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443 results for “God the Holy Spirit”
WCF
Westminster Confession of Faith
126
Of God, and of the Holy Trinity
There is but one only, living, and true God: who is infinite in being and perfection, a most …
Of God, and of the Holy Trinity
In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; God the …
Of God, and of the Holy Trinity
God hath all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself …
Of the Holy Scripture
The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, …
Of the Holy Scripture
We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to a high and reverent esteem …
Of God’s Covenant with Man
Man by his fall having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to …
Of the Holy Scripture
Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, …
Of the Holy Scripture
The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and …
Of the Holy Scripture
Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books …
Of the Holy Scripture
The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon …
Of the Holy Scripture
The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath He, by the eternal and most free purpose …
Of the Law of God
Neither are the forementioned uses of the law contrary to the grace of the Gospel, but do sweetly …
Of the Holy Scripture
The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the …
Of God’s Covenant with Man
This covenant was differently administered in the time of the law, and in the time of the gospel: …
Of Good Works
Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of …
Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may …
Of Effectual Calling
This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in …
Of Justification
God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fulness of …
Of Sanctification
In which war, although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet through the continual supply …
Of the Perseverance of the Saints
Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that …
Of God’s Covenant with Man
The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto …
Of the Law of God
This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness, and, as such, was delivered …
Of the Law of God
Although true believers be not under the law, as a covenant of works, to be thereby justified, or …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath He not …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He …
Of the Law of God
God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which He bound him and all …
Of the Law of God
Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a …
Of the Law of God
The moral law doth for ever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; …
Of the Holy Scripture
All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things …
Of the Holy Scripture
The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question …
Of God’s Eternal Decree
These angels and men, thus predestinated, and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain …
Of God’s Covenant with Man
The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam, and …
Of God’s Covenant with Man
This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in Scripture by the name of a Testament, in reference …
Of God’s Covenant with Man
Under the gospel, when Christ, the substance, was exhibited, the ordinances in which this covenant is dispensed are …
Of the Law of God
To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State …
Of Providence
The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that …
Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence …
Of Christ the Mediator
The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance …
Of Creation
After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls, …
Of Good Works
We cannot, by our best works, merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, …
Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible …
Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience
The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt …
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in …
Of Christ the Mediator
The Lord Jesus, in His human nature thus united to the divine, was sanctified and anointed with the …
Of Effectual Calling
All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased in His appointed and …
Of Adoption
All those that are justified, God vouchsafeth, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers …
Of Sanctification
They who are once effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in …
Of Repentance unto Life
By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of …
Of Good Works
These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and …
Of the Perseverance of the Saints
This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the …
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is …
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now under the Gospel either tied unto, or …
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear; and therein it is to …
Of the Communion of the Saints
Saints by profession are bound to maintain a holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God; and …
Of the Sacraments
Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ …
Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of …
The bodies of men, after death, return to dust and see corruption: but their souls (which neither die …
Of Creation
It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal …
Of Providence
God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, …
Of Providence
The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave for a season His own children to manifold …
Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof
Our first parents, being seduced by the subtilty and temptation of Satan, sinned, in eating the forbidden fruit. …
Of Christ the Mediator
The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience, and sacrifice of Himself, which He, through the eternal Spirit, once …
Of Good Works
Good works are only such as God hath commanded in His holy Word, and not such as, without …
Of the Perseverance of the Saints
They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally, …
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone; …
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men: and …
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart …
Of the Church
Unto this catholic visible Church Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering …
Of Baptism
The efficacy of Baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet notwithstanding, …
Of Church Censures
Church censures are necessary, for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren, for deterring of others from the …
Of Good Works
Works done by unregenerate men, although, for the matter of them, they may be things which God commands, …
Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience
And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended …
Of the Civil Magistrate
The civil magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of the Word and sacraments, or the power …
Of Synods and Councils
It belongs to synods and councils, ministerially to determine controversies of faith and cases of conscience; to set …
Of Providence
As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins, doth blind …
Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof
Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, …
Of Christ the Mediator
It pleased God, in His eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, His only begotten Son, …
Of Christ the Mediator
To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, He doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the …
Of Justification
Those whom God effectually calleth, He also freely justifieth; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning …
Of Justification
God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified: and although they can never fall …
Of Sanctification
This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants …
Of Saving Faith
By this faith, a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority …
Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes, and carnal presumptions of being …
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath-day
This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, …
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
No man may vow to do anything forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any …
Of the Last Judgment
The end of God’s appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of His mercy, in …
Of Providence
Although, in relation to the fore-knowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass …
Of Providence
God in His ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against …
Of Providence
As the providence of God doth in general reach to all creatures, so after a most special manner, …
Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment thereof
By this sin they fell from their original righteousness and communion, with God, and so became dead in …
Of Free Will
God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor by any …
Of Free Will
Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was …
Of Free Will
When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He freeth him from his …
Of Effectual Calling
Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who worketh when, and …
Of Effectual Calling
Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some …
Of Justification
Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, …
Of Saving Faith
The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is …
Of Repentance unto Life
Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the …
Of Repentance unto Life
As every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon …
Of Good Works
They, who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so …
Of Good Works
Yet notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him, …
Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of …
Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience
They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy …
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calleth …
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone: and that it may be …
Of the Civil Magistrate
God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates, to be, under Him, …
Of Marriage and Divorce
Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife, for the increase of mankind with a …
Of Marriage and Divorce
It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry, who are able with judgment to give their …
Of Marriage and Divorce
Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments unduly to put asunder those …
Of the Church
The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation as …
Of the Church
The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error: and some have so degenerated, as …
Of the Church
There is no other head of the Church, but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor can the Pope of …
Of the Communion of the Saints
All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head by His Spirit and by faith, have fellowship …
Of the Sacraments
The grace which is exhibited in or by the sacraments rightly used, is not conferred by any power …
Of Baptism
Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission …
Of Baptism
The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized, …
Of the Lord’s Supper
In this sacrament, Christ is not offered up to His Father; nor any real sacrifice made at all …
Of the Lord’s Supper
The Lord Jesus hath, in this ordinance, appointed His ministers to declare His word of institution to the …
Of the Lord’s Supper
Although ignorant and wicked men receive the outward elements in this sacrament: yet they receive not the thing …
Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of …
The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour: the bodies of …
Of the Last Judgment
God hath appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world in righteousness, by Jesus Christ, to whom …
Of the Last Judgment
As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment, both …
WLC
Westminster Larger Catechism
131
How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are …
The scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto …
How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?
The grace of God is manifested in the second covenant, in that he freely provideth and offereth to …
What is God?
God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, …
How did God create angels?
God created all the angels spirits, immortal, holy, excelling in knowledge, mighty in power, to execute his commandments, …
How doth it appear that the scriptures are the word of God?
The scriptures manifest themselves to be the word of God, by their majesty and purity; by the consent …
How doth it appear that there is a God?
The very light of nature in man, and the works of God, declare plainly that there is a …
How did God create man?
After God had made all other creatures, he created man male and female; formed the body of the …
Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God?
It was requisite that the Mediator should be God, that he might sustain and keep the human nature …
What is the word of God?
The holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, the only rule of …
What are the decrees of God?
God's decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will, whereby, from all …
What are God's works of providence?
God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering …
What is God's providence towards the angels?
God by his providence permitted some of the angels, wilfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation, …
How is the word of God to be read?
The holy scriptures are to be read with an high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm …
How is the word of God to be preached by those that …
They that are called to labor in the ministry of the word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, …
How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
Christ the Son of God became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, …
What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God?
Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous …
Is the word of God to be read by all?
Although all are not to be permitted to read the word publicly to the congregation, yet all sorts …
What is sanctification?
Sanctification is a work of God's grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, …
What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment?
At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set …
Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, …
All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by …
What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?
Sins receive their aggravations, 1. From the persons offending: if they be of riper age, greater experience or …
What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
In the sixth petition (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,) acknowledging, …
How is the word made effectual to salvation?
The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of …
Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God and man …
It was requisite that the Mediator, who was to reconcile God and man, should himself be both God …
How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of …
Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man he is …
What do the scriptures make known of God?
The scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution of …
Are there more Gods than one?
There is but one only, the living and true God.
What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men?
God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious …
How doth God execute his decrees?
God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the …
What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in …
The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him …
How is justification an act of God's free grace?
Although Christ, by his obedience and death, did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice …
What is the sum of the four commandments which contain our duty …
The sum of the four commandments containing our duty to God is, to love the Lord our God …
What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath …
That we may escape the wrath and curse of God due to us by reason of the transgression …
Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him?
Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, through the temptation of Satan, transgressed …
Doth God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin …
God doth not leave all men to perish in the estate of sin and misery, into which they …
How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?
Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always …
What is the duty which God requireth of man?
The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
No man is able, either of himself, or by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep …
By whom is the word of God to be preached?
The word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly …
Are we to pray unto God only?
God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfil the desires …
How doth the Spirit help us to pray?
We not knowing: What to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helps our infirmities, by enabling us …
What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of …
The whole word of God is of use to direct us in the duty of prayer; but the …
What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?
The sins forbidden in the first commandment are, atheism, in denying or not having a God; Idolatry, in …
Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate …
Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without …
What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of …
The rule of obedience revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him, …
What is repentance unto life?
Repentance unto life is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and …
May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many …
True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them …
What is required of superiors towards their inferiors?
It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they …
How many persons are there in the Godhead?
There be three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three …
What is justifying faith?
Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and word …
What is adoption?
Adoption is an act of the free grace of God, in and for his only Son Jesus Christ, …
Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?
Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness …
What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of …
The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life the firstfruits of glory with …
What is the moral law?
The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding everyone to …
What is required in the third commandment?
The third commandment requires, That the name of God, his titles, attributes, ordinances, the word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, …
What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord's …
It is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper, that, during the time of …
What do we pray for in the third petition?
In the third petition (which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,) acknowledging, …
What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
In the fourth petition (which is, Give us this day our daily bread,) acknowledging, that in Adam, and …
What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead?
It is proper to the Father to beget the Son, and to the Son to be begotten of …
How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in his revealing to the church, in all ages, by his …
How is Christ to be exalted in his coming again to judge …
Christ is to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world, in that he, who was …
How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which …
We are made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured, by the application of them unto us, …
What is effectual calling?
Effectual calling is the work of God's almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special …
Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?
The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, …
Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being …
Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before …
What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of …
The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, …
What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?
At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ's left hand, and, upon clear evidence, …
Of what use is the moral law to all men?
The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will …
Which is the fourth commandment?
The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and …
What is required in the fourth commandment?
The fourth commandment requires of all men the sanctifying or keeping holy to God such set times as …
How is the sabbath or the Lord's day to be sanctified?
The sabbath or Lord's day is to be sanctified by an holy resting all the day, not only …
What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?
The duties required in the sixth commandment are, all careful studies, and lawful endeavors, to preserve the life …
What is Baptism?
Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein Christ hath ordained the washing with water in the …
How is our Baptism to be improved by us?
The needful but much neglected duty of improving our Baptism, is to be performed by us all our …
What is prayer?
Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help …
What is the preface to the ten commandments?
The preface to the ten commandments is contained in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which …
What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and anywise approving, any religious …
What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to …
The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it, are taken from the equity of …
What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment?
The sins forbidden in the third commandment are, the not using of God's name as is required; and …
What do the scriptures principally teach?
The scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
What are the duties required in the first commandment?
The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only …
What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to …
The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, For I …
What is the chief and highest end of man?
Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.
What is the work of creation?
The work of creation is that wherein God did in the beginning, by the word of his power, …
Who is the Mediator of the covenant of grace?
The only Mediator of the covenant of grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son …
What is justification?
Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth …
Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God …
What are we specially taught by these words before me in the …
These words before me, or before my face, in the first commandment, teach us, that God, who seeth …
Which is the second commandment?
The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything …
What are the duties required in the second commandment?
The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such …
What reasons are annexed to the third commandment?
The reasons annexed to the third commandment, in these words, The Lord thy God, and, For the Lord …
What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment, the more to …
The reason annexed to the fifth commandment, in these words, That thy days may be long upon the …
What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament …
The duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord's supper, is seriously to consider …
What do we pray for in the first petition?
In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name,) acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is …
What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,) acknowledging, that we …
What doth the conclusion of the Lord's prayer teach us?
The conclusion of the Lord's prayer (which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the …
What is sin?
Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule …
What misery did the fall bring upon mankind?
The fall brought upon mankind the loss of communion with God, his displeasure and curse; so as we …
What are the punishments of sin in this world?
The punishments of sin in this world are either inward, as blindness of mind, a reprobate sense, strong …
What are the punishments of sin in the world to come?
The punishments of sin in the world to come, are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, …
Why was our Mediator called Christ?
Our Mediator was called Christ, because he was anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure; and so set …
How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering himself a sacrifice without spot to God, …
How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
Christ executeth the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and …
How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth?
Christ humbled himself in his conception and birth, in that, being from all eternity the Son of God, …
How did Christ humble himself in his death?
Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas, forsaken by his disciples, scorned …
How was Christ exalted in his resurrection?
Christ was exalted in his resurrection, in that, not having seen corruption in death (of which it was …
How was Christ exalted in his ascension?
Christ was exalted in his ascension, in that having after his resurrection often appeared unto and conversed with …
Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ?
Redemption is certainly applied, and effectually communicated, to all those for whom Christ hath purchased it; who are …
What are the special privileges of the visible church?
The visible church hath the privilege of being under God's special care and government; of being protected and …
What is that union which the elect have with Christ?
The union which the elect have with Christ is the work of God's grace, whereby they are spiritually …
Are the elect only effectually called?
All the elect, and they only, are effectually called; although others may be, and often are, outwardly called …
Death, being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered …
The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered …
What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?
We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, …
What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the …
For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be observed: 1. That the law …
Which is the first commandment?
The first commandment is, Thou shall have no other gods before me.
Which is the third commandment?
The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for …
Which is the fifth commandment?
The fifth commandment is, Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the …
Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?
By father and mother, in the fifth commandment, are meant, not only natural parents, but all superiors in …
What are the sins forbidden in the eighth commandment?
The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, theft, robbery, man-stealing, …
What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our …
What is required of those that hear the word preached?
It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, …
How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not by any power in themselves, or any virtue derived from …
What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ in his church, to signify, seal, and exhibit unto …
What is the Lord's supper?
The Lord's supper is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine …
How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper to …
They that receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper are, before they come, to prepare themselves thereunto, by …
May one who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his …
One who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation to the sacrament of the …
Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper agree?
The sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper agree, in that the author of both is God; the …
Why are we to pray in the name of Christ?
The sinfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we …
For what things are we to pray?
We are to pray for all things tending to the glory of God, the welfare of the church, …
How are we to pray?
We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our …
What doth the preface of the Lord's prayer teach us?
The preface of the Lord's prayer (contained in these words, Our Father which art in heaven,) teacheth us, …
WSC
Westminster Shorter Catechism
74
What is God?
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
How did God create man?
God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over …
What are God's works of providence?
God's works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and …
How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, …
How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of …
Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?
The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, …
What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify …
The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the …
Are there more Gods than one?
There is but one only, the living and true God.
What are the decrees of God?
The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his …
How doth God execute his decrees?
God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the …
When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect …
What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath …
To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith …
Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin …
God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life did enter …
How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting …
What is the duty which God requireth of man?
The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of …
The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.
Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly …
From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the …
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, …
What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?
The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of …
How many persons are there in the Godhead?
There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three …
What is required in the fourth commandment?
The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his …
How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his Word and Spirit the will …
How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?
We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us …
What is effectual calling?
Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our …
What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow …
The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of …
What is required in the third commandment?
The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
Which is the fourth commandment?
The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and …
How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments …
What doth the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
The preface of the Lord's Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw …
What do the Scriptures principally teach?
The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
What is required in the first commandment?
The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our …
What is forbidden in the first commandment?
The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God, and our …
What is the chief end of man?
Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.
What is the work of creation?
The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in …
What is adoption?
Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a …
What is sanctification?
Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the …
What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and …
What are we specially taught by these words, 'before me', in the …
These words, before me, in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice …
Which is the second commandment?
The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything …
What is repentance unto life?
Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, …
Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they …
What is sin?
Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.
What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made …
How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy …
Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist?
Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing …
Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation?
Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into …
What is justification?
Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as …
What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; …
What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day …
What is the sum of the ten commandments?
The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with …
What is the preface to the ten commandments?
The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have …
Which is the first commandment?
The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
What is required in the second commandment?
The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances …
What is forbidden in the second commandment?
The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his …
What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the …
Which is the third commandment?
The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for …
What is forbidden in the third commandment?
The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment …
What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our …
Which is the fifth commandment?
The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the …
What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as …
What is required in the tenth commandment?
The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit …
Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God …
What doth every sin deserve?
Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.
How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth …
What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of …
What is Baptism?
Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the …
What is prayer?
Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the …
What do we pray for in the first petition?
In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be thy name, we pray, that God would enable us, and …
What do we pray for in the third petition?
In the third petition, which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, we …
What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God's …
What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we pray …
What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we …
What doth the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the …
BCO
Book of Church Order (PCA)
112
52-2
52-2. Then, after singing a psalm, or hymn, it is proper that, before the sermon, there should be …
56-5
56-5. The minister shall then read the covenant promises: For to you is the promise, and to your …
56-4
56-4. Before baptism, the minister is to use some words of instruction, touching the institution, nature, use, and …
58-7
58-7. The minister may, in a few words, put the communicants in mind: Of the grace of God, …
19-10
19-10. When an applicant is approved for internship, the moderator of the Presbytery shall offer a prayer suitable …
47-6
47-6. The Lord Jesus Christ has prescribed no fixed forms for public worship but, in the interest of …
57-5
57-5. The time having come for the making of a public profession, and those who have been approved …
49-4
49-4. All who attend public worship are expected to be present in a spirit of reverence and godly …
5-9
5-9. A new church can be organized only by the authority of Presbytery. a. A Presbytery should establish …
28-1
28-1. The spiritual nurture, instruction and training of the children of the Church are committed by God primarily …
47-8
47-8. It behooves God’s people not only to come into His presence with a deep sense of awe …
The King and Head of the Church
I. THE KING AND HEAD OF THE CHURCH Jesus Christ, upon whose shoulders the government rests, whose name …
47-5
47-5. Public worship must be performed in spirit and in truth. Externalism and hypocrisy stand condemned. The forms …
52-4
52-4. Ministers are not to be confined to fixed forms of prayer for public worship, yet it is …
52-1
52-1. It is proper to begin the public worship in the sanctuary with the Doxology followed by a …
Preliminary Principles
II. PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES The Presbyterian Church in America, in setting forth the form of government founded upon and …
50-1
50-1. The public reading of the Holy Scriptures is performed by the minister as God’s servant. Through it …
21-5
21-5. The day appointed for the ordination having come, and the Presbytery being convened, a sermon suitable for …
24-6
24-6. The day having arrived, and the Session being convened in the presence of the congregation, a sermon …
21-4
21-4. Ordination Requirements and Procedures a. An intern applying for ordination shall be required to present a diploma …
24-1
24-1. Every church shall elect persons to the offices of ruling elder and deacon in the following manner: …
37-4
37-4. When an excommunicated person shall be so affected with his state as to be brought to repentance, …
54-1
54-1. The Holy Scriptures teach that God is the owner of all persons and all things and that …
7-1
7-1. Under the New Testament, our Lord at first collected His people out of different nations, and united …
16-1
16-1. Ordinary vocation to office in the Church is the calling of God by the Spirit, through the …
19-4
19-4. The applicant having answered these questions in the affirmative, the moderator shall offer a prayer suitable for …
21-7
21-7. The people having answered these questions in the affirmative, by holding up their right hands, the candidate …
47-1
47-1. Since the Holy Scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and practice, the principles of public …
48-1
48-1. “The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in …
48-2
48-2. God commanded His Old Testament people to keep holy the last day of the week, but He …
48-6
48-6. Let every person and family, in the morning, by secret and private prayer, for themselves and others, …
50-2
50-2. The reading of the Holy Scriptures in the congregation is a part of the public worship of …
4-5
4-5. Churches without teaching elders ought not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, but should be convened …
16-4
16-4. Officers in the Presbyterian Church in America must be above reproach in their walk and Christlike in …
19-3
19-3. Questions for Licensure. If the Presbytery be satisfied with the trials of the applicant, it shall then …
27-4
27-4. The power which Christ has given the Church is for building up, and not for destruction. It …
27-5
27-5. Scriptural law is the basis of all discipline because it is the revelation of God’s Holy will. …
38-4
38-4. When a member of a particular church has willfully neglected the church for a period of one …
51-2
51-2. In singing the praises of God, we are to sing in the spirit of worship, with understanding …
63-4
63-4. Parents should instruct their children in the Word of God, and in the principles of our holy …
8-5
8-5. When a man is called to labor as a teaching elder, it belongs to his order, in …
47-3
47-3. The end of public worship is the glory of God. His people should engage in all its …
47-2
47-2. A service of public worship is not merely a gathering of God’s children with each other, but …
3-4
3-4. The power of the Church is exclusively spiritual; that of the State includes the exercise of force. …
12-5
12-5. The church Session is charged with maintaining the spiritual government of the church, for which purpose it …
21-9
21-9. In the installation of an ordained minister, the following questions are to be substituted for those addressed …
36-5
36-5. Indefinite suspension from office or the Sacraments should be administered after the manner prescribed for definite suspension, …
48-4
48-4. The whole day is to be kept holy to the Lord; and to be employed in the …
50-3
50-3. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments shall be read from a good translation, not …
57-1
57-1. Believers’ children within the Visible Church, and especially those dedicated to God in Baptism, are non-communing members …
The Constitution Defined
III. THE CONSTITUTION DEFINED The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America, which is subject to and subordinate …
4-1
4-1. A particular church consists of a number of professing Christians, with their children, associated together for divine …
4-4
4-4. The ordinances established by Christ, the Head, in His Church are prayer; singing praises; reading, expounding and …
7-2
7-2. The ordinary and perpetual classes of office in the Church are elders and deacons. Within the class …
8-2
8-2. He that fills this office should possess a competency of human learning and be blameless in life, …
9-3
9-3. To the office of deacon, which is spiritual in nature, shall be chosen men of spiritual character, …
9-7
9-7. It is often expedient that the Session of a church should select and appoint godly men and …
13-9
13-9. The Presbytery has power to receive and issue* appeals, complaints, and references brought before it in an …
14-1
14-1. The General Assembly is the highest court of this Church, and represents in one body all the …
14-6
14-6. The General Assembly shall have power: a. To receive and issue* all appeals, references, and complaints regularly …
16-2
16-2. The government of the Church is by officers gifted to represent Christ, and the right of God’s …
16-3
16-3. Upon those whom God calls to bear office in His Church He bestows suitable gifts for the …
17-2
17-2. Ordination is the authoritative admission of one duly called to an office in the Church of God, …
18-3
18-3. The applicant shall appear before the Presbytery in person, and shall be examined by the Presbytery on …
19-2
19-2. Examination for Licensure. The examination for licensure shall be as follows: a. Give a statement of his …
19-7
19-7. The Holy Scriptures require that some trial be previously made of those who are to be ordained …
19-11
19-11. When any intern shall have occasion, while his internship is in progress, to remove from the bounds …
19-16
19-16. Where circumstances warrant, a Presbytery may approve previous experience which is equivalent to internship. This equivalency shall …
20-1
20-1. Before a candidate, or licentiate, can be ordained to the office of the ministry, he must receive …
21-11
21-11. In the ordination of interns as evangelists the same questions are to be propounded as in the …
26-1
26-1. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America, which is subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures …
27-3
27-3. The exercise of discipline is highly important and necessary. In its proper usage discipline maintains: a. the …
29-1
29-1. An offense, the proper object of judicial process, is anything in the doctrines or practice of a …
29-2
29-2. Offenses are either personal or general, private or public; but all of them being sins against God, …
31-8
31-8. Great caution ought to be exercised in receiving accusations from any person who is known to indulge …
32-1
32-1. It is incumbent on every member of a court of Jesus Christ engaged in a trial of …
35-1
35-1. All persons of proper age and intelligence are competent witnesses, except such as do not believe in …
35-8
35-8. The oath or affirmation to a witness shall be administered by the Moderator in the following or …
36-1
36-1. When any member or officer of the Church shall be found guilty of an offense the court …
36-6
36-6. Excommunication is to be administered according to one or other of the two modes laid down for …
37-2
37-2. After any person has been indefinitely suspended from the Sacraments, it is proper that the rulers of …
38-2
38-2. A minister of the Gospel against whom there are no charges, if fully satisfied in his own …
39-3
39-3. While affirming that the Scripture is “the supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to …
42-12
42-12. If an appellant manifests a litigious or otherwise un-Christian spirit in the prosecution of his appeal, he …
47-4
47-4. Public worship is Christian when the worshippers recognize that Christ is the Mediator by whom alone they …
47-7
47-7. Public worship differs from private worship in that in public worship God is served by His saints …
47-9
47-9. The Bible teaches that the following are proper elements of worship service: reading of Holy Scripture, singing …
48-3
48-3. It is the duty of every person to remember the Lord’s Day; and to prepare for it …
48-5
48-5. Let the provisions for the support of the family on that day be so ordered that others …
48-7
48-7. Let the time not used for public worship be spent in prayer, in devotional reading, and especially …
50-4
50-4. How large a portion shall be read at once is left to the discretion of every minister; …
51-1
51-1. Praising God through the medium of music is a duty and a privilege. Therefore, the singing of …
51-3
51-3. It is recommended that Psalms be sung along with the hymns of the Church, but that caution …
53-1
53-1. The preaching of the Word is an ordinance of God for the salvation of men. Serious attention …
53-3
53-3. Preaching requires much study, meditation, and prayer, and ministers should prepare their sermons with care, and not …
53-4
53-4. As a primary design of public ordinances is to unite the people in acts of common worship …
54-2
54-2. It is both a privilege and a duty, plainly enjoined in the Bible, to make regular, weekly, …
54-3
54-3. It is appropriate that the offerings be dedicated by prayer.
55-1
55-1. It is proper for the congregation of God’s people publicly to confess their faith, using creeds or …
56-1
56-1. Baptism is not to be unnecessarily delayed; not to be administered, in any case, by any private …
58-3
58-3. It is proper that public notice should be given to the congregation, at least the Sabbath before …
58-4
58-4. On the day of the observance of the Lord's Supper, when the sermon is ended, the minister …
59-1
59-1. Marriage is a divine institution though not a sacrament, nor peculiar to the Church of Christ. It …
59-3
59-3. Marriage is only to be between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:24, 25; Matt. 19:4-6, 1 …
59-6
59-6. Marriage is of a public nature. The welfare of civil society, the happiness of families, and the …
60-1
60-1. The power of the prayer of faith is great, and Christians therefore should make entreaty for the …
61-1
61-1. The services proper for such an occasion are: a. The singing of appropriate psalms or hymns; b. …
61-2
61-2. The funeral services are to be left largely to the discretion of the minister performing them, but …
62-7
62-7. On days of thanksgiving, he should give information respecting the authority and providences which call for the …
63-1
63-1. In addition to public worship, it is the duty of each person in secret, and of every …
63-2
63-2. Secret worship is most plainly enjoined by our Lord. In this duty everyone, apart, should spend some …
63-3
63-3. Family worship, which should be observed by every family, consists in prayer, reading the Scriptures, and singing …