3.
The calling of man again to repentance and his third estate in Jesus Christ
The calling of man again to repentance and his third estate in Jesus Christ
and how he should honor his Redeemer in four mayes.
Q. Who called our Parents to repentance?
A. Only God in his infinite mercy.
Q. What did they do when he called them?
A. They hid and excused themselves.
Q. But was it not foolish to flee from God?
A. Such is the foolishness of all his posterity.
A. How were they converted to God?
A. By the almighty power of God’s spirit.
Q. How did the spirit work their conversion?
A. He printed the promise of mercy in their hearts.
Q. What was their promise of mercy?
A. Victory in the seed of the woman against the Serpent.
Q. Who is the seed of the woman?
A. Jesus Christ: God and man.
Q. How was his posterity converted to God?
A. By the same spirit and promise.
Q. Can we understand and receive the promise by ourselves?
A. No more than blind and dead men may see and walk.
Q. What more is required for our conversion to God?
A. He must lighten our minds, and purify* our hearts, that we may understand, receive, and retain his promise.
Q. But Adam did know his sin and God’s voice.
A. Yet that knowledge brought him not to repentance.
Q. What was the cause of that?
A. For the feeling of mercy was not yet given to him.
Q. What then is knowledge, calling, accusation, and convicting?
A. A way of desperation, if mercy be not apprehended.
Q. What if mercy be offered and apprehended?
A. Then these things are the beginning of our repentance.
Q. How did Adam and his posterity receive the promise?
A. Only through their own lively faith in Christ.
Q. What thing was their faith?
A. A sure confidence in God’s mercy through Christ to come.
Q. Who wrought this faith in them above nature?
A. God’s spirit through the preaching of the promise.
Q. What is this promise called in the Scripture?
A. The gospel or glad tidings of salvation.
Q. Then the gospel was preached in Paradise?
A. No doubt, and also the law.
Q. What need was there of them both?
A. By the law they were accused and humbled, and through the gospel they were comforted and delivered.
Q. What thing then was the law and the gospel?
A. Instruments of God’s spirit to the salvation of man.
Q. Wherein stood their salvation?
A. In remission of their sins, and reparation of God’s image.
Q. What followed upon the repairing of that image?
A. A continual battle both within and without.
Q. From whence doth this battle proceed?
A. From the two contrary images in mankind.
Q. What are these Images?
A. The image of God, and the image of the Serpent.
Q. What will be the end of this battle?
A. Victory to the seed of the Woman and destruction to the seed of the Serpent in mankind.
Q. Was all of Adam’s offspring delivered and restored?
A. No, but only to those who believed the promise.
Q. To what end were these delivered?
A. To acknowledge and serve their God.
Q. Wherein stood their service chiefly?
A. In the exercise of faith and repentance.
Q. What rule did God give them for this purpose?
A. His most holy word and Scriptures.
Q. What things were contained in the word given to them?
A. The Law, the gospel, and the sacraments.
Q. What did the Law do for them?
A. It showed them their sin and the right way to know and serve God.
Q. What did the gospel do for them?
A. It offered to them mercy in Christ.
Q. What did the sacraments do for them?
A. They helped their faith in the promises of God.
Q. Was this order kept in the Old Testament?
A. No doubt, as Moses and the Prophets bear witness.
Q. What should we gather of this discourse?
A. That the Church was ever grounded upon the Word of God.
Q. What follow upon the corruption of the word?
A. The corruption of the true religion and church at all times.
Q. Was the faith and religion of the Fathers different from our faith?
A. Not in substance but in certain circumstances.
Q. What is the substance?
A. The covenant of Jesus Christ.
Q. Why do we call it the Old Testament?
A. In respect of the obscure shadows and figures joined with the doctrine of religion.
Q. What profit came to the Fathers at all times through faith?
A. By this way only they were blessed and happy.
Q. Wherein did the unhappiness of men stand?
A. In the lack of knowledge of the true God.
Q. Are we in the same estate?
A. No doubt, as our Master testifies.
Q. When do we know God aright?
A. When we give to him his due honor.
Q. What are the chief points of his due honor?
A. Faith, obedience, prayer, and thanksgiving with their fruits.
* Original word is mollifie.
An Introduction of the Life and Works of Scottish Reformation John Craig - Part 1
A Short Summary of the Whole Catechism - Introduction
A Short Summary of the Whole Catechism - Chapter 1
A Short Summary of the Whole Catechism - Chapter 2
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