Reforming the Un-Reformed: Corrections from Ursinus & the Heidelberg Catechism

Reforming the Un-Reformed: Corrections from Ursinus & the Heidelberg Catechism. The ACNA—American-based, so-called conservative Anglicans—actively repress Reformation theology and the Reformed theology of the Thirty-nine Articles. Tell the Nigerians about the double-talk. See:
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=18192#.Um_6jIzD9jo.

For those visiting, we say with Mr. Ursinus, "Friend, entering here, be short or go… or stay but assist us in our work."
http://www.seeking4truth.com/ursinus/zutblcont.htm

And now, recalibrations from Mr. Usinus and the Heidelberg Catechism below.

SECOND LORD'S DAY.
THE FIRST GENERAL DIVISION OF THE CATECHISM.
CONCERNING THE MISERY OF MAN.

Question 3. Whence knowest thou thy misery?
Answer. Out of the law of God.

EXPOSITION

In this division of the catechism which treats of the misery of man, we are to consider principally the subject of sin, together with the effects or punishment of sin. Other subjects of a subordinate nature are connected with this, such as the creation of man, the image of God in man, the fall and first sin of man, original sin, the liberty of the will, and afflictions. In regard to our misery, we must consider in general, what it is, whence, and how it may be known!

The term misery is more comprehensive in its signification than that of sin, for it embraces the evil both of guilt and punishment. The evil of guilt is all sin; the evil of punishment is all affliction, torment, and destruction of our rational nature, as well as all subsequent sins also, by which those are punished that go before; as the numbering of the children of Israel, for instance, by David, was a sin, and at the same time the punishment of a preceding sin, viz: that of adultery and murder, with which he was chargeable, so that it included the evil both of guilt and punishment. The misery of man, therefore, is his wretched condition since the fall, consisting of these two great evils: First, that human nature is depraved, sinful, and alienated from God, and secondly, that, on account of this depravity, mankind are exposed to eternal condemnation, and deserve to be rejected of God.

The knowledge of this our misery is derived out of the law of God; for, "through the law is the knowledge of sin." (Rom. 3:20 .) The language of the law is, "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of the law, to do them." (Deut. 27:26 .) The two following questions of the catechism teach us how the law makes us acquainted with our misery.

SECOND LORD'S DAY.

Question 4. What doth the law of God require of us?

Answer. Christ teacheth us that briefly, (Matt. 22:37, 40.) "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great command; and the second is like to this:
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commands hang the whole law and the prophets."

EXPOSITION

Christ rehearses the substance of the law in Matt. 22:37 , and in Luke 10:27 , from Deut. 6:5 , and Lev. 19:8 . He explains what is meant by that declaration: "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them;" that is, he who does not love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength, and his neighbor as himself. These several parts must be explained more fully.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. To love God with the whole heart, is, upon a due acknowledgment of his infinite goodness, reverently to regard and esteem him as our highest good, to love him supremely, to rejoice and trust in him alone, and to prefer his glory to all other things, so that there may not be in us the least thought, inclination, or desire for anything that might be displeasing to him; yea, rather to be willing to suffer the loss of all things that may be dear to us, or to endure the heaviest calamity, than that we should be separated from communion with him, or offend him in the smallest matter, and lastly, to direct all this to the end that he alone may be glorified by us.

The Lord thy God. As if he would say, thou shalt love that God who is thy Lord and thy God, who has revealed himself unto thee, who confers his benefits upon thee, and to whose service thou art bound. There is here an opposition of the true God to false gods.

With all thy heart. By the heart we are to understand the affections, desires, and inclinations. When God, therefore, requires our whole heart, he desires that he alone should be loved above everything else; that our whole heart should be stayed on him, and not that a part should be given to him and a part to another. In short, he wills that we make nothing equal to him, much less that we should prefer any thing to him; or that we should be willing to share only a part of his love. To love God thus, is what the Scripture calls "walking before God with a perfect heart;" the opposite of which is not to walk before God with a perfect heart, which is to halt, and not to surrender the whole person to him.

Obj. God alone is to be loved. Therefore, our neighbors, parents and kindred are not to be loved. Ans. This argument is false, because it proceeds from a denial of the manner, to that of the thing itself. God alone is to be loved supremely, and above every thing else; that is, in such a manner that there may be nothing at all which we either prefer or put upon an equality with him, and which we are not heartily willing to part with for his sake. But we ought to love our neighbors, parents, and others, not supremely, nor above every thing else, nor in such a manner that we would rather offend God than our parents; but in subordination to and on account of God, and not above him.

With all thy soul. The soul signifies that part of our being which wills, together with the exercise of the will, as if he would say, thou shalt love with thy whole will and purpose.

With all thy mind. The mind signifies the understanding, or that which perceives; as if he would say, as much as thou knowest of God, so much shalt thou love him--thou shalt bend all thy thoughts that thou mayest know God truly and perfectly, and so shalt thou also love him. We can love God only as far as we know him. We now love him imperfectly, because we know him only in part. But in the life to come we shall know him perfectly, and shall, therefore, love him perfectly; for "that which is in part shall be done away." (1 Cor. 13:10 .)

With all thy strength. This embraces all actions, and exercises, at the same time, both external and internal; that they may be in accordance with the law of God.
This is the first and greatest commandment. The love of God is called the first commandment, because all the others proceed from this, as their source. It is the impelling, the efficient, and final cause of obedience to all the other commandments of God. For we love our neighbor because we love God, and that we may manifest our love to God in the love which we cherish towards our neighbor.

It is called the greatest commandment

1. Because the object upon which it is immediately directed is the greatest, even God himself.

2. Because it is the end to which all the other commandments look; for our entire obedience is designed to show forth our love to God, and to honor his name.

3. Because it is the principal worship of God, which the ceremonial law subserved, and to which it gave place. The Pharisees extolled the ceremonial law and worship above the moral; whilst Christ, on the other hand, calls love the greatest commandment, and gives precedence to the moral law and worship, because whatever was instituted under the ceremonial system was on account of love, and was designed to give place to it.

Obj. The love of God is the greatest commandment. Therefore it is greater than faith, and hence justifies rather than faith. Ans. Love is here to be understood as including the entire obedience which we owe to God, in which faith is included, which justifies, not of itself as a virtue, but correlatively, as it apprehends and appropriates the merits of Christ. But the love which is opposed to faith, and which in particular is so called, does not justify, because the application of the righteousness of Christ is not made by love, but by faith alone; yea, love springs from faith; for faith is the cause of all the other virtues.

The second is like to this: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. To love thy neighbor as thyself, is in view of thy love to God; or because thou lovest God, do well unto thy neighbor according to all the commandments of the Lord; or will and do to thy neighbor those things which thou wilt that he should do to thee. Now every man is our neighbor.

It is called the second commandment:

1. Because it embodies the substance of the second table, or those duties which are performed directly towards our neighbor. If thou love thy neighbor as thyself, thou wilt neither murder, nor injure him.

2. Because the love which we cherish towards our neighbor must arise out of the love of God; it is, therefore, naturally subsequent to it.

It is said to be like unto the first in three respects:

1. In the kind of worship which it requires, which is moral or spiritual. This is no less required and sanctioned in the second table than in the first, for it every where opposes itself to a mere formal worship.

2. In the kind of punishment which it threatens against the transgressor, which is an eternal punishment; for God inflicts this, as well for the violation of one table, as for that of the other.

3. In the connection which holds between the two tables; for neither one can be maintained without the other.

It is also unlike the first:

1. In the object which it immediately respects, which in the first is God, in the second our neighbor.

2. In the order of cause and effect. The love which we cherish towards our neighbor originates in the love which we have to God; but not the contrary.

3. In the degree of love. We must love God supremely. But the love which we have for our neighbor must not be above every thing else, nor stronger than that which we have for God; but only as we love ourselves.

From what has now been said, it is easy to return an answer to the objection sometimes made: The second commandment is like unto the first. Therefore the first is not the greatest; or, therefore our neighbor is to be regarded as equal with God, and is to be worshipped in like manner. To this we reply, that the second is like unto the first, not absolutely, and in every point of view, but only in certain respects; and unlike it in the particulars already specified.

On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets; that is, the entire doctrine of the Law and the Prophets, is reduced to these two heads; and all obedience to the law, inculcated by Moses and the Prophets, arises from love to God and love to our neighbor. Obj. But there are also many promises of the Gospel in the Prophets. Therefore it would seem that the doctrine of the Prophets is not properly restricted to these two commandments. Ans. Christ speaks of the doctrine of the law, and not of the promises of the gospel, which is evident from the question of the Pharisee, who asked him which was the greatest commandment, and not, which was the principal promise in the law.

Reforming the Un-Reformed: Corrections from Ursinus & the Heidelberg Catechism

Corrections from Ursinus & the Heidelberg Catechism

For those visiting, we say with Mr. Ursinus, "Friend, entering here, be short or go… or stay but assist us in our work."
http://www.seeking4truth.com/ursinus/zutblcont.htm

And now, recalibrations from Mr. Usinus and the Heidelberg Catechism below.

V. HOW MANY THINGS ARE NECESSARY FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF THIS COMFORT?
This proposition is considered in the following question of the catechism, to which we refer the reader.

FIRST LORD'S DAY

Question 2. How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happy?

Answer. Three; the first, how great my sins and miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.

EXPOSITION

This question contains the statement and division of the whole catechism and at the same time accords with the division of the Scriptures into the Law and Gospel, and with the differences of these parts, as they have already been explained.

I. A knowledge of our misery is necessary for our comfort, not that it of itself administers any consolation, or is any part of it, (for of itself it rather alarms than comforts,) but it is necessary:

First, because it excites in us the desire of deliverance, just as a knowledge of disease awakens a desire of medicine on the part of the sick. Where there is no knowledge of our misery, there is no deliverance sought, just as the man who is ignorant of his disease never inquires after the physician. Now if we do not desire deliverance, we do not seek it; and if we do not seek it we will never obtain it, because God gives it only to those who seek, and knock, as it is said--"To him that knocketh, it shall be opened." "Ask, and it shall be given unto you." "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness." "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden." "I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit." (Matt. 7:6 ; 5:6 ; 11:28 . Isaiah 57:15 .) That now which is necessary for the purpose of exciting in us a desire of deliverance, is also necessary for our comfort. But a knowledge of our misery is necessary for the purpose of creating in us the desire of deliverance. Therefore it is necessary for our consolation; not, indeed, as being in its own nature the cause, but as a motive, without which we would not seek it; for in itself it terrifies, yet this terror is advantageous when it leads to the exercise of faith.

Secondly, that we may be thankful to God for our deliverance. We should he ungrateful if we did not know the greatness of the evil, from which we have been delivered; because, in this case, we could not correctly estimate the magnitude of the blessing, and so would not obtain deliverance, since this is granted only to such as are thankful.

Thirdly, because without the knowledge of our sinfulness and misery, we cannot hear the gospel with profit; for unless, by the preaching of the law as touching sin and the wrath of God, a preparation be made for the proclamation of grace, a carnal security follows, and our comfort becomes unstable. Sure consolation cannot stand in connection with carnal security. Hence it is manifest that we must commence with the preaching of the law, after the example of the Prophets and Apostles, that men may thus be cast down from the conceit of their own righteousness, and may obtain a knowledge of themselves, and be led to true repentance. Unless this be done, men will become, through the preaching of grace, more careless and obstinate, and pearls will be cast before swine to be trodden under foot.

II. A knowledge of our deliverance is necessary for our comfort:

First, that we may not despair. A knowledge of our misery would lead us to despair, did not a way of deliverance present itself to us.

Secondly, that we may desire this deliverance. An unknown good is not desired; because what we have no knowledge of, we cannot desire. If we be ignorant, therefore, of the benefit of our deliverance, we will not long after it, and of course will not obtain it. Yea, if it were even offered to us, or we were to fall upon it, we would not embrace it.

Thirdly, that it may comfort us. A good that is not known, cannot impart any comfort.
Fourthly, that we may not devise another method of deliverance, or embrace one invented by others, and thereby cast a reproach upon the name of God, and endanger our salvation.

Fifthly, that we may receive it by faith; but faith cannot be without knowledge. Deliverance is also obtained by faith alone.

Lastly, that we may be thankful to God; for as we do not desire an unknown good, so we neither appreciate nor feel thankful for it. But the benefit of deliverance is not given to the ungrateful. God is pleased to confer it only upon those in whom it produces its proper effect, which is gratitude. For these reasons, a knowledge of our deliverance, what it is, in what manner and by whom it is effected, and bestowed, c., is necessarily required, that we may enjoy true and solid comfort. This knowledge is obtained from the gospel, as heard, read, and apprehended by faith; because it alone promises deliverance to those that believe in Christ.

III. A knowledge of gratitude is necessary to our comfort:

First, because God is pleased to grant deliverance only to the thankful. It is only in such that his purpose is realized, which is his glory and gratitude on our part. Gratitude is, therefore, the principal end, and design of our deliverance. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." "He hath adopted us to the praise of the glory of his grace." (1 John 3:8 . Eph. 1:4 .)

Secondly, that we may return such gratitude as is acceptable to God, who will not have us to be grateful under any other form than that which he has prescribed in his word. True gratitude is, therefore, not to be rendered according to our own notion, but is to be learned from the Word of God.

Thirdly, that we may know that whatever duties we perform towards God and our neighbor, are not meritorious, but are a declaration of our thankfulness; for that which we do from gratitude, we acknowledge we have not deserved.

Lastly, that our faith and comfort may be increased; or, that by this gratitude, we may assure ourselves of our deliverance, as we are made acquainted with the causes of things from their effects. Those who are grateful, acknowledge and profess that they are certain of the good which they have received. We may learn what true gratitude is, in general, from the gospel, because it requires faith and repentance in order that we may be saved, as it is said, "Repent, and believe the gospel, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." (Mark 1:15 .) In the law, however, it is taught particularly, because it distinctly declares what works, and what manner of obedience is pleasing to God. We must, therefore, necessarily treat of thankfulness in the catechism.

Objection. It is not necessary to teach that which follows of its own accord. Gratitude naturally follows a knowledge of our misery and deliverance. Therefore there is no necessity that it should be taught.

Answer. There is here an incorrect course of reasoning, in supposing that to be true generally, which is so only in part; for it is not a just inference that because gratitude follows a knowledge of our deliverance from misery, that the manner of it must also necessarily follow. We are, therefore, to learn from the Holy Scriptures, the nature of true gratitude, and the manner in which it should be expressed, so as to be pleasing and acceptable to God. Again; the major proposition is not universally true; for that also which follows of its own accord, may be taught for the purpose of increasing our knowledge and confirming us therein. And it is in this way, that is, through the revelation and knowledge of his Word, that God awakens, increases, and confirms in us, true gratitude.