Of fin,
An Expofition of the Affembly's Catechism.
Q. 3. Howdid God leave him to abuſe the freedom ofhis will?
A. Not by inclining him to abuſe it; butby with-holding that further gracewhich he was nowayobliged to continue to him.
Q. 4. Did the will ofman loſe its liberty to good, bythe fall?
A. Yes, it did, and is ſo wounded, that it cannot, without thypreventing andregenerating grace, putforthone ſpiritualand
faving act ; Eph. ii. 8, 9, 10. For by grace are ye faved, through faith, and that not ofyourſelves ; it is the gift ofGod, not of works, leaſt any man ſhouldboast; for we are his workmanſhip, created in Chriſt Jeſus unto good works, &c.
Q. 5. What was the aggravation ofAdam's fin ?
A. Itwas aggravated in his being a public innocent perſon, ſo newly placed in a state of happineſs and liberty.
Q. 6. What is the firſt inference from the fall ?
A. That the beſt creature left to himself, cannot be long fafe ; as the angels, and Adam; Pfal. xlix. 12. Nevertheleſs, man being in honour abideth not; he is like the beafts that perish.
Q. 7. What is the ſecond inference ?
A. That fince man could not be his own keeper, he can be much leſs his own ſaviour ; 2 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are fufficient of ourſelves to think any thing as of ourſelves ; but our fufficiency is ofGod.
Q. 8 What is the third inference ?
A. That it is impoffible for the covenant ofworks tojustify any one ; Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there ſhall no fleſh be justified in his fight ; Rom. viii. 3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak, through the fleſh ; God fending his own Son, in the likeness offinful flesh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh .
Q. 9. What is the laſt inference ?
A. What cauſe have we to bleſs God for Chrift, who re.. covered us when the fall left us helpless ? Rom. v. 6. For when we wereyet without ſtrength, indue time Chrift died for the ungodly.
Queft. 14.W Of Sin.
Hat is fin ?
A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or tranfgreffion of the law of God.
Q. 1. What is meant by the law ?
A. Thecommandsand rules flowingfromGod'sfovereignty, :
An Expofition of the Affembly's Catechism.
whereby his will is manifeſted, and the creature bound to obedience.
Q. 2. Where is this lawwritten ?
A. It is written either in the heart ; Rom. ii. 15. Which ſhews the work of the law written in their hearts, (which we call the law of nature) ; or in the Bible, which we call the written moral law.
Q. 3. What conformityisdue to this law ofGod?
A. A twofold conformity is due to it : First, Internal, in our hearts. Secondly, External, in our lives ; and the want of either is fin ; 1 John iii. 4.
Whosoever committeth fin, tranfgreffeth alſo the law ; for fin is the tranfgreffion of the law.
Q4. How doth itappear thatthe want of internalconformity is fin?
A. Becauſe thelawrequiresit ; Mark xii. 30. Andthou shalt love the Lord thyGod with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, and with allthy mind, and with allthy ſtrength ; for this is the first commandment : And condemns the want of it ?
Rom . vii. 7. What ſhall we say then ? Is the law fin ? God forbid ! nay, Ihad notknown fin but bythelaw ; for I had not known luft, except the law had faid, Thou shalt not covet.
Q. 5. Is nothing a finbutwhat is againſt God's law ?
A. No, nothing can be a fin but what God hath either exprefly, orby conſequence forbidden in his word.
Q. 6. Wherein liesthe evil oftranfgreffing God's law ?
A. The evil of fin principally lies inthe offence and wrong done to God, whoſe ſovereignty it labours to shake off, and deſpiſes his will ; Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight .
Q. 7. What further evil is in fin ?
A. It highly wrongs the finner's foul, by defacing, defiling, and damning it ; Prov. viii. 36. But he that finneth against me, wrongeth his own soul : allthey that hateme, love death.
Q. 8. Wherein is the evil of fin manifeſted ?
A. It is manifefted in the death of Chriſt, the terrors of confcience, and torments ofhell.
Q. 9. What courſe must the finner take to recover himſelf out ofhis mifery?
A. Repentance towards God, faith towards Chrift, andboth evidenced by new obedience ; Acts xx. 21. Teſtifying both to the Jews, and alfo to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Chriſt .
Q.ro. What may we infer from hence ?
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechifm.
A. Thatwe have infinite cauſe to bleſsGod for Chrift's fatisfaction ofthe law for our fins.
Of the Tree of Knowledge.
W Hatwas the ſinwherebyourfirſt parents fell Queſt. 15. from the eſtatewherein theywere created?
A. The fin whereby ourfirst parentsfell from the estate wherein they were created,was their eating theforbiddenfruit.
Q. 1. Whywas this tree calledthetree ofknowledge ?
A. Not from any natural efficacy it had to give knowledge, but the knowledge he shouldhave by eating, or not eating, was experimental knowledge. i. e. Knowledge to hisforrow.
Q.2 WhydidGod forbid himthis tree?
SeA. First, Forthediſcovery of hisdominion over man . condly, For the trial ofhis ſubjection and obedience.
Thirdly, For the aggravation of his fin, ifhe ſhould eat.
Q. 3. What evil was there in eating ofit?
A. There was a twofold evil, the evilof fin, and the evil of punishment, bothvery great.'
Q. 4. What was the evil of fin ?
A. Athreefold evilof fin.
First, AgainstGod, calleddifobedience'; Rom. v. 19. For as by one man's diſobedience many were made ſinners.
Secondly, Against himself, ſoul, body, and eſtate.
Thirdly, Against his pofterity ; Rom.v.
12. Wherefore asby one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin ; and ſo death paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned.; Q.5. Whatwas the evil ofpunishment ?
A. First, Lofs ofGod's image.
Secondly, Horror of conſcience.
Thirdly, Sorrow on the female fex.
Fourthly, Curle on the creature.
Fifthly, Expulfion from paradise.
Sixthly, Deathboth ofbody and foul.
Q. 6. What is the firſt inſtruction from it ?
A. To take heed of ſmall beginnings of temptations, and to refift it in the firſt motions ; James iii. 5. Beholdhow great amatter a little fire kindleth.
Q. 7. What is the ſecond inference ?
A. Not to hold a parlywith the tempter; ſee2Cor. xi. 3.
But I fear left by any means, as the ſepent beguiled Eve, through his fubtilty, ſo your minds ſhouldbe corruptedfrom the fimplicitythat is inChrift.
Q. 8. What is the third inference?
A. That Satan's policy lies much in the choice ofhis tempting inſtruments; asEve and Peter, &c.
An Expoſition of the Aſſembly's Catechism.
Q. 9. What is the fourth inference ?
A.Aneceffity ofkeeping ſtrong guards on our ſenſes ; Ifa. xxxiii. 15. That ſtoppeth his ears from hearing ofblood, and ſhutteth his eyes from ſeeing evil, he ſhall dwellonhigh, his place ofdefence ſhall be themunition ofrocks.
Q. 10. What is the fifth inference ?
A. That covenant-breaking is a heinous ſin, whichGod will puniſh ; Hofea viii. 1. He ſhallcome as aneagle againft thehouſe of the Lord, becauſethey havetranfgreffedmyco. venant, and tranſgreſſed againstmylaws.
Q. 11. What is the laſt inference ?
A. Thatthecorruption ofour nature is much ſeen indefiring forbidden things ; Rom. vii. 7. What ſhall we say then?
Is the law fin ? God forbid: Nay, I had not known fin, but by the law ; for Ihad not known luſt, except the lawhadfaid,
Thou shalt not covet.
Of the Fall ofAdam, and ours in him.
D ID all mankind fall in Adam's first tranfQueſt. 16. greffion ?
A.Thecovenant being madewithAdam, not onlyfor himself, but for his posterity, all mankind defcending from him by ordinary generation,finned in him, andfellwith him inhisfirst tranfgreffion.
Q. 1. Didnoman evereſcapethe fin ofAdam ?
A. Yes, the man Chriſt Jeſus did, and he only; Heb. vii.
26. For fuch an High Priest became us,who is holy, harmleſs, undefiled, ſeparate from finners.
Q. 2. Why was not Chriſt tainted with it ?
A. Becauſehe came into the world in an extraordinaryway; Matth. i. 18. Now the birth ofJesus Chriſt was on this wife :
When as his Mother Marywas eſpouſedtoJoſeph,beforethey cametogether, ſhewas foundwith childof the holyGhoft.
Q. 3. How doth it appear all others are tainted with it ?
A. It appears by ſcripture-teſtimony, Rom. v. 12. Wherefore as by one man finentered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death paſſed upon all men, for that all have finned ; and experience of the beſt men, Rom. vii. 21. I find thenalaw, that when I would do good, evil is preſentwith me.
Q. 4. How came allmen to fallwith Adam ?
A. Becauſe all were includedin Adam's covenant, asa man's covenant includes his children before they be born, or the freaſon ofthe father affects his pofterity.
Q. 5. What inferyou fromhence ?
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechism.
A. The ſtupendous wifdom ofGodinfending Chrift in our nature, and yet without the ſin and taint ofit ; 1 Cor. i. 24.
Chrift the wisdom of God.
Q. 6. What is the ſecond inference ?
A. Hence we learnthe admirable love of Christ in taking our nature, with allthe finleſs infirmities thereof; Rom . viii.
3. For whatthe law could not do, in thatitwas weakthrough the flesh, God fending his own Son in the likeneſs offinful fleſh, and for fin condemned fin in the flesh .
Q. 7. What is the third inference ?
A. The neceffity ofourunion with Chriſt, in order toour participation ofhis righteouſneſs andredemption ; 1 Cor. xv.
22. For as inAdam all die, ſo in Chriſt ſhall allbe made alive.
Q. 8. What is the fourth inference ?
A. Hence we learn the malignant and mortal nature of fin, inasmuch as one findefiled and destroyed awhole world.
Q. 9. What is the fifth inference ?
A. Thatthough allbe not equally ſenſible oftheir need, yet one finner needs Chriſt as much as another.
Q. 10. What is the laſt inference ?
A. That no man hath any cauſe or reaſon toboast ofthe goodness of his nature, ſince the beſt were by nature under the fame fin and miſery as the worst ; Eph. ii. 3. Among whom alſo we all had our converſation intimes paſt, in the luſts of our fleſh, fulfilling the defires ofthe flesh, and of the mind, andwere by nature thechildren ofwrath even as others.
OfOriginal Sin.
Nto what eſtate did the fall bring mankind ?
Queſt. 17. I finandmisery.
A. Thefall brought mankind into an W eftate of Herein confifts the finfulness of that eſtate
Queſt. 18 . whereinto man fell ?
A. Thefinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, confifts in the guilt ofAdam'sfirstfin, the want oforiginal righteousness, and the corruption of his wholenature, which is commonly called originalfin,together with allactual tranfgreffions which proceed from it.
Q. 1. How many forts of fin are allmenunder ?
A. Allmen are guilty before God oftwo forts of fin ; of original, and of actual ; Pfal. li. 5. Behold, I was ſhapen in iniquity, and infin didmy mother conceive me. Ecclef. vii.
20. For there is not ajuſtman upon earth, that doth good, and finnethnot.
An Exposition of the Affembly's Catechism.
Q. 2. How can we be guilty ofAdam's firſt fin ?
A. We are guiltyofit, becauſeAdam finned not only as a ſingle, but alfo as a public perſon, and repreſentative of all mankind : Rom. v. 15, 16, 17. Butnot as the offence, ſo alſo is the free gift : for ifthrough the offence ofone, many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by oneman, Jeſus Chriſt, hath abounded untomany :
And not as it was by one that finned, ſo is the gift ; for the judgmentwas by one to condemnation.
Q. 3. How elſe came we under his guilt ?
A. We are guiltyof his fin by generation ; for wewere in his loins, as treaſon ſtains the blood of the poſterity, or parents leprofy the children ; Pfalm li. 5. Behold, I was ſhapen in iniquity, and in fin didmy mother conceiveme.
Q. 4. Wherein doth it confift ?
A. Itconſiſts in two things.
First, In our averſation and enmity to thatwhich is good ; Rom. vii. 18. In me, that is, in my fleſh, there dwelleth no good thing.
Secondly, In proneneſs tothat which is evil ; Rom. vii. 14. But I am carnal, fold under fin.
Q. 5. Is this corruption ofnaturein allmen ?
A. Yes ; in all mere men, andwomen, none exempted; Rom. iii. 10. and 23. As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one, for all have finned, and come ſhort of the glory ofGod.
Q. 6. In what part of our nature doththis fin abide ?
A. Itabides in the whole man, in every part ofman,both foul and body ; Gen. vi. 5. God faw that the wickedneſs of manwas great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
1 Thef. v.
23. Now the God ofpeace ſanctify you wholly ; and I pray Godyour whole ſpirit, andfoul, andbody, be preferved blameleſs unto the comingof our Lord Jeſus Chrift.
Q. 7. How is the body infected by it ?
A. In the readineſs of the bodily members to further fin, and its temptations inthe foul ; Rom. iii. 13, 14, 15. Their throat is anopen fepulchre, with their tongues they have uſed deceit,the poiſon ofafps is under their lips, whoſe mouth is full of curfing and bitterneſs, their feet are ſwift to ſhed blood.
Q8 . What learnwe from original fin ?
A. To bear patiently the miſeries we fee on our children, and their death alfo without murmuring ; Rom. v. 14. Nevertheleſs death reigned fromAdam to Mofes, even over ther