John Owen, Two Short Catechisms (... continued from file 1) The Greater Catechism. Chap. 1 - Of The Scripture. Ques. 1. What is Christian religion? Ans. The only way John 14: 5, 6, 17: 3; Acts 4: 12. Every one out of this way everlastingly damned. of knowing God aright, The life of religion is in the Life. and living unto him. Col. 1: 10; 2 Cor. 5: 15; Gal. 2: 19, 20. Q. 2. Whence is it to be learned? A. From the holy Scripture only. Isa. 8: 20; John 5: 39. Popish traditions are false lights, leading from God. Q. 3. What is the Scripture? A. The books of the Old Isa. 8: 20; Rom. 3: 2. and New Testament, Rev. 22: 19, 20. The authority of the Scripture dependeth not on the authority of the church, as the Papists blaspheme. All human inventions unnecessary helps in the worship of God. The word thereof is the sole directory for faith, worship, and life. given by inspiration from 2 Tim. 3: 16, 17; Ps. 19: 7, God, containing all things 8; Jer. 7: 13; John 20: 31. necessary to be believed and done, that God may be worshipped and our souls saved. Q. 4. How know you them to be the word of God? A. By the testimony of God's Matt. 16: 17; John 16: 13; 1 Spirit, Thess. 2: 13; 1 John 2: 20, 5: 6. This alone persuadeth and inwardly convinceth the heart of the divine verity of the Scripture; other motives, also, there are from without, and unanswerable arguments to prove the truth of them, as, - 1. Their antiquity; 2. Preservation from fury; 3. Prophecies in them; 4. The holiness and majesty of their doctrine agreeable to the nature of God; 5. Miracles; 6. The testimony of the church of all ages; 7. The blood of innumerable martyrs, &c. working faith in my heart to Luke 24: 32; 1 Cor. 2: 14; close with that heavenly Heb. 4: 12; 2 Pet. 1: 19. majesty, and clear divine truth, that shineth in them. Chap. 2 - Of God. Q. 1. What do the Scriptures teach concerning God? A. First, what he is, or his Exod. 3: 14; Isa. 45: 6; Heb. nature; secondly, what he 1: 1-3, 11: 6. does, or his works. Q. 2. What is God in himself? A. An Eternal, Deut. 33:27; Isa. 57:15; Rev. 1:8. infinite, 1 Kings 8: 27; Ps. 139: 2-5, &c. The perfection of God's being is known of us chiefly by removing all imperfections. Hence the abominable vanity of idolaters, and of the blasphemous Papists, that picture God. incomprehensible Exod. 33: 20; 1 Tim. 6: 16. Let us prostrate ourselves in holy adoration of that which we cannot comprehend. Spirit, John 4:24. giving being to all things, Gen. 1: 1; Ps. 115: 3, 135: and doing with them 6; Isa. 46: 10; John 5: 17; whatsoever he pleaseth. Heb. 1: 2. Q. 3. Do we here know God as he is? A. No, his glorious being is not Exod. 33: 23; 1 Cor. 13: 12. of us, in this life, to be comprehended. Q. 4. Whereby is God chiefly made known unto us in the Word? A. First, by his names; Exod. 3: 14, 6: 3; Ps. 83: 18. secondly, by his attributes Exod. 34: 6,7; Matt. 5: 48. or properties. Q. 5. What are the names of God? A. Glorious titles, which he has Exod. 3: 14, 15, 6: 3, 34: 6, given himself, to hold forth 7; Gen. 17: 1. his excellencies unto us, The divers names of God with some perfections whereby signify one and the same he will reveal himself. thing, but under diverse notions in respect of our conception. Q. 6. What are the attributes of God? A. His infinite perfections in Rev. 4: 8-11. being and working. Q. 7. What are the chief attributes of his being? A. Eternity, Deut. 33: 27; Ps. 93: 2; Isa. 57: 15; Rev. 1: 11. infiniteness, l Kings 8: 27; Ps. 139: 1-4, 8-10. Simplicity or purity, Exod. 3: 14. Some of these attributes belong so unto God, as that they are in no sort to be ascribed to any else, - as infiniteness, eternity, &c. Others are after a sort attributed to some of his creatures, in that he communicates unto them some of the effects of them in himself; - as life, goodness, &c. The first of these are motives to humble adoration, fear, self-abhorrency; the other, to faith, hope, love, and confidence, through Jesus Christ. all-sufficiency, Gen. 17: l; Ps. 135: 4-6. Perfectness, Job 11: 7-9; Rom. 11: 33-36. immutability, Mal. 3: 6; James 1: 17. life, Judges viii 19; 1 Sam. 25: 34; 2 Kings iii 14; Ezek. 14: 16, 16: 48; Matt. 16: 16; Acts 14: 15; 1 Thess. 1: 9. will, Dan. 4: 35; Isa. 46: 10; Eph. 1: 5, 11; James 1: 18. and understanding. Ps. 7: 8, 139: 2, 147: 4; Jer. 11: 20; Heb. 4: 13. Q. 8. What are the attributes which usually are ascribed to him in his works, or the acts of his will? A. Goodness, Ps. 119: 68; Matt. 19: 17. power, Exod. 15: 11; Ps. 62: 11; Rev. 19: 1. Nothing is to be ascribed unto God, nor imagined of him, but what is exactly agreeable to those his glorious properties These last are no less essential unto God than the former - only we thus distinguish them, because these are chiefly seen in his works. justice, Zeph. 3: 5; Ps. 11: 7; Jer. 12: l; Rom. 1: 32. mercy, Ps. 130: 7; Rom. 9: 15; Eph. 2: 4. holiness, Exod. 15: 11; Josh. 24: 19. wisdom, Hab. 1: 13; Rev. 4: 8. and the like; which he Rom. 11: 33, 16: 27. delighteth to exercise towards his creatures, for the praise of his glory. Chap. 3 - Of the Holy Trinity. Q. 1. Is there but one God to whom these properties do belong? A. One only, in respect of his Deut. 6: 4; Matt. 19: 17; Eph essence and being, 4: 5, 6. but one in three distinct Gen. 1: 26; 1 John 5: 7; persons, of Father, Son, and Matt. 28: 19. Holy Ghost. Q. 2. What mean you by person? A. A distinct manner of John 5: 17; Heb. 1: 3. subsistence or being, This is that mysterious ark distinguished from the other that must not be pried into, persons by its own nor the least tittle spoken properties. about it, wherein plain Scripture goes not before. To deny the Deity of any one person, is in effect to deny the whole Godhead for whosoever has not the Son, has not the Father. This only doctrine remained undefiled in the Papacy. Q. 3. What is the distinguishing property of the person of the Father? A. To be of himself only the John 5: 26, 27; Eph. 1: 3. fountain of the Godhead. Q. 4. What is the property of the Son? A. To be begotten of his Father Ps. 2: 7; John 1: 14, 3: 16. from eternity. Q. 5. What of the Holy ghost? A. To proceed from the Father John 14: 17, 16: 14, 15: 26, and the Son. 20: 22. Q. 6. Are these three one? A. One every way, in nature, John 10: 30; Rom. 3: 30. will, and essential properties, distinguished only in their John 15: 26; 1 John 5: 7. personal manner of subsistence. Q. 7. Can we conceive these things as they are in themselves? A. Neither we 1 Tim. 6: 16. nor yet the angels of heaven Isa. 6: 2, 3. are at all able to dive into We must labour to make out these secrets, as they are comfort from the proper work internally God; of every person towards us. but in respect of the outward Col. 1: 11-14. dispensation of themselves to us by creation, redemption, and sanctification, a knowledge may be attained of these things, saving and heavenly. Chap. 4. - Of the Works of God; and, First, of those that are Internal and Immanent. Q. 1. What do the Scriptures teach concerning the works of God? A. That they are of two sorts; Acts 15: 18; Prov. 16: 4. first, internal, in his The purposes and decrees of counsel, decrees, and God, so far as by him purposes, towards his revealed, are objects of our creatures; secondly, faith, and full of comfort. external, in his works over and about them, to the praise of his own glory. Q. 2. What are the decrees of God? A. Eternal, Mic. 5: 2; Eph. 3: 9-11; Acts 15: 18. unchangeable Isa. 14: 24, 46: 10; Rom. 9: 11; 2 Tim. 2: 19. purposes of his will, Farther reasons of Gods concerning the being and decrees than his own will, well-being of his creatures. not to be inquired after. The changes in the scripture ascribed unto God are only in the outward dispensations and works, variously tending to one infallible event, by him proposed. The Armenians' blasphemy, in saying God sometimes fails of his purposes. Q. 3. Concerning which of his creatures chiefly are his decrees to be considered? A. Angels and men, for whom 1 Tim. 5: 21; Jude 6. other things were ordained. Q. 4. What are the decrees of God concerning men? A. Election and reprobation. Rom. 9: 11-13. Q. 5. What is the decree of election? A. The eternal, Eph. 1: 4; Acts 13: 48; Rom. 8: 29, 30. free, Matt. 11: 26. immutable purpose of God, 2 Tim. 2: 19. The decree of election is the fountain of all spiritual graces, for they are bestowed only on the elect. In nothing does natural corruption more exalt itself against God, than in opposing the freedom of his grace in his eternal decrees. whereby in Jesus Christ he Eph 1: 4, 5; Matt. 22: 14. chooseth unto himself whom he pleaseth out of whole mankind, Rom. 9: 18-21. determining to bestow upon John 6: 37, 17: 6, 9, 11, 24. them, for his sake, grace From the execration of these here, and everlasting decrees flows that variety happiness hereafter, for the and difference we see in the praise of his glory, by the dispensation of the means Of way of mercy. grace, - God sending the Gospel where he has a remnant according to election. Q. 6. Doth any thing in us move the Lord thus to choose us from amongst others? A. No, in no wise; we are in the Rom. 9: 11, 12; Matt. 11: 25; same lump with others 1 Cor. 4: 7; 2 Tim. 1: 9. rejected when separated by his undeserved grace. Q. 7. What is the decree of reprobation? A. The eternal purpose of God to Rom. 9: 11, 12, 21, 22; Prov. suffer many to sin, leave 16: 4; Matt. 11: 25, 26; 2 them in their sin, and not Pet. 2: 12; Jude 4. giving them to Christ, to punish them for their sin. Chap. 5. - Of the Works of God that outwardly are of Him. Q. 1. What are the works of God that outwardly respect his creatures? A. First, of creation; secondly, Ps. 33: 9; Heb. 1: 2, 3. of actual providence. The very outward works of God are sufficient to convince men of his eternal power and Godhead, and to leave them inexcusable, if they serve him not. Q. 2. What is the work of creation? A. An act or work of God's Gen. 1: l; Exod. 20: 11; almighty power, whereby of Prov. 16: 4. nothing, in six days, he created heaven, earth, and the sea, with all things in them contained. Q. 3. Wherefore did God make man? A. For his own glory in his Gen. 1: 26, 27, 2: 16, 17; service and obedience. Rom. 9: 23. The glory of God is to be preferred above our own either being or well-being, as the supreme end of then. The approaching unto God in his service is the chief exaltation of one nature above the beasts that perish. Q. 4. Was man able to yield the service and worship that God required of him? A. Yea, to the uttermost, being Gen. 1: 26; Eccles. 7: 29; created upright in the image Eph. 4: 24; Col. 3: 10. of God, in purity, innocence, righteousness, and holiness. Q. 5. What was the rule whereby man was at first to be directed in his obedience? A. The moral or eternal law of Gen. 2: 15-17; Rom. 2: 14, God, implanted in his nature 15; Eph. 4: 24. and written in his heart by God never allowed, from the creation, being the tenor of beginning, that the will of the covenant between God and the creature should be the him, sacramentally typified measure of his worship nod by the tree of knowledge of honour. good and evil. Q. 6. Do we stand in the same covenant still, and have we the same power to yield obedience unto God? A. No; the covenant was broken Gen. 3: 16-18; Gal. 3: 10,11, by the sin of Adam, with whom 21; Heb. 7: 19, 8: 13. it was made, Though we have all lost our right unto the promise of the first covenant, yet all not restored by Christ are under the commination and curse thereof. our nature corrupted, Job 14: 4; Ps. 51: 5. and all power to do good Gen. 6: 5; Jer. 13: 23. utterly lost. Chap. 6. - Of God's actual Providence. Q. 1. What is God's actual providence? A. The effectual working of his Exod. 4: 11; Job 5: 10-12, 9: power, and almighty act of 5, 6; Ps. 147: 4; Prov. 15: his will, whereby he 3; Isa. 45: 6, 7; John 5: 17; sustaineth, governeth, and Acts 17: 28; Heb. 1: 3. disposeth of all things, men To this providence is to be and their actions, to the ascribed all the good we do ends which he has ordained enjoy, and all the for them. afflictions we undergo. Fortune, chance, and the like, are names without things, scarce fit to be used among Christians, seeing Providence certainly ruleth all to appointed ends. No free-will in man exempted either from the eternal decree or the overruling providence of God. Q.2. How is this providence exercised towards mankind? A. Two ways; first, peculiarly Deut. 32: 10; Ps. 17: 8; towards his church, or elect, Zech. 2: 8; Matt. 16: 18, 19: in their generations, for 2, 29; 1 Pet. 5: 7. whom are all things; secondly, towards all in a Gen. 9: 5; Ps. 75: 6, 7; Isa. general manner, yet with 45: 6, 7; Matt. 5: 45. various and divers dispensations. Q. 3. Wherein chiefly consists the outward providence of God towards his church? A. In three things; - first, in Matt. 6: 31-33; Rom. 8: 28; 1 causing and things to work Tim. 6: 17; 2 Pet. 1: 3. together for their good; Though the dispensations of God's providence towards his people be various, yet every issue and act of it tends to one certain end, - their good in his glory. secondly, in ruling and Ps. 105: 14,15; Isa. 44: 28; disposing of kingdoms, Dan. 2: 44; Rom. 9: 17. nations, and persons, for their benefit; thirdly, in avenging them of Isa. 60: 12; Zech. 12: 2-5; their adversaries. Luke 17: 7; Rev. 17: 14. Q. 4. Does God rule also in and over the sinful actions of wicked men? A. Yea, he willingly (according 2 Sam. 12: 11, 16: 10; 1 to his determinate counsel) Kings 11: 31, 22: 22; Job 1: suffereth them to be, for the 21; Prov. 22: 14; Isa. 10: 6, manifestation of his glory, 7; Ezek. 21: 19-21; Amos 7: and by them effecteth his own 17; Acts 4: 27, 28; Rom. 1: righteous ends. 24, 9: 22; 1 Pet. 2: 8; Rev. 17: 17. Almighty God allows how in bring light out of darkness, good out of evil, the salvation of his elect out of Judas's treachery, the Jews' cruelty, and Pilate's injustice. John Owen, Two Short Catechisms (continued in file 3...) --------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/epl-09: owcat-2.txt .