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Matthew Henry, head and shoulders in a wig and bands, an engraving
Engraving by Johann Michael Stock, 1747–1773 (Rijksmuseum)

commentary

A Scripture Catechism

1703 · 107 entries

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By
Matthew Henry
Dates
written 1702; first published 1703
Tradition
reformed, presbyterian
Also called
A Scripture-Catechism; in the Method of the Assemblies; A Scripture Catechism; in the Method of the Assembly’s
Follows
A Scripture-Catechism, in the Method of the Assemblies, Printed by R. J. for Thomas Parkhurst, 1703 (London); ESTC N21647 · the scan (PDF) , from archive.org
Transcribed
From the scanChecked against a copy at archive.org: all, page by page against the page images; every proof against the KJV’s text of the verse it names, and on the scan where they differ, by Claude, for cco3, 2026-10-29
License
Public domain
Notes

Matthew Henry (1662–1714), Presbyterian minister at Chester, wrote it to promote “the Knowledge of the Scriptures”, his epistle to the reader (prose/to-the-reader, dated Chester, 27 October 1702) says: he breaks each of the Assembly’s answers into short questions answered Yes or No, and each answer in the words of Scripture, with its book, chapter and verse, following Dr. John Wallis’s explanation of the Shorter Catechism by questions answered Yes or No. Each of the Assembly’s 107 questions is an entry, with the question and answer as Henry prints them (in his own wording where it differs), and his numbered paragraphs (§. 1., §. 2. …) under it: each paragraph is an item, its first question, with the questions the paragraph runs on to after a dash nested under it. An answer’s reference is the proof of the words before it, and taken out of the text; where an answer quotes two places, each is a segment. No questions are joined, though the printing heads both questions 36 and 37 “Qu. 37.”. The text was transcribed from the scan, ECCO’s film of ESTC N21647, with the printing’s spelling, capitals and punctuation, but not its italics (the words of Scripture) or black letter (Yes, No); the epistle, set in italic, has its roman words in italics here. The film shoots pp. 112–113 twice (PDF pages 114–115), so that from PDF page 116 the printed page is the PDF page less two; pp. 159–164 are misnumbered. The binding hides three to five letters at the inner edge of many lines; these were supplied from what shows, the KJV, and the 1846 reprint at archive.org (The Westminster Assembly’s Shorter Catechism, with which is incorporated a Scripture Catechism), and the few that couldn’t be are •. Fifty references, which the printing gets wrong (most a misprinted chapter or verse) or the binding hides, are corrected, and listed in the commit that added it. It is after EEBO’s range, and no TCP transcription of it was found; it is reprinted in Henry’s Miscellaneous Works.

On
Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)
Download
henry1703.json · 950 kB

Prefaces and appendices

Contents

  1. 1What is the chief End of Man?WSC Q. 1
  2. 2What Rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorifie and enjoy him?WSC Q. 2
  3. 3What do the Scriptures principally teach?WSC Q. 3
  4. 4What is God?WSC Q. 4
  5. 5Are there more Gods than one?WSC Q. 5
  6. 6How many Persons are there in the Godhead?WSC Q. 6
  7. 7What are the Decrees of God?WSC Q. 7
  8. 8How doth God Execute his Decrees?WSC Q. 8
  9. 9What is the Work of Creation?WSC Q. 9
  10. 10How did God Create Man?WSC Q. 10
  11. 11What are God’s Works of Providence?WSC Q. 11
  12. 12What special Act of Providence did God exercise towards Man in the Estate wherein he was Created?WSC Q. 12
  13. 13Did our First Parents continue in the Estate wherein they were created?WSC Q. 13
  14. 14What is Sin?WSC Q. 14
  15. 15What was the Sin whereby our First Parents fell from the Estate wherein they were Created?WSC Q. 15
  16. 16Did all Mankind fall in Adam’s first Transgression?WSC Q. 16
  17. 17Into what Estate did the Fall bring Mankind?WSC Q. 17
  18. 18Wherein consists the Sinfulness of that Estate whereinto Man fell?WSC Q. 18
  19. 19What is the Misery of that Estate whereinto Man fell?WSC Q. 19
  20. 20Did God leave all Mankind to perish in the State of Sin and Misery?WSC Q. 20
  21. 21Who is the Redeemer of God’s Elect?WSC Q. 21
  22. 22How did Christ, being the Son of God, become Man?WSC Q. 22
  23. 23What Offices doth Christ Execute as our Redeemer.WSC Q. 23
  24. 24How doth Christ Execute the Office of a Prophet?WSC Q. 24
  25. 25How doth Christ Execute the Office of a Priest?WSC Q. 25
  26. 26How doth Christ Execute the Office of a King?WSC Q. 26
  27. 27Wherein did consist Christ’s Humiliation?WSC Q. 27
  28. 28Wherein consists Christ’s Exaltation?WSC Q. 28
  29. 29How are we made Partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ?WSC Q. 29
  30. 30How doth the Spirit apply to us the Redemption purchased by Christ?WSC Q. 30
  31. 31What is Effectual Calling?WSC Q. 31
  32. 32What Benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this Life?WSC Q. 32
  33. 33What is Justification?WSC Q. 33
  34. 34What is Adoption?WSC Q. 34
  35. 35What is Sanctification?WSC Q. 35
  36. 36What are the Benefits which in this Life do either accompany or flow from Justification, Adoption and Sanctification?WSC Q. 36
  37. 37What Benefits do Believers receive from Christ at Death?WSC Q. 37
  38. 38What Benefits do Believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection?WSC Q. 38
  39. 39What is the Duty which God requires of Man?WSC Q. 39
  40. 40What did God at First reveal to Man for the Rule of his Obedience?WSC Q. 40
  41. 41Where is the Moral Law summarily comprehended?WSC Q. 41
  42. 42What is the Sum of the Ten Commandments?WSC Q. 42
  43. 43What is the Preface to the Ten Commandments?WSC Q. 43
  44. 44What doth the Preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?WSC Q. 44
  45. 45What is the First Commandment?WSC Q. 45
  46. 46What’s requir’d in the First Commandment?WSC Q. 46
  47. 47What’s forbidden in the First Commandment?WSC Q. 47
  48. 48What are we especially taught by the Words [Before me] in the First Commandment?WSC Q. 48
  49. 49What is the Second Commandment?WSC Q. 49
  50. 50What is required in the Second Commandment?WSC Q. 50
  51. 51What is forbidden in the Second Commandment?WSC Q. 51
  52. 52What are the Reasons annex’d to the Second Commandment?WSC Q. 52
  53. 53What is the Third Commandment?WSC Q. 53
  54. 54What is requir’d in the Third Commandment?WSC Q. 54
  55. 55What is forbidden in the Third Commandment?WSC Q. 55
  56. 56What is the Reason annexed to the Third Commandment?WSC Q. 56
  57. 57What is the Fourth Commandment?WSC Q. 57
  58. 58What is requir’d in the Fourth Commandment?WSC Q. 58
  59. 59Which Day of the Seven hath God appointed to be the Weekly Sabbath?WSC Q. 59
  60. 60How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?WSC Q. 60
  61. 61What is forbidden in the Fourth Commandment?WSC Q. 61
  62. 62What are the Reasons annexed to the Fourth Commandment?WSC Q. 62
  63. 63What is the Fifth Commandment?WSC Q. 63
  64. 64What is requir’d in the Fifth Commandment?WSC Q. 64
  65. 65What is forbidden in the Fifth Commandment?WSC Q. 65
  66. 66What is the Reason annexed to the Fifth Commandment?WSC Q. 66
  67. 67What is the Sixth Commandment?WSC Q. 67
  68. 68What is requir’d in the Sixth Commandment?WSC Q. 68
  69. 69What is forbidden in the Sixth Commandment?WSC Q. 69
  70. 70What is the Seventh Commandment?WSC Q. 70
  71. 71What is requir’d in the Seventh Commandment?WSC Q. 71
  72. 72What is forbidden in the Seventh Commandment?WSC Q. 72
  73. 73What is the Eighth Commandment?WSC Q. 73
  74. 74What is requir’d in the Eighth Commandment?WSC Q. 74
  75. 75What is forbidden in the Eighth Commandment?WSC Q. 75
  76. 76What is the Ninth Commandment?WSC Q. 76
  77. 77What is requir’d in the Ninth Commandment?WSC Q. 77
  78. 78What is forbidden in the Ninth Commandment?WSC Q. 78
  79. 79What is the Tenth Commandment?WSC Q. 79
  80. 80What is requir’d in the Tenth Commandment?WSC Q. 80
  81. 81What is forbidden in the Tenth Commandment?WSC Q. 81
  82. 82Is any Man able in this Life perfectly to keep the Commandments of God?WSC Q. 82
  83. 83Are all Transgressions of the Law equally Heinous?WSC Q. 83
  84. 84What doth every Sin deserve?WSC Q. 84
  85. 85What doth God require of us that we may escape the Wrath and Curse due to us for Sin?WSC Q. 85
  86. 86What is Faith in Jesus Christ?WSC Q. 86
  87. 87What is Repentance unto Life?WSC Q. 87
  88. 88What are the outward Means whereby Christ communicates to us the Benefits of Redemption?WSC Q. 88
  89. 89How is the Word made effectual to Salvation?WSC Q. 89
  90. 90How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to Salvation?WSC Q. 90
  91. 91How do the Sacraments become effectual Means of Salvation?WSC Q. 91
  92. 92What is a Sacrament?WSC Q. 92
  93. 93Which are the Sacraments of the New Testament?WSC Q. 93
  94. 94What is Baptism?WSC Q. 94
  95. 95To whom is Baptism to be administred?WSC Q. 95
  96. 96What is the Lord’s Supper?WSC Q. 96
  97. 97What is requir’d to the worthy Receiving of the Lord’s Supper?WSC Q. 97
  98. 98What is Prayer?WSC Q. 98
  99. 99What Rule hath God given for our Direction in Prayer?WSC Q. 99
  100. 100What doth the Preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?WSC Q. 100
  101. 101What do we pray for in the First Petition?WSC Q. 101
  102. 102What do we pray for in the Second Petition?WSC Q. 102
  103. 103What do we pray for in the Third Petition?WSC Q. 103
  104. 104What do we pray for in the Fourth Petition?WSC Q. 104
  105. 105What do we pray for in the Fifth Petition?WSC Q. 105
  106. 106What do we pray for in the Sixth Petition?WSC Q. 106
  107. 107What doth the Conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?WSC Q. 107