The Lesser Catechism.
Proper for all persons to learn before they be admitted to the
sacrament of the Lord’s supper; and composed for the use of all
congregations in general.
“Come, ye children, hearken to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord,”
–Psalm 34:11
CONTENTS
PREPATORY NOTE BY THE EDITOR
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY THE LESSER CATECHISM
The Lesser Catechism
1.— Of the Scripture
2. — Of God
3. — Of the Holy Trinity
4. — Of the Works of God; and, first, of those that are Internal and
Immanent
5. — Of the Works of God that outwardly are of him
6. — Of God’s actual Providence
7. — Of the Law of God
8. — Of the State of Corrupted Nature
9. — Of the Incarnation of Christ
10. — Of the Person of Jesus Christ
11. — Of the Offices of Christ; and first, of his Kingly
12. — Of Christ’s Priestly Office
13. — Of Christ’s Prophetical Office
14. — Of the Twofold Estate of Christ
15. — Of the Persons to whom the Benefits of Christ’s Offices do belong
16. — Of the Church
17. — Of Faith
18. — Of our Vocation, or God’s Calling us
19. — Of Justification
20. — Of Sanctification
21. — Of the Privileges of Believers
22. — Of the Sacraments of the New Covenant in particular; a holy right
whereunto is the Fourth Privilege of Believers
23. — Of Baptism
24. — Of the Lord’s Supper.
25. — Of the Communion of Saints — the Fifth Privilege of Believers
26. — Of Particular Churches
27. — Of the Last Privilege of Believers, — being the Door of Entrance
into Glory
PREFATORY NOTE
The First Edition Of These Catechisms Issued From The Press In 1645.
Dr. Owen had at that time the charge of the parish of Fordham in Essex,
and labored diligently for the instruction and benefit of his flock, by
catechizing from house to house. The catechisms were prepared in order
that he might accomplish these parochial duties with greater efficiency and
success. “The Lesser Catechism” is designed for the instruction of children;
— “The Greater,” for the examination of persons more advanced in years.
They are chiefly doctrinal. It was the intention of Owen to have followed
up this little work by another Catechism on the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten
Commandments, and some articles of the Creed. This intention, however,
was never fulfilled. These Catechisms on “the Principles of the Doctrine of
Christ” are included in this volume, — which embodies all the treatises of
Owen directly relating to the second Person of the Trinity, — inasmuch as,
according to a statement of the author in the preface, they were intended to
remind his people of what he had publicly taught them, “especially
concerning the person and offices of Christ.” They were among the firsts as
the other treatises in this volume are among the last, of our author’s
publications; and we are thus enabled to mark the undeviating consistency
with which, during all the ministrations of his public course, Owen held fast
by the great doctrines of the Gospel, — the unsearchable riches of Christ.”
— Ed.
TO MY LOVING NEIGHBORS AND
CHRISTIAN FRIENDS.
Brethren,
My heart’s desire and request unto God for you is, that you may be saved.
I say the truth in Christ also, I lie not, my conscience bearing me witness in
the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness, and continual sorrow in my
heart, for them amongst you who, as yet, walk disorderly, and not as
beseemeth the Gospel, little laboring to acquaint themselves with the
mystery of godliness; for many walk, of whom I have told you often
weeping, and now tell you again with sorrow, that they are the enemies of
the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly,
who mind earthly things. You know, brethren, how I have been amongst
you, and in what manner, for these few years past, and how I have kept
back nothing (to the utmost of the dispensation to me committed) that was
profitable unto you; but have showed you, and taught you publicly and
from house to house, testifying to all repentance towards God, and faith
towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, with what sincerity this has been by
me performed, with what issue and success by you received, God the
righteous Judge will one day declare; for before him must both you and I
appear, to give an account of the dispensation of the glorious Gospel
amongst us; — in the meanwhile, the desire of my heart is, to be servant to
the least of you in the work of the Lord; and that in any way which I can
concede profitable unto you, — either in your persons or your families.
Now, amongst my endeavors in this kind, after the ordinance of public
preaching the Word, there is not, I conceive, any more needful (as all will
grant that know the estate of this place, how taught of late days, how full
of grossly ignorant persons) than catechizing; which has caused me to set
aside some hours for the compiling of these following, which also I have
procured to be printed, merely because the least part of the parish are able
to read it in writing; — my intention in them being, principally, to hold out
those necessary truths wherein you have been in my preaching more fully
instructed. As they are, the use of them I shall briefly present unto you:
1. The Lesser Catechism may be so learned of the younger sort, that they
may be ready to answer to every question thereof.
2. The Greater will call to mind much of what has been taught you in
public, especially concerning the Person and Offices of Jesus Christ.
3. Out of that you may have help to instruct your families in the Lesser,
being so framed, for the most part, that a chapter of the one is spent in
unfolding a question of the other.
4. The texts of Scripture quoted are diligently to be sought out and
pondered, that you may know indeed whether these things are so.
5. In reading the Word, you may have light into the meaning of many
places, by considering what they are produced to confirm.
6. I have been sparing in the doctrine of the Sacraments, because I have
already been so frequent in examinations about them.
7. The handling of moral duties I have wholly omitted, because, by God’s
assistance, I intend for you a brief explication of the Lord’s Prayer, and the
Ten Commandments, with some articles of the Creed, not unfolded in
these, by themselves, by the way of question and answer.
Now, in all this, as the pains has been mine, so I pray that the benefit may
be yours, and the praise His, to whom alone any good that is in this or any
thing else is to be ascribed. Now, the God of heaven continue that peace,
love, and amity, amongst ourselves, which hitherto has been unshaken, in
these divided times, and grant that the scepter and kingdom of his Son may
be gloriously advanced in your hearts, that the things which concern your
peace may not be hidden from your eyes in this your day; Which is the
daily prayer of…
Your servant in the work of the Lord,
J.O.
From my Study,
September the last, [1645]
.
Ques. Whence is all truth concerning God and ourselves
to be learned?
Ans. From the holy Scripture, the Word of God.
Q. What do the Scriptures teach that God is?
A. An eternal, infinite, most holy Spirit, giving being to all things, and
doing with them whatsoever he pleaseth.
Q. Is there but one God?
A. One only, in respect of his essence and being, but one in three distinct
persons, of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Q. What else is held forth in the Word concerning God,
that we ought to know.?
A. His decrees, and his works.
Q. What are the decrees of God concerning us?
A. His eternal purposes, of saving some by Jesus Christ, for the praise of
his glory, and of condemning others for their sins.
Q. What are the works of God?
A. Acts or doings of his power, whereby he createth, sustaineth, and
governeth all things.
Q. What is required from us towards Almighty God?
A. Holy and spiritual obedience, according to his law given unto us
Q. Are we able to do this of ourselves?
A. No, in no wise, being by nature unto every good work reprobate.
Q. How came we into this estate, being at the first
created in the image of God, in righteousness and
innocency?
A. By the fall of our first parents, breaking the covenant of God, losing his
grace, and deserving his curse.
Q. By what way may we be delivered from this miserable
estate?
A. Only by Jesus Christ.
Q. What is Jesus Christ?
A. God and man united in one person, to be a mediator between God and
man.
Q. What is he unto us?
A. A King, a Priest, and a Prophet.
Q. Wherein does he exercise his kingly power towards
us?
A. In converting us unto God by his Spirit, subduing us unto his obedience,
and ruling in us by his grace.
Q. In what does the exercise of his priestly office for us
chiefly consist?
A. In offering up himself an acceptable sacrifice on the cross, so satisfying
the justice of God for our sins, removing his curse from our persons, and
bringing us unto him.
Q. Wherein does Christ exercise his prophetical office
towards us?
A. In revealing to our hearts, from the bosom of his Father, the way and
truth whereby we must come unto him.
Q. In what condition does Jesus Christ exercise these
offices?
A. He did in a low estate of humiliation on earth, but now in a glorious
estate of exaltation in heaven.
Q. For whose sake does Christ perform all these?
A. Only for his elect.
Q. What is the church of Christ?
A. The universal company of God’s elect, called to the adoption of
children.
Q. How come we to be members of this church?
A. By a lively faith.
Q. What is a lively faith?
A. An assured resting of the soul upon God’s promises of mercy in Jesus
Christ, for pardon of sins here and glory hereafter.
Q. How come we to have this faith?
A. By the effectual working of the Spirit of God in our hearts, freely
calling us from the state of nature to the state of grace.
.
Q. Are we accounted righteous for our faith?
A. No, but only for the righteousness of Christ, freely imputed unto us, and
laid hold of by faith.
Q. 1. Is there no more required of us but faith only?
A. Yes; repentance also, and holiness.
Q. 2. What is repentance?
A. A forsaking of all sin, with godly sorrow for what we have committed.
Q. 3. What is that holiness which is required of us?
A. Universal obedience to the will of God revealed unto us
Q. What are the privileges of believers?
A. First, union with Christ; secondly, adoption of children; thirdly,
communion of saints; fourthly, right to the seals of the new covenant;
fifthly, Christian liberty; sixthly, resurrection of the body to life eternal.
Q. 1. What are the sacraments, or seals, of the new
covenant?
A. Visible seals of God’s spiritual promises, made unto us in the blood of
Jesus Christ.
Q. 2. Which be they?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s supper.
Q. What is baptism?
A. A holy ordinance, whereby, being sprinkled with water according to
Christ’s institution, we are by his grace made children of God, and have the
promises of the covenant sealed unto us.
Q. What is the Lord’s supper?
A. A holy ordinance of Christ, appointed to communicate unto believers
his body and blood spiritually, being represented by bread and wine,
blessed, broken, poured out, and received of them.
.
Q. Who have a right unto this sacrament?
A. They only who have an interest in Jesus Christ by faith.
Q. What is the communion of saints?
A. A holy conjunction between all God’s people, partakers of the same
Spirit, and members of the same mystical body.
Q. What is the end of all this dispensation?
A. The glory of God in our salvation.
Glory be to God on high!
