The Larger Catechism – Questions 141-150
Q. 141. What are the duties
required in the eighth commandment?
A. The duties required in the eighth commandment
are, truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man
and mana; rendering to every one his dueb; restitution
of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereofc; giving
and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of othersd;
moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning worldly goodse;
a provident care and study to getf, keep, use, and dispose these
things which are necessary and convenient for the sustentation of our nature,
and suitable to our conditiong; a lawful callingh, and
diligence in iti; frugalityk, avoiding unnecessary law-suitsl,
and suretiship, or other like engagementsm; and an endeavour, by
all just and lawful means, to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and
outward estate of others, as well as our ownn.
a Ps.15:2,4; Zech.7:4,10; Zech.8:16,17 b
Rom.13:7 c Lev.6:2-5 compared with Luke 19:8 d Luke 6:30,38; 1
John 3:17; Eph.4:28; Gal.6:10 e 1 Tim.6:6-9; Gal.6:14 f 1
Tim.5:8 g Prov.27:23-27; Eccl.2:24; Eccl.3:12,13; 1 Tim.6:17,18;
Isa.38:1; Matt.11:8 h 1 Cor.7:20; Gen.2:15; Gen.3:19 i Eph.4:28;
Prov.10:4 k John 6:12; Prov.21:20 l 1 Cor.6:1-9m Prov.6:1-6;
Prov.11:15 n Lev.25:35; Deut.22:1-4; Exod.23:4,5; Gen.47:14,20;
Phil.2:4; Matt.22:39
Q. 142. What are the sins
forbidden in the eighth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment,
besides the neglect of the duties requireda, are, theftb,
robberyc, man-stealingd, and receiving any thing that is
stolene; fraudulent dealingf, false weights and measuresg,
removing land-marksh, injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts
between man and mani, or in matters of trustk;
oppressionl, extortionm, usuryn, briberyo,
vexatious law-suitsp, unjust inclosures and depopulationsq;
ingrossing commodities to enhance the pricer; unlawful callingss,
and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our
neighbour what belongs to him, or of enriching ourselvest;
covetousnessu; inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goodsx;
distrustful and distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping, and using
themy; envying at the prosperity of othersz; as likewise
idlenessa, prodigality, wasteful gaming; and all other ways whereby
we do unduly prejudice our own outward estateb, and defrauding
ourselves of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given usc.
a James 2:15,16; 1 John 3:17 b Eph.4:28
c Ps.62:10 d 1 Tim.1:10 e Prov.29:24; Ps.50:18 f 1
Thess.4:6 g Prov.20:10 h Deut.19:14; Prov.23:10 i Amos
8:5; Ps.37:21 k Luke 16:10-12 l Ezek.22:29; Lev.25:17 m
Matt.23:25; Ezek.22:12 n Ps.15:5 o Job 15:34 p 1
Cor.6:6-8; Prov.3:29,30 q Isa.5:8; Micah 2:2 r Prov.11:26 s
Acts 19:19,24,25 t Job 20:19; James 5:4; Prov.21:6 u Luke 12:15 x
1 Tim.6:5; Col.3:2; Prov.23:5; Ps.62:10 y Matt.6:25,31,34; Eccl.5:12 z
Ps.73:3; Ps.37:1,7 a 2 Thess.3:11; Prov.18:9 b Prov. 23:21:17;
Prov.23:20,21; Prov.28:19c Eccl.4:8; Eccl.6:2; 1 Tim.5:8
Q. 143. Which is the ninth
commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neighboura.
a Exod.20:16
Q. 144. What are the duties
required in the ninth commandment?
A. The duties required in the ninth commandment are,
the preserving and promoting of truth between man and mana, and the
good name of our neighbour, as well as our ownb; appearing and
standing for the truthc; and from the heartd, sincerelye,
freelyf, clearlyg, and fullyh, speaking the
truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justicei, and
in all other things whatsoeverk; a charitable esteem of our
neighboursl; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good namem;
sorrowing forn, and covering of their infirmitieso;
freely acknowledging of their gifts and gracesp, defending their
innocencyq; a ready receiving of a good reportr, and
unwillingness to admit of an evil reports, concerning them;
discouraging tale-bearerst, flatterersu, and slanderersx;
love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requirethy;
keeping of lawful promisesz; studying and practising of whatsoever
things are true, honest, lovely, and of good reporta.
a Zech.8:16 b 3 John 12 c
Prov.31:8,9 d Ps.15:2 e 2 Chron.19:9 f 1 Sam.19:4,5 g
Josh.7:19 h 2 Sam.14:18-20 i Lev.19:15; Prov.14:5,25 k 2
Cor.1:17,18; Eph.4:25 l Heb.6:9; 1 Cor.13:7 m Rom.1:8; 2 John 4;
3 John 3,4 n 2 Cor.2:4; 2 Cor.12:21 o Prov.17:9; 1 Pet.4:8 p
1 Cor.1:4,5,7; 2 Tim.1:4,5 q 1 Sam. 22:14 r 1 Cor.13:6,7 s
Ps.15:3 t Prov.25:23 u Prov.26:24,25 x Ps.101:5 y
Prov.22:1; John 8:49 z Ps.15:4 a Phil.4:8
Q. 145. What are the sins
forbidden in the ninth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are,
all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbours, as well as our
owna, especially in public judicatureb; giving false
evidencec, suborning false witnessesd, wittingly
appearing and pleading for an evil cause, out-facing and over-bearing the
truthe; passing unjust sentencef, calling evil good, and
good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and
the righteous according to the work of the wickedg; forgeryh,
concealing the truth, undue silence in a just causei, and holding
our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselvesk,
or complaint to othersl; speaking the truth unseasonablym,
or maliciously to a wrong endn, or perverting it to a wrong meaningo,
or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justicep;
speaking untruthq, lyingr, slanderings,
backbitingt, detractingu, tale-bearingx,
whisperingy, scoffingz, revilinga, rashb,
harshc, and partial censuringd; misconstructing
intentions, words, and actionse; flatteringf,
vain-glorious boastingg, thinking or speaking too highly or too
meanly of ourselves or othersh, denying the gifts and graces of Godi;
aggravating smaller faultsk; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of
sins, when called to a free confessionl; unnecessary discovering of
infirmitiesm; raising false rumoursn, receiving and
countenancing evil reportso, and stopping our ears against just
defencep; evil suspicionq; envying or grieving at the
deserved credit of anyr, endeavouring or desiring to impair its,
rejoicing in their disgrace and infamyt; scornful contemptu,
fond admirationx; breach of lawful promisesy; neglecting
such things as are of good reportz, and practising, or not avoiding
ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an
ill namea.
a 1 Sam.17:28; 2 Sam.16:3; 2 Sam.1:9,10,15,16 b
Lev.19:15; Hab.1:4 c Prov.19:5; Prov.6:16,19 d Acts 6:13 e
Jer.9:3,5; Acts 24:2,5; Ps.12:3,4; Ps.52:1-4 f Prov.17:15; 1 Kings
21:9-14 g Isa.5:23 h Ps.119:69; Luke 19:8; Luke 16:5-7 i
Lev.5:1; Deut.13:8; Acts 5:3,8,9; 2 Tim.4:6 k 1 Kings 1:6; Lev.19:17 l
Isa.59:4 m Prov.29:11 n 1 Sam.22:9,10 compared with
Ps.52:title,1-5 o Ps.56:5; John 2:19 compared with Matt.26:60,61 p
Gen.26:7,9 q Isa.59:13 r Lev.19:11; Col.3:9 s Ps.50:20 t
Ps.15:3 u James 4:11; Jer.38:4 x Lev.19:16 y Rom.1:29,30 z
Gen.21:9 compared with Gal.4:29 a 1 Cor.6:10 b Matt.7:1 c
Acts 28:4 d Gen.38:24; Rom.2:1 e Neh.6:6-8; Rom.3:8; Ps.69:10; 1
Sam.1:13-15; 2 Sam.10:3 f Ps.12:2,3 g 2 Tim.3:2 h Luke
18:9,11; Rom.12:16; 1 Cor.4:6; Acts 12:22; Exod.4:10-14 i Job 27:5,6;
Job 4:6 k Matt.7:3-5 l Prov.28:13; Prov.30:20; Gen.3:12,13;
Jer.2:35; 2 Kings 5:25; Gen.4:9 m Gen.9:22; Prov.25:9,10 n
Exod.23:1 o Prov.29:12 p Acts 7:56,57; Job 31:13,14 q 1
Cor.13:5; 1 Tim.6:4 r Num.11:29; Matt.21:15 s Ezra 4:12,13 t
Jer.48:27 u Ps.35:15,16,21; Matt.27:28,29 x Jude 16; Acts 12:22 y
Rom.1:31; 2 Tim.3:3 z 1 Sam.2:24 a 2 Sam.13:12,13; Prov.5:8,9;
Prov.6:33
Q. 146. Which is the tenth
commandment?
A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his
man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that
is thy neighbour'sa.
a Exod.20:17
Q. 147. What are the duties
required in the tenth commandment?
A. The duties required in the tenth commandment are,
such a full contentment with our own conditiona, and such a
charitable frame of the whole soul toward our neighbour, as that all our
inward motions and affections touching him, tend unto, and further all that
good which is hisb.
a Heb.13:5; 1 Tim.6:6 b Job 31:29;
Rom.12:15; Ps.122:7-9; 1 Tim.1:5; Esth.10:3; 1 Cor.13:4-7
Q. 148. What are the sins
forbidden in the tenth commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the tenth commandment are,
discontentment with our own estatea; envyingb and
grieving at the good of our neighbourc, together with all
inordinate motions and affections to any thing that is hisd.
a 1 Kings 21:4; Esth.5:13; 1 Cor.10:10 b
Gal.5:26; James 3:14 ,16 c Ps.112:9,10; Neh.2:10 d Rom.7:7,8; Rom.13:9;
Col.3:5; Deut.5:21
Q. 149. Is any man able
perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No man is able, either of himselfa, or
by any grace received in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of Godb;
but doth daily break them in thoughtc, word, and deedd.
a James 3:2; John 15:5; Rom.8:3 b
Eccl.7:20; 1 John 1:8,10; Gal.5:17; Rom.7:18,19 c Gen.6:5; Gen.8:21 d
Rom.3:9-19; James 3:2-13
Q. 150. Are all transgressions of
the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?
A. All transgressions of the law of God are not
equally heinous; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several
aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than othersa.
a John 19:11; Ezek.8:6,13,15; 1 John 5:16;
Ps.78:17,32,56
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