The Larger Catechism – Questions 11-20
Q. 11. How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy
Ghost are God equal with the Father?
A. The scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy
Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto them such namesa,
attributesb, worksc, and worshipd, as are
proper to God only.
a Isa.6:3,5,8 compared with John
12:41
and with Acts 28:25; 1 John
5:20
; Acts 5:3,4 b
John 1:1; Isa.9:6; John 2:24,25; 1 Cor.2:10,11 c Col.1:16; Gen 1:2 d
Matt.28:19; 2 Cor.13:14
Q. 12. What are the decrees of God?
A. God's decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts
of the counsel of his willa, whereby, from all eternity, he hath,
for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in timeb,
especially concerning angels and men.
a Eph.1:11; Rom.11:33; Rom.9:14,15,18 b
Eph.1:4,11; Rom.9:22,23; Ps.33:11
Q. 13. What hath God especially decreed concerning
angels and men?
A. God, by an eternal and immutable decree, out of
his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace, to be manifested in due
time, hath elected some angels to glorya; and in Christ hath chosen
some men to eternal life, and the means thereofb: and also,
according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own
will, (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favour as he pleaseth,) hath passed
by and foreordained the rest to dishonour and wrath, to be for their sin
inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justicec.
a 1 Tim.5:21 b Eph.1:4-6; 2
Thess.2:13,14 c Rom.9:17,18,21,22; Matt.11:25,26; 2 Tim.2:20; Jude 4; 1
Pet.2:8
Q. 14. How doth God execute his decrees?
A. God executeth his decrees in the works of
creation and providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the
free and immutable counsel of his own willa.
a Eph.1:11
Q. 15. What is the work of creation?
A. The work of creation is that wherein God did in
the beginning, by the word of his power, make of nothing the world, and all
things therein, for himself, within the space of six days, and all very gooda.
a Gen.1; Heb.11:3; Prov.16:4
Q. 16. How did God create angels?
A. God created all the angelsa spiritsb,
immortalc, holyd, excelling in knowledgee,
mighty in powerf, to execute his commandments, and to praise his
nameg, yet subject to changeh.
a Col.1:16 b Ps.104:4 c
Matt.22:30 d Matt.25:31 e 2 Sam.14:17; Matt.24:36 f 2
Thess.1:7 g Ps.103:20,21 h 2 Pet.2:4
Q. 17. How did God create man?
A. After God had made all other creatures, he
created man male and femalea; formed the body of the man of the
dust of the groundb, and the woman of the rib of the manc,
endued them with living, reasonable, and immortal soulsd; made them
after his own imagee, in knowledgef, righteousness, and
holinessg; having the law of God written in their heartsh,
and power to fulfil iti, and dominion over the creatures; yet
subject to fallk.
a Gen.1:27 b Gen.2:7 c Gen.2:7
compared with Job 35:11 and with Eccl.12:7 and with Matt.10:28 and with Luke
23:43
d Gen.1:27 e Col.3:10 f Eph.4:24 g
Rom.2:14,15 h Eccl.7:29 i Gen.1:28 k Gen.3:6; Eccl.7:29
Q. 18. What are God's works of providence?
A. God's works of providence are his most holya,
wiseb, and powerful preservingc and governingd
all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actionse, to his
own gloryf.
a Ps.145:17 b Ps.104:24; Isa.28:29 c
Heb.1:3 d Ps.103:19 e Matt.10:29-31; Gen.45:7 f
Rom.11:36; Isa.63:14
Q. 19. What is God's providence towards the angels?
A. God by his providence permitted some of the
angels, wilfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnationa,
limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own gloryb;
and established the rest in holiness and happinessc; employing them
alld, at his pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy,
and justicee.
a Jude 6; 2 Pet.2:4; Heb.2:16; John 8:44 b
Job 1:12; Matt.8:31 c 1 Tim.5:21; Mark 8:38; Heb.12:22 d
Ps.104:4 e 2 Kings 19:35; Heb.1:14
Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in
the estate in which he was created?
A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in
which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress
it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the eartha; putting
the creatures under his dominionb, and ordaining marriage for his
helpc; affording him communion with himselfd;
instituting the Sabbathe; entering into a covenant of life with
him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obediencef,
of which the tree of life was a pledgeg; and forbidding to eat of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of deathh.
a Gen.2:8,15,16 b Gen.1:28 c
Gen.2:18 d Gen.1:26-29; Gen.3:8 e Gen.2:3 f Gal.3:12;
Rom.10:5 g Gen.2:9 h Gen.2:17
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