Of the Commandments in general.
Q. WHAT is the principal aim or end of the commandments?
A. To teach us the will and pleasure of the eternal God, or the love of God, and our neighbour. "He that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law." Rom. xiii. 8.
A. To teach us the will and pleasure of the eternal God, or the love of God, and our neighbour. "He that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law." Rom. xiii. 8.
Q. Why are the commandments (excepting the determination of the sabbath day) called the commandments of the law of nature?
A. Because God wrote them in the heart of men at the creation, being the very dictates of natural reason.
A. Because God wrote them in the heart of men at the creation, being the very dictates of natural reason.
Q. When did he renew them in the written law?
A. When he gave them to Moses on mount Sinai, in thunder and lightening, written in two tables of stone Exod. xx.
A. When he gave them to Moses on mount Sinai, in thunder and lightening, written in two tables of stone Exod. xx.
Q. Why in thunder and lightening?
A. To move us to a careful observance of them.
A. To move us to a careful observance of them.
Q. Are all men bound to know the commandments?
A. For the substance of them they are, because they are the rule of our whole life and actions.
A. For the substance of them they are, because they are the rule of our whole life and actions.
Q. How do you prove them to be only ten?
A. Out of Deut. iv. 13, "He shewed his covenant which he commanded you to do, and the ten words which be wrote in two tables of stone."
A. Out of Deut. iv. 13, "He shewed his covenant which he commanded you to do, and the ten words which be wrote in two tables of stone."
Q. By what kind of sins are the commandments broken?
A. By mortal sins only; for venial sins are not strictly speaking contrary to the end of the commandments, which is charity.
A. By mortal sins only; for venial sins are not strictly speaking contrary to the end of the commandments, which is charity.
Q. How declare you that?
A. Because a venial sin, for example, a vain word, an officious or jesting lie, which hurts nobody, the theft of a pin or an apple, is not of weight enough to break charity between man and man, much less between God and man.
A. Because a venial sin, for example, a vain word, an officious or jesting lie, which hurts nobody, the theft of a pin or an apple, is not of weight enough to break charity between man and man, much less between God and man.
Q. Is it possible for us to keep all the commandments?
A. Not only possible, but necessary and easy, by the assistance of God's grace.
A. Not only possible, but necessary and easy, by the assistance of God's grace.
Q. How do you prove that?
A. Because God is not a tyrant to command impossibilities under pain of eternal damnation, as he doth the keeping his commandments.
A. Because God is not a tyrant to command impossibilities under pain of eternal damnation, as he doth the keeping his commandments.
Q. How prove you that?
A. First out of Exod. xx. and Deut. xxviii. 15. where he often commands them to be kept, threatening grievous punishments to such as break them.
Secondly, out of Matt. v. 19. "Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Thirdly, out of Matt. xi. 29, 30. "Take up my yoke upon you (saith the Lord) for my yoke is sweet, and my burden light." And again, 1 John v. 3. "His commandments are not heavy."
A. First out of Exod. xx. and Deut. xxviii. 15. where he often commands them to be kept, threatening grievous punishments to such as break them.
Secondly, out of Matt. v. 19. "Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Thirdly, out of Matt. xi. 29, 30. "Take up my yoke upon you (saith the Lord) for my yoke is sweet, and my burden light." And again, 1 John v. 3. "His commandments are not heavy."
Q. Hath God ever promised to enable man to keep them?
A. He hath, and also actually to make them keep and do them.
A. He hath, and also actually to make them keep and do them.
Q. How prove you that?
A. Out of Ezek. xxxvi. 27. "I will put my spirit in the middle of you, (said our Lord) and I will make ye walk in my precepts, and keep my judgments and do them."
And again, chap. xxxvii. 23, 24. "They shall be my people, and I will be their God, there shall be one pastor of them all, and they shall walk in my judgments and keep my commandments and do them.
A. Out of Ezek. xxxvi. 27. "I will put my spirit in the middle of you, (said our Lord) and I will make ye walk in my precepts, and keep my judgments and do them."
And again, chap. xxxvii. 23, 24. "They shall be my people, and I will be their God, there shall be one pastor of them all, and they shall walk in my judgments and keep my commandments and do them.
Q. How do you prove that any have kept them?
A. Out of Luke i. 6. "Zachary and Elizabeth were both just before God: walking in all the commandments and justifications of our Lord without reproof.
A. Out of Luke i. 6. "Zachary and Elizabeth were both just before God: walking in all the commandments and justifications of our Lord without reproof.
Q. How prove you the keeping of them to be necessary to salvation?
A. First, out of Matt. xix. 17. "If thou wilt enter into life (saith our Lord) keep the commandments."
Secondly, out of Luke x. 25, 28, where the lawyer had asked, what he should do to possess everlasting life, and had repeated the sum of the commandments: Christ answered him saying, "Do this, and thou shalt live."
Thirdly, out of Rom. ii. 13, "Not hearers of the law are just with God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
A. First, out of Matt. xix. 17. "If thou wilt enter into life (saith our Lord) keep the commandments."
Secondly, out of Luke x. 25, 28, where the lawyer had asked, what he should do to possess everlasting life, and had repeated the sum of the commandments: Christ answered him saying, "Do this, and thou shalt live."
Thirdly, out of Rom. ii. 13, "Not hearers of the law are just with God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
Next - The Douai Catechism, 1649 - CHAPTER VIII. OF THE COMMANDMENTS IN PARTICULAR. The First Commandment Expounded.
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