THE WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM. A.D. 1647.
Catechismus Westmonasteriensis Minor.
[This Catechism was prepared by the Westminster Assembly in 1647, and adopted by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 1648; by the Presbyterian Synod of New York and Philadelphia, May, 1788: and by nearly all the Calvinistic Presbyterian and Congregational Churches of the English tongue. It was translated into Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and many other languages, and appeared in innumerable editions. Although little known on the continent of Europe, it is more extensively used than any other Protestant catechism, except perhaps the Small Catechism of Luther and the Heidelberg Catechism. Want of space compels us to omit the Assembly's Larger Catechism, which is easy of access. For the same reason we have omitted the Scripture proofs.
The English original is conformed to the edition of the Presbyterian Board, compared with the London edition of 1658 and other older English and Scotch editions, which present no variations of any account. The Latin translation is from the Cambridge and Edinburgh editions, containing the Confession and both Catechisms, and reprinted in Niemeyer's Appendix.]
The Shorter Catechism. Catechismus Minor. Question. 1. What is the chief end of man? Quæstio. Quis hominis finis est præcipuus? Answer. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. Responsio. Præcipuus hominis finis est, Deum glorificare, eodemque frui in æternum. Ques. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him? Quæs. Quam nobis regulam dedit Deus, qua nos ad ejus glorificationem ac fruitionem dirigamur? Ans. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, [2036] is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. Resp. Verbum Dei (quod Scripturis Veteris ac Novi instrumenti comprehenditur) est unica regula, qua nos ad ejus glorificationem ac fruitionem dirigamur. Ques. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach? Quæs. Quid est quod Scripturæ præcipue docent? Ans. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. Resp. Duo imprimis sunt quæ Scripturæ docent, quid homini de Deo sit credendum, quidque officii exigat ab homine Deus. Ques.4. What is GOD? Quæs. Quid est Deus? Ans. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his Resp. Deus est Spiritus essentia, sapientia, potentia, sanctitate, justitia,
being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. bonitate ac veritate infinitus, æternus, ac immutabilis. Ques. 5. Are there more Gods than one? Quæs. Suntne plures uno Deo? Ans. There is but one only, the living and true God. Resp. Unus est unicusque, vivens ille verusque Deus. Ques. 6. How many persons are there in the Godhead? Quæs. Quot sunt personæ in Deitate? Ans. 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. Resp. In Deitate personæ tres sunt, Pater, Filius, ac Spiritus Sanctus; suntque hæ tres personæ Deus unus, substantia eædem, potentia ac gloria coæquales. Ques. 7. What are the decrees of God? Quæs. Quid sunt decreta Dei? Ans. 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. Resp. Decreta Dei sunt æternum ejus propositum secundum voluntatis suæ consilium, quo quicquid unquam evenit, propter suam ipsius gloriam præordinavit. Ques. 8. How doth God execute his decrees? Quæs. Quomodo decreta sua exequitur Deus? Ans. God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence. Resp. Deus exequitur decreta sua creationis operibus ac providentiæ. Ques. 9. What is the work of creation? Quæs. Quid est opus creationis? Ans. 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. Resp. Opus creationis est quo Deus per verbum potentiæ suæ omnia sex dierum spatio ex nihilo condidit, atque omnia quidem valde bona. Ques. 10. How did God create man? Quæs. Qualem creavit Deus hominem? Ans. God created man, male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, Resp. Deus hominem creavit marem ac foeminam, juxta suam ipsius imaginem, in cognitione, justitia ac
with dominion over the creatures. sanctitate, dominium habentem in creaturas. Ques. 11. What are God's works of providence? Quæs. Quænam sunt opera Divinæ providentiæ? Ans. God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions. Resp. Providentiæ Divinæ opera sunt sanctissima Dei, sapientissima potentissimaque creaturarum suarum omnium, earumque actionum conservatio et gubernatio. Ques. 12. What special act of providence did God exercise towards man, in the estate wherein he was created? Quæs. Quem peculiarem providentiæ suæ actum exercebat Deus circa hominem in statu creationis suæ existentem? Ans. 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 knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. Resp. Postquam Deus hominem condidisset, inibat cum illo foedus vitæ, sub conditione perfectæ, obedientiæ; esu de arbore scientiæ boni malique sub poena mortis eidem interdicens. Ques. 13. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created? Quæs. An vero Primi nostri Parentes in quo creati fuerant statu perstitere? Ans. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. Resp. Primi Parentes voluntatis suæ libertati permissi peccando in Deum statu in quo creati fuerant exciderunt. Ques. 14. What is sin? Quæs. Quid est peccatum? Ans. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. Resp. Peccatum est defectus quilibet conformitatis cum lege Divina, seu quævis ejusdem transgressio. Ques. 15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created? Quæs. Quodnam erat peccatum istud quo primi parentes statu in quo creati fuerant exciderunt? Ans. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein Resp. Peccatum istud quo primi parentes statu in quo creati fuerant
they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. exciderunt, erat comestio fructus interdicti. Ques. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression? Quæs. Totumne genus humanum cecidit in prima Adami transgressione? Ans. 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. Resp. Quandoquidem foedus cum Adamo ictum fuerat non suo tantum sed et posterorum suorum nomine; exinde factum est ut totum genus humanum ab illo generatione ordinaria procreatum, in eo peccaverit, cumque eo ceciderit, in prima ejus transgressione. Ques. 17. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind? Quæs. In quem vero statum præcipitavit lapsus iste humanum genus? Ans. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery. Resp. Lapsus iste humanum genus in statum peccati ac miseriæ præcipitavit. Ques. 18. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell? Quæs. In quo consistit status illius in quem lapsus est homo peccaminositas? Ans. 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. Resp. Status in quem lapsus est homo peccaminositas consistit in reatu primi illius peccati quod Adamus admisit, in defectu originalis justitiæ, totiusque naturæ corruptione, quod Peccatum originale vulgo dicitur; una cum omnibus peccatis actualibus exinde profluentibus. Ques. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? Quæs. Quæ miseria est illius status in quem homo lapsus est? Ans. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the [2037] miseries in Resp. Universum genus humanum lapsu suo communionem cum Deo perdidit, sub ira ejus et maledictione est constitutum, adeoque cunctis hujus
this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. vitæ miseriis, ipsi morti, infernique cruciatibus in æternum est obnoxium. Ques. 20. Did God leave all mankind, to perish in the estate of sin and misery? Quæs. An vero Deus humanum genus universum in statu peccati ac miseriæ periturum dereliquit? Ans. 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. Resp. Deus cum ex mero suo beneplacito nonnullos ad vitam æternam ab omni retro æternitate elegisset, foedus gratiæ cum eis iniit; se nempe liberaturum eos e statu peccati ac miseriæ, atque in statum salutis per redemptorem translaturum. Ques. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God's elect? Quæs. Quis est Redemptor electorum Dei? Ans. 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 forever. Resp. Dominus Jesus Christus est electorum Dei Redemptor unicus, qui æternus Dei Filius cum esset, factus est homo; adeoque fuit, est, eritque Theanthropos, e naturis duabus distinctis persona unica in sempiternum. Ques. 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? Quæs. Qui autem Christus, Filius Dei cum esset, factus est homo? Ans. 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. Resp. Christus Filius Dei factus est homo, dum corpus verum, animamque rationalem assumeret sibi vi Spiritus Sancti in utero eque substantia Virginis Mariæ conceptus, et ex eadem natus, immunis tamen a peccato. Ques. 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer? Quæs. Quæ munera Christus ut Redemptor noster obit? Ans. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a Prophet, Resp. Christus quatenus Redemptor noster obit munera Prophetæ,
of a Priest, and of a King, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation. Sacerdotis ac Regis, cum in humiliationis tum in exaltationis suæ statu. Ques. 24. How doth Christ execute the office of a Prophet? Quæs. Quomodo Prophetæ munere defungitur Christus? Ans. Christ executeth the office of a Prophet, in revealing to us by his Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. Resp. Christus defungitur Prophetæ munere, voluntatem Dei in salutem nostram nobis per verbum suum spiritumque revelando. Ques. 25. How doth Christ execute the office of a Priest? Quæs. Qua ratione exequitur Christus munus Sacerdotale? Ans. 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 [2038] making continual intercession for us. Resp. Christus exequitur Sacerdotale munus, semetipsum semel in sacrificium offerendo, quo justitiæ divinæ satisfaceret, nosque Deo conciliaret; prout etiam perpetuo pro nobis intercedendo. Ques. 26. How doth Christ execute the office of a King? Quæs. Qui exequitur Christus munus Regium? Ans. Christ executeth the office of a King, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in [2039] restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. Resp. Christus exequitur munus Regium nos sibi subjugando, nos gubernando, tuendoque, ut etiam hostes suos nostrosque coërcendo ac debellando. Ques. 27. Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist? Quæs. In quo constitit Christi humiliatio? Ans. 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. Resp. Humiliatio Christi in eo constitit quod fuerit natus, et quidem humili conditione, factus sub lege, quodque vitæ hujus miserias, iram Dei mortemque crucis execrabilem subierit; quod sepultus fuerit, et sub potestate mortis aliquandiu commoratus.