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catechism

Westminster Larger Catechism

WLC · 1647 · 196 questions

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By
Westminster Assembly
Dates
written 1647; first published 1648; adopted by the Church of Scotland, 1648
Tradition
reformed, presbyterian
Also called
Larger Catechism
Related
Parallel to The Baptist Catechism (1695); The same text as Westminster Larger Catechism (modernized, 1647); Parallel to Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)
Follows
The Confession of Faith and Catechisms, Agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, together with their Humble Advice concerning Church Government and Ordination of Ministers, Robert Bostock’s printing, [1649] (British Library, Thomason E.1419[1]) (London); Wing C5760, ESTC R210325 · the scan (PDF) , from ProQuest
Transcribed
From a source not recordedChecked against EEBO-TCP A80320: the proofs of question 67, by Claude, for cco3, 2026-10-28Checked against the scan: all, word by word, and every proof against the page’s notes, with eebo-tcp:A80320 to find places; each question’s page and leaf, by Claude, for cco3, 2026-10-28
License
Public domain
Notes

The text is not the 1649 printing’s words but the received modern text, whose words are the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s but for its American revisions and some spellings; who first typed it, and from what edition, is unknown. Its proofs are the 1649 printing’s in most letters, with that printing’s misprints set right, and another edition’s in some. The witness is the printing it has been checked against, the nearest early one, not its source. Where the text departs from it, in words and in proofs, catechisms/wlc/WITNESSES.md lists each; the slips of transcription the check found were corrected, and the commit that corrected them lists each. EEBO-TCP has the Assembly’s catechisms as printed in 1649 (A80320) and 1658 (A74916). The PDF is EEBO’s film of Thomason’s copy (E.1419[1]), from ProQuest’s Early Modern Collection, with ProQuest’s credit line taken off each page, on which the text was checked; archive.org’s films of 1649 are other printings (Amsterdam, for Andrew Wilson of Edinburgh, Wing C5760A; Edinburgh, Gideon Lithgow, C5760C).

Spelling
As printed; modernized in wlc-modernized
Download
wlc.json · 483 kB

Contents

  1. 1What is the chief and highest end of man?
  2. 2How doth it appear that there is a God?
  3. 3What is the word of God?
  4. 4How doth it appear that the scriptures are the word of God?
  5. 5What do the scriptures principally teach?
  6. 6What do the scriptures make known of God?
  7. 7What is God?
  8. 8Are there more Gods than one?
  9. 9How many persons are there in the Godhead?
  10. 10What are the personal properties of the three persons in the Godhead?
  11. 11How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father?
  12. 12What are the decrees of God?
  13. 13What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men?
  14. 14How doth God execute his decrees?
  15. 15What is the work of creation?
  16. 16How did God create angels?
  17. 17How did God create man?
  18. 18What are God’s works of providence?
  19. 19What is God’s providence towards the angels?
  20. 20What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?
  21. 21Did man continue in that estate wherein God at first created him?
  22. 22Did all mankind fall in that first transgression ?
  23. 23Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
  24. 24What is sin?
  25. 25Wherein consisteth the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?
  26. 26How is original sin conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity?
  27. 27What misery did the fall bring upon mankind?
  28. 28What are the punishments of sin in this world?
  29. 29What are the punishments of sin in the world to come?
  30. 30Doth God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?
  31. 31With whom was the covenant of grace made?
  32. 32How is the grace of God manifested in the second covenant?
  33. 33Was the covenant of grace always administered after one and the same manner?
  34. 34How was the covenant of grace administered under the Old Testament?
  35. 35How is the covenant of grace administered under the New Testament?
  36. 36Who is the Mediator of the covenant of grace?
  37. 37How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
  38. 38Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God?
  39. 39Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be man?
  40. 40Why was it requisite that the Mediator should be God and man in one person ?
  41. 41Why was our Mediator called Jesus?
  42. 42Why was our Mediator called Christ?
  43. 43How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
  44. 44How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
  45. 45How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
  46. 46What was the estate of Christ’s humiliation?
  47. 47How did Christ humble himself in his conception and birth?
  48. 48How did Christ humble himself in his life?
  49. 49How did Christ humble himself in his death?
  50. 50Wherein consisted Christ’s humiliation after his death?
  51. 51What was the estate of Christ’s exaltation?
  52. 52How was Christ exalted in his resurrection?
  53. 53How was Christ exalted in his ascension?
  54. 54How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God?
  55. 55How doth Christ make intercession?
  56. 56How is Christ to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world?
  57. 57What benefits hath Christ procured by his mediation?
  58. 58How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured?
  59. 59Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ?
  60. 60Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature?
  61. 61Are all they saved who hear the gospel, and live in the church?
  62. 62What is the visible church?
  63. 63What are the special privileges of the visible church?
  64. 64What is the invisible church?
  65. 65What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy by Christ?
  66. 66What is that union which the elect have with Christ?
  67. 67What is effectual calling?
  68. 68Are the elect only effectually called?
  69. 69What is the communion in grace which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?
  70. 70What is justification?
  71. 71How is justification an act of God’s free grace?
  72. 72What is justifying faith?
  73. 73How doth faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?
  74. 74What is adoption?
  75. 75What is sanctification?
  76. 76What is repentance unto life?
  77. 77Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?
  78. 78Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?
  79. 79May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace ?
  80. 80Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation?
  81. 81Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in the estate of grace, and that they shall be saved?
  82. 82What is the communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?
  83. 83What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life?
  84. 84Shall all men die?
  85. 85Death, being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ?
  86. 86What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death?
  87. 87What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?
  88. 88What shall immediately follow after the resurrection?
  89. 89What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?
  90. 90What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment?
  91. 91What is the duty which God requireth of man?
  92. 92What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience?
  93. 93What is the moral law?
  94. 94Is there any use of the moral law to man since the fall?
  95. 95Of what use is the moral law to all men?
  96. 96What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?
  97. 97What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?
  98. 98Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
  99. 99What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten commandments?
  100. 100What special things are we to consider in the ten commandments?
  101. 101What is the preface to the ten commandments?
  102. 102What is the sum of the four commandments which contain our duty to God?
  103. 103Which is the first commandment?
  104. 104What are the duties required in the first commandment?
  105. 105What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?
  106. 106What are we specially taught by these words “before me” in the first commandment?
  107. 107Which is the second commandment?
  108. 108What are the duties required in the second commandment?
  109. 109What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?
  110. 110What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it?
  111. 111Which is the third commandment?
  112. 112What is required in the third commandment?
  113. 113What are the sins forbidden in the third commandment?
  114. 114What reasons are annexed to the third commandment?
  115. 115Which is the fourth commandment?
  116. 116What is required in the fourth commandment?
  117. 117How is the sabbath or the Lord’s day to be sanctified?
  118. 118Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors?
  119. 119What are the sins forbidden in the fourth commandment?
  120. 120What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, the more to enforce it?
  121. 121Why is the word Remember set in the beginning of the fourth commandment?
  122. 122What is the sum of the six commandments which contain our duty to man?
  123. 123Which is the fifth commandment?
  124. 124Who are meant by father and mother in the fifth commandment?
  125. 125Why are superiors styled Father and Mother?
  126. 126What is the general scope of the fifth commandment?
  127. 127What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors?
  128. 128What are the sins of inferiors against their superiors?
  129. 129What is required of superiors towards their inferiors?
  130. 130What are the sins of superiors?
  131. 131What are the duties of equals?
  132. 132What are the sins of equals?
  133. 133What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment, the more to enforce it?
  134. 134Which is the sixth commandment?
  135. 135What are the duties required in the sixth commandment?
  136. 136What are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment?
  137. 137Which is the seventh commandment?
  138. 138What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?
  139. 139What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment?
  140. 140Which is the eighth commandment?
  141. 141What are the duties required in the eighth commandment?
  142. 142What are the sins forbidden in the eighth commandment?
  143. 143Which is the ninth commandment?
  144. 144What are the duties required in the ninth commandment?
  145. 145What are the sins forbidden in the ninth commandment?
  146. 146Which is the tenth commandment?
  147. 147What are the duties required in the tenth commandment?
  148. 148What are the sins forbidden in the tenth commandment?
  149. 149Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
  150. 150Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God?
  151. 151What are those aggravations that make some sins more heinous than others?
  152. 152What doth every sin deserve at the hands of God?
  153. 153What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law?
  154. 154What are the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation?
  155. 155How is the word made effectual to salvation?
  156. 156Is the word of God to be read by all?
  157. 157How is the word of God to be read?
  158. 158By whom is the word of God to be preached?
  159. 159How is the word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto?
  160. 160What is required of those that hear the word preached?
  161. 161How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
  162. 162What is a sacrament?
  163. 163What are the parts of a sacrament?
  164. 164How many sacraments hath Christ instituted in his church under the New Testament?
  165. 165What is Baptism?
  166. 166Unto whom is Baptism to be administered?
  167. 167How is our Baptism to be improved by us?
  168. 168What is the Lord’s supper?
  169. 169How hath Christ appointed bread and wine to be given and received in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper?
  170. 170How do they that worthily communicate in the Lord’s supper feed upon the body and blood of Christ therein?
  171. 171How are they that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to prepare themselves before they come unto it?
  172. 172May one who doubteth of his being in Christ, or of his due preparation, come to the Lord’s supper?
  173. 173May any who profess the faith, and desire to come to the Lord’s supper, be kept from it?
  174. 174What is required of them that receive the sacrament of the Lord’s supper in the time of the administration of it?
  175. 175What is the duty of Christians, after they have received the sacrament of the Lord’s supper?
  176. 176Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper agree?
  177. 177Wherein do the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper differ?
  178. 178What is prayer?
  179. 179Are we to pray unto God only?
  180. 180What is it to pray in the name of Christ?
  181. 181Why are we to pray in the name of Christ?
  182. 182How doth the Spirit help us to pray?
  183. 183For whom are we to pray?
  184. 184For what things are we to pray?
  185. 185How are we to pray?
  186. 186What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of prayer?
  187. 187How is the Lord’s prayer to be used?
  188. 188Of how many parts doth the Lord’s prayer consist?
  189. 189What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us?
  190. 190What do we pray for in the first petition?
  191. 191What do we pray for in the second petition?
  192. 192What do we pray for in the third petition?
  193. 193What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
  194. 194What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
  195. 195What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
  196. 196What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s prayer teach us?