A Scripture Catechism, Chapter 7 – Chapter 9
Chap. 7. Of ſin, and of the bitter fruits of it.
Q. VHAT is ſinne?
A. 1 Joh. 3.4. Sin is the tranſgreſſion of the Law.
Q. Did all mankind ſinne in, and fall by the ſinne or tranſgreſſion of our firſt Parents?
A. 1 Cor. 15.22. For as in Adam all dye, &c. Act. 17.26. And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth. Rom. 5.12, 18, 19. Wherefore as by one man ſinne entred into the world, and death by ſinne, and ſo death paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, &c. For as by one man's diſobedience all were made ſinners, &c.
Q. Can the Act or deed of the Father be imputed to the children? is this as 'tis the manner of men, is it alſo agreeable to the Scriptures?
A. Heb. 7.9, 10. Levi alſo who received tithes, payed tithes in Abraham: For he was yet in the loines of his Father when Melchiſedec met him.
Q. Did Adam after the fall beget children after the image and likeneſſe of God, in knowledge, righteouſneſſe, and holineſse, or after his own likeneſse?
A. Gen. 5.3. And Adam—begat a Son in his own likneſſe after his image; and called his name Seth. Job. 14.4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job. 15.14. Joh. 3.5, 6.
Q. Is man ſince the fall born pure, & righteous, or is he conceived and borne in ſin?
A. Pſal. 51.5. Behold I was ſhapen in iniquity, and in ſinne did my Mother conceive me. Job. 14.4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. chap. 15 14. What is man that he ſhould be cleane; and he which is borne of a Woman, that he ſhould be righteous? Joh. 3.6. That which is borne of the fleſh is fleſh, and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit.
Q. Can a man by nature, now ſince the fall, ſavingly know God, without being ſpiritually inlightened?
A. 1 Cor. 2.14. But the naturall man receiveth not the things of the ſpirit of God, for they are fooliſhneſſe unto him: neither can he know them, becauſe they are ſpiritually diſcerned. 1 Joh. 5.20. And we know, that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an underſtanding, that we may know him that is true. 2 Cor. 4.6. For God, who commanded the light to ſhine out of darkneſſe, hath ſhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt.
Q. Can a man by the ſtrength of nature now fulfill the Law of God?
A. Ro. 8.7. Becauſe the carnall mind is enmity againſt God: for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. Rom. 7.18. For I know that in me (that is, in my fleſh) dwelleth no good thing. For to will is preſent with me, but how to performe that which is good I find not. Joh. 15.5. For without me ye can doe nothing. 2 Cor. 3.5. Not that we are ſufficient of our ſelves to think any thing as of our ſelves, but our ſufficiency is of God.
Q. Should our firſt Parents have dyed, if they had never ſinned? did actuall death come in by ſin?
A. Rom. 6.23. For the wages of ſin is death. Rom. 5.12. As by one man ſin entred into the world, and death by ſin, and ſo death paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned. Gen. 2.17. For in the day that thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt ſurely dye.
Q. Are we become now children of wrath by nature, and in that ſtate ſhall we never (except we be borne againe) ſee the Kingdome of God?
A. Eph. 2.3. Among whom alſo we all had our converſation in times paſt, in the luſts of our fleſh, fulfilling the deſires of the fleſh, and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Joh. 3.3, laſt. Except a man be borne again, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God. And he that believeth not the Son ſhall not ſee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Q. Are ſinners, or thoſe that tranſgreſse the Law, accurſed?
A. Gal. 3.10. Curſed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law, to doe them. Deut. 28.15, 16, &c. But if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to obſerve to doe all his commandements, & his Statutes, which I command thee this day, that all theſe curſes ſhall come upon thee, and overtake thee, Curſed ſhalt thou be in the City, &c.
Q. Doth the ſoul outlive the body, and is it immortall?
A. Luk. 23.43. And Jeſus ſaid unto him, To day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe. Phil. 1.23. For I am in a ſtraight betwixt two, having a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt, which is farre better. Ecl. 12.7. Then ſhall the duſt returne to the Earth, as it was, and the Spirit ſhall returne unto God that gave it. Matth. 10.28. And feare not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the ſoule.
Q. Shall the body riſe again from the dead?
A. 1 Cor. 15.13, 14. But if there be no reſurrection of the dead, then is Chriſt not riſen. And if Chriſt be not riſen, then is our preaching vaine, and your faith is alſo vaine. Mark. 12.25, 26, 27. Joh. 11.24.
Q. Shall the condition of the Devils, and wicked men, be curſed and miſerable at, and after the day of Judgment?
A. Mat. 25.41, 46. Depart from me ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Divel and his Angels And theſe ſhall go away into everlaſting puniſhment.
Cap. 8. Of Redemption by Chriſt.
Q. DOTH God leave all mankind in a ſinfull, curſed, and miſerable condition, to periſh therein everlaſtingly?
A. 1 Theſ. 5.9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtaine Salvation by Chriſt. Gal. 3.13. Chriſt hath redeemed us from the curſe of the Law, being made a curſe for us. Rom. 3.21, 22. But now the Righteouſneſſe of God without the Law is manifeſted—even the Righteouſneſſe of God, which is by the faith of Jeſus Chriſt, unto all, and upon all them that believe, &c.
Q. Will God acquit and juſtify the ungodly and unrighteous for the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt, if they believe and repent of their ſins?
A. Ro. 5.19, 21.—So by the obedience of one ſhall many be made righteous. That as ſinne bath reigned unto death, even ſo might grace reigne through righteouſneſſe unto eternall life, by Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Rom. 3.24, 25, 26. Being juſtified freely by his grace thorow the Redemption that is in Jeſus Chriſt, whom God hath ſet forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood, to declare his righteouſneſſe for the remiſſion of ſinnes that are paſt, &c. That he might be juſt, and the Juſtifier of him which believeth in Jeſus.
Q. Did God lay our ſinnes upon Chriſt, and did he beare them on the Croſſe?
A. Iſ. 53.5, 6. But he was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, he was bruiſed for our iniquities: the chaſtiſement of our peace was upon him, and with his ſtripes we are healed. All we like ſheep have gone aſtray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 1 Pet. 2.24. Who his own ſelfe bare our ſins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to ſinne, ſhould live unto righteouſneſſe, by whoſe ſtripes ye were healed.
Q. Did Chriſt dye only to leave us an Example, or to confirme his Doctrine, or to be a Sacrifice or Offering for ſin?
A. Eph. 5.2.—As Chriſt alſo hath loved us, and hath given himſelfe for us an Offering, and a Sacrifice to God, for a ſweet ſmelling ſavour. 2 Cor. 5.21. For he hath made him to be ſinne for us, who knew no ſinne, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him. Iſ. 53.10. Yet it pleaſed the Lord to bruiſe him, he hath put him to griefe: when thou ſhalt make his ſoule an Offering for ſinne, he ſhall ſee his ſeed, he ſhall prolong his dayes, and the pleaſure of the Lord ſhall proſper in his hand.
Chap. 9. Of Predeſtination.
Q. HOW prove you that it was not the foreſight of faith, good workes, or perſeverance, or of ſomething elſe in the creature, which were either as cauſes, or conditions moving God to ordaine ſome men unto eternall life?
A. Eph. 1.9, 11. Having made known unto us the myſtery of his will, according to his good pleaſure, which he had purpoſed in himſelfe. In whom alſo we have obtained an inheritance, being predeſtinated according to the purpoſe of him, who worketh all things after the counſell of his own will. Rom. 9.11, 16. For the children being not yet borne, neither having done good or evill, that the purpoſe of God according to election might ſtand, not of workes, but of him that calleth; As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Eſau have I hated. So then, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that ſheweth mercy. 2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath ſaved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our workes, but according to his own purpoſe and grace, which was given us in Chriſt Jeſus before the world began.
Q. How prove you that God, who hath ordained them to the End, eternall life, hath alſo ordained them to the meanes to attaine thereunto, Faith and good works?
A. 1 Pet. 1.2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and ſprinkling of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt. Eph. 1.4. According as he hath choſen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we ſhould be holy, and without blame before him in love chap. 2.10. For we are his workmanſhip created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we ſhould walk in them.
Q. How prove you that all God's Elect children, being fallen in Adam, were redeemed by Chriſt?
A. 1 Theſ. 5.9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtaine ſalvation by our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Tit. 2.14. Who gave himſelfe for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himſelfe a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Q. How prove you that the Elect are in due time juſtified, adopted, ſanctified, have their ſins pardoned, are made the children of God, and made holy?
A. Rom. 8.30. Moreover whom he did predeſtinate, them he alſo called, and whom he called, them he alſo juſtified, and whom he juſtified, them he alſo glorified. Eph. 1.5. Having predeſtinated us unto the Adoption of children by Jeſus Chriſt to himſelfe, according to the good pleaſure of his will. 2 Theſ. 2.13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, becauſe God hath from the beginning choſen you to ſalvation, through ſanctification of the ſpirit, and beliefe of the truth.
Q. How prove you ſuch ſhall be certainly kept and preſerved unto Salvation?
A. 1 Pet. 1.5. Who are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto Salvation, ready to be revealed in the laſt time. John. 10.27, 28, 29.