, Isa, xxviii. 29. die. This also cometh forth from the 13. a Gen. iii. 6. And when the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in woman saw that the tree was good counsel, and excellent in working. for food, and that it was pleasant

* Heb. i. 3. Who being the bright- to the eyes, and a tree to be de. ness of his glory, and the express sired to make one wise, she took image of his person, and upholding of the fruit thereof, and did eat; all things by the word of his power, and gave also unto her husband when he had by himself purged our with her, and he did eat. Ver. 7.

And

Q. 14. What is sin ? A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God b.

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 thèy 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 righ

teousness,

And the eyes of them both were open- 15. Gen. iii. 6. (See in letter a.] ed, and they knew that they were Ver. 12. The woman, whom thou naked; and they sewed fig-leaves to- gavest to be with me, she gave me gether, and made themselves aprons. of the tree, and I did eat. Ver, 8. And they heard the voice of 16. d Gen, ii. 16. And the Lord the Lord God walking in the garden God commanded the man, saying, in the cool of the day: and Adam Of every tree of the garden thou and his wife hid themselves from mayest freely eat: Ver. 17. But of the presence of the Lord God the tree of the knowledge of good amongst the trees of the garden. - and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for Ver. 13. And the Lord God said un- in the day that thou eatest thereof to the woman, What is this that thou shalt surely die. Rom. v. 12. thou hast done? And the woman Wherefore, as by one man sin entersaid, The serpent beguiled me, and ed into the world, and death by sin; I did eat. Eccl. vii. 29. Lo, this and so death passed upon all only have I found, that God hath that all have sinned. 1. Cor. xv. 21. made man upright; but they have For since by man came death, by man sought out many inventions.

came also the resurrection of the dead. 14. b 1 John iii. 4. Whosoever Ver. 22. For as in Adam all die, even committeth sin transgresseth also the so in Christ shall all be made alive. law: for sin is the transgression of 17. Rom. v. 12. Wherefore, as the law.

hy one man sin entered into the

men, for

с

world,