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catechism

An Orthodox Catechism

AOC · 1680 · 152 questions

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By
Hercules Collins
Dates
first published 1680
Tradition
baptist, reformed
Also called
Orthodox Catechism; Collins’s Catechism
Related
The same text as An Orthodox Catechism (modernized, 1680); Expounds Apostles’ Creed; Adapts Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
Follows
An Orthodox Catechism, Being the Sum of Christian Religion, Contained in the Law and Gospel, the first edition, 1680 (London); Wing C5364 · the scan (PDF) , from archive.org
Transcribed
From a source not recordedChecked against the scan: the proofs of questions 14, 25, 34, 41, 53, 114, 133 and 139, by Claude, for cco3, 2026-10-28
License
Public domain
Notes

By Hercules Collins, after the Heidelberg Catechism. Its footnotes were taken from a Google Books copy of the 1680 printing.

Spelling
As printed; modernized in aoc1680-modernized
Download
aoc1680.json · 306 kB

Prefaces and appendices

Contents

Introduction

  1. 1What is thy only comfort in Life and Death?
  2. 2How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou injoying this comfort mayst live and dye happily?
  3. 3Whence knowest thou thy misery?
  4. 4What doth the Law of God require of us?
  5. 5Art thou able to keep all these things perfectly?
  6. 6Did God then make man so wicked and perverse?
  7. 7Whence then ariseth the wickedness of Mans nature?
  8. 8Are we so corrupt that we are not at all apt to do well, and are prone to all vice?
  9. 9Doth not God then Injury to Man who in the Law requireth that of him which he is not able to perform?
  10. 10Doth God leave this stubbornness and falling away of Man unpunished?
  11. 11Is not God therefore merciful?
  12. 12Seeing then by the just Judgment of God we are subject both to temporal and eternal Punishments, is there yet any way or means remaining whereby we may be delivered from these Punishments, and be reconciled to God?
  13. 13Are we able to satisfy by our selves?
  14. 14Is there any creature in Heaven or in Earth, which is only a creature, able to satisfy for us?
  15. 15What manner of Mediatour then, and Deliverer must we seek for?
  16. 16Wherefore is it necessary that he be very Man, and that perfectly just too?
  17. 17Why must he also be very God?
  18. 18And who is that Mediatour which is together both very God, and a very perfectly just Man?
  19. 19Whence knowest thou this?
  20. 20Is then Salvation restored by Christ to all men who perished in Adam?
  21. 21What is Faith?
  22. 22What are those things which are necessary for a Christian man to believe?
  23. 23Into how many parts is this Creed divided?
  24. 24Seing there is but one only substance of God, why namest thou those three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost?
  25. 25What believest thou when thou sayest, I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth?
  26. 26What is the Providence of God?
  27. 27What doth this knowledg of the Creation and Providence of God profit us?
  28. 28Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is, a Saviour?
  29. 29Do they then believe in the only Saviour Jesus, who seek for happiness and safety of the Saints, or of themselves, or else where?
  30. 30Why is he called Christ, that is, anointed?
  31. 31But why art thou called a Christian?
  32. 32For what cause is Christ called the only begotten Son of God, when we also are the Sons of God?
  33. 33Wherefore callest thou him our Lord?
  34. 34What believest thou when thou sayest, He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary?
  35. 35What profit takest thou by Christ’s holy Conception and Nativity?
  36. 36What believest thou when thou sayest he suffered.
  37. 37For what cause should he suffer under Pilate, as being his Judg?
  38. 38But is there any more in it, that he was fastened to the Cross, than if he had suffered any other kind of death?
  39. 39Why was it necessary for Christ to humble himself unto death?
  40. 40To what end was he buried also?
  41. 41But since that Christ died for us, why must we also die?
  42. 42What other commodity receive we by the Death of Christ?
  43. 43Why is there added, he descended into Hell?
  44. 44What doth the Resurrection of Christ profit us?
  45. 45How understand you that he ascended into Heaven?
  46. 46Is not Christ with us then until the end of the World, as he hath promised?
  47. 47Are not by this means the two natures in Christ pulled assunder, if his Humanity be not wheresoever his Divinity is?
  48. 48What Fruit doth the Ascension of Christ into Heaven bring unto us?
  49. 49Why is it further said, he sitteth at the Right-Hand of God?
  50. 50What profit is this Glory of our Head Christ unto us?
  51. 51What Comfort hast thou by the coming of Christ again to judge the quick and the dead?

Of the Holy Ghost

  1. 52What believest thou concerning the Holy Ghost?
  2. 53What believest thou concerning the Holy and Catholick Church of Christ?
  3. 54What mean those words, The Communion of Saints?
  4. 55What believest thou concerning Remission of Sins?
  5. 56What Comfort hast thou by the Resurrection of the Flesh?
  6. 57What Comfort takest thou of the Article of everlasting Life?
  7. 58But when thou believest all these things, what profit redoundeth thence unto thee?
  8. 59How art thou righteous before God?
  9. 60Why affirmest thou that thou art made Righteous by Faith only?
  10. 61Why cannot our good Works be Righteousness, or some part of Righteousness before God?
  11. 62How is it that our good Works merit nothing, seeing God promiseth that he will give a Reward for them both in this Life, and in the Life to come?
  12. 63But doth not this Doctrine make Men careless and profain?

Of the Sacraments

  1. 64Seeing then that only Faith maketh us Partakers of Christ and his Benefits, whence doth it proceed?
  2. 65What are the Sacraments?
  3. 66Doth then both the Word and Sacraments tend to that End, as to lead our Faith unto the Sacrifice of Christ finished on the Cross as to the only ground of our Salvation?
  4. 67How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in the new Testament?
  5. 68What is Baptism?
  6. 69Who are the proper Subjects of this Ordinance?
  7. 70Are no Infants to be baptized?
  8. 71Doth the Scripture any where expressly forbid the Baptizing of Infants?
  9. 72May not the Infant Seed of Believers under the Gospel be baptized as well as the Infant Seed of Abraham under the Law was circumcised?
  10. 73Seeing the Infants of Believers are in the Covenant of Grace with their Parents, as some say, why may not they be baptized under the Gospel, as well as Abrahams Infant Seed was circumcised under the Law?
  11. 74How art thou admonished and assured in Baptism, that thou art Partaker of the only Sacrifice of Christ?
  12. 75What is it to be washed with the Blood and Spirit of Christ?
  13. 76Where doth Christ promise us that he will as certainly wash us with his Blood and Spirit, as we are washed with the Water of Baptism?
  14. 77Is then the outward Baptism of Water the washing away of Sins?
  15. 78Why then doth the Holy Ghost call Baptism the washing of the New-birth, and forgiveness of Sins?
  16. 79What Principle of Christ’s Doctrine in the holy Scripture followeth Baptism in order?
  17. 80What is the form and end of this Ordinance?
  18. 81Is it the Duty of every Christian to be under this Practice?
  19. 82Did not the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit follow upon laying on of Hands in the Apostles time?

Of the Lord’s Supper

  1. 83How art thou in the Lords Supper admonished and warranted that thou art Partaker of that only Sacrifice of Christ offered on the Cross, and of all his Benefits?
  2. 84What is it to eat the Body of Christ?
  3. 85Where hath Christ promised that he will as certainly give his Body and Blood so to be eaten and drunken, as they eat this Bread broken, and drink this Cup?
  4. 86Are then the Bread and Wine made the very Body and Blood of Christ?
  5. 87Why then doth Christ call Bread his Body, and the Cup his Blood, or the new Testament in his Blood; and St. Paul calleth Bread and Wine the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ?
  6. 88What Difference is there between the Supper of the Lord, and the Popish Mass?
  7. 89Who are to come unto the Table of the Lord?
  8. 90Are they also to be admitted to the Lords Supper who in Confession and Life declare themselves to be Infidels, profane, and ungodly?
  9. 91How ought this Ordinance of the Lords Supper to be closed?
  10. 92You told us but now, that those who in Confession and Life declare themselves to be Infidels, profane and ungodly, should by the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven be driven from this Supper: what are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven?
  11. 93How is the Kingdom of Heaven opened and shut by preaching of the Gospel?
  12. 94How is the Kingdom of Heaven opened and shut by Ecclesiastical Discipline?

The third Part is of Man’s Thankfulness

  1. 95Whereas we are delivered from all our Sins and Miseries without any Merit of ours, by the Mercy of God, only for Christ’s sake; for what cause are we to do good Works?
  2. 96Cannot they then be saved which be unthankful, and remain still careless in their Sins, and are not converted from their Wickedness to God?
  3. 97Of what Parts consisteth the Conversion of Man unto God?
  4. 98What is the mortifying of the old Man?
  5. 99What is the quickning of the new Man?
  6. 100What are good Works?
  7. 101Which is the Law of God?
  8. 102How are these Commandments divided?
  9. 103What is the Preface to the ten Commandments?
  10. 104What learn we from this Preface?
  11. 105Do these things belong unto us?
  12. 106What is the first Commandment?
  13. 107What doth God require in the first Commandment?
  14. 108What is Idolatry?
  15. 109What is the second Commandment?
  16. 110What doth this second Commandment require?
  17. 111May there then at all any Images or Resemblances of things be made?
  18. 112But may not Images be tolerated in Churches, which may serve for Books unto the common People?
  19. 113What is the third Commandment?
  20. 114What doth God decree in the third Commandment?
  21. 115Is it then so grievous a Sin by swearing, or banning, to take the Name of God in vain, as that God is also angry with them who in as much as in them lieth do not forbid or hinder it?
  22. 116May a Man swear religiously and lawfully, by the Name of God?
  23. 117Is it lawful to swear by Saints, or other Creatures?
  24. 118What is the fourth Commandment?
  25. 119What are we taught by the fourth Commandment?
  26. 120What is the fifth Commandment?
  27. 121What doth God enjoin us in the fifth Commandment?
  28. 122What is the sixth Commandment?
  29. 123What doth God exact in the sixth Commandment?
  30. 124But this Commandment seems to forbid Murther only?
  31. 125Is it enough then that we kill no Man, in such sort as hath been said?
  32. 126What is the seventh Commandment?
  33. 127What is the meaning of the seventh Commandment?
  34. 128Forbiddeth God nothing else in this Commandment but actual Adultery, and such kinds of uncleanness?
  35. 129What is the eighth Commandment?
  36. 130What doth God forbid in the eighth Commandment?
  37. 131What are those things which God here commandeth?
  38. 132What is the ninth Commandment?
  39. 133What doth the ninth Commandment exact?
  40. 134What is the tenth Commandment?
  41. 135What doth the tenth Commandment forbid?
  42. 136But can they who are converted to God, perfectly observe, and keep these Commandments?
  43. 137Why will God then have his Law to be so exactly and severely preached seeing there is no Man in this life able to keep it?

Of Prayer

  1. 138Wherefore is Prayer necessary for Christians?
  2. 139What is required unto that Prayer which shall please God, and be heard of him?
  3. 140What are those things which he commandeth us to ask of him?
  4. 141What Prayer is that?
  5. 142Are Christians tied to this very Form of Prayer?
  6. 143Why doth Christ teach us to call God our Father?
  7. 144Why is that added, which art in Heaven?
  8. 145What is the first Petition?
  9. 146What is the second Petition?
  10. 147What is the third Petition?
  11. 148What is the fourth Petition?
  12. 149What is the fifth Petition?
  13. 150What is the sixth Petition?
  14. 151How concludest thou this Prayer?
  15. 152What meaneth this Particle, Amen?