Westminster Larger Catechism
Memorise this catechismThe Westminster Larger Catechism, composed in 1648, contains 196 questions and answers providing a more comprehensive treatment of Christian doctrine than the Shorter Catechism.
Date: 1647
Authorship: Prepared by the Westminster Assembly as the companion catechism for more mature instruction.
The Larger Catechism develops the Assembly’s teaching at greater length, especially on Christ, the covenant of grace, the Ten Commandments, the sacraments, and prayer.
It is especially useful for adult classes, officers, teachers, and readers who want more precision than the Shorter Catechism can provide.
- Use the sidebar to stay inside a doctrinal section and read several related answers together.
- Compare answers with the Shorter Catechism to see what the Larger Catechism expands.
- Pay special attention to the commandments and Lord’s Prayer sections for practical theology.
The Scriptures as the Word of God and the rule of faith and life
The being, attributes, and persons of the Godhead
God's eternal decrees, creation, and providence
The covenant of works, the fall, and the estate of sin and misery
The covenant of grace, the person and offices of Christ the Mediator
The application of redemption: calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, and glory
The moral law, its uses, and the sum of the Ten Commandments
The duties required and sins forbidden in each commandment
The Word, sacraments, and prayer as means of grace
The nature, administration, and right use of the sacraments
The duty of prayer and the petitions of the Lord's Prayer
Q105. What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the first commandment are, atheism, in denying or not having a God; Idolatry, in having or worshiping more gods than one, or any with or instead of the true God; the not having and avouching him for God, and our God; the omission or neglect of anything due to him, required in this commandment; ignorance, forgetfulness, misapprehensions, false opinions, unworthy and wicked thoughts of him; bold and curious searching into his secrets; all profaneness, hatred of God; self-love, self-seeking, and all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our mind, will, or affections upon other things, and taking them off from him in whole or in part; vain credulity, unbelief, heresy, misbelief, distrust, despair, incorrigibleness, and insensibleness under judgments, hardness of heart, pride, presumption, carnal security, tempting of God; using unlawful means, and trusting in lawful means; carnal delights and joys; corrupt, blind, and indiscreet zeal; lukewarmness, and deadness in the things of God; estranging ourselves, and apostatizing from God; praying, or giving any religious worship, to saints, angels, or any other creatures; all compacts and consulting with the devil, and hearkening to his suggestions; making men the lords of our faith and conscience; slighting and despising God and his commands; resisting and grieving of his Spirit, discontent and impatience at his dispensations, charging him foolishly for the evils he inflicts on us; and ascribing the praise of any good we either are, have, or can do, to fortune, idols, ourselves, or any other creature.
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