Two Short Catechisms

Chap. VIII. — Of the State of Corrupted Nature.

Q. 1. How came this weakness and disability upon us?

A. By the sin and⁴⁰⁴⁰   This is that which commonly is called original sin, which in general denoteth the whole misery and corruption of our nature; as, — 1. The guilt of Adam’s actual sin to us imputed; 2. Loss of God’s glorious image, innocency and holiness; 3. Deriving by propagation a nature — (1.) Defiled with the pollution, (2.) Laden with the guilt, (3.) Subtitled to the power of sin; 4. A being exposed to all temporal miseries, leading to and procuring death; 5. An alienation from God, with voluntary obedience to Satan and lust; 6. An utter disability to good, or to labour for mercy; 7. Eternal damnation of body and soul in hell. shameful fall of our first parents.
Rom. v. 12, 14.

Q. 2. Wherein did that hurt us, their posterity?

A. Divers ways; first, ^ain that we were all guilty of the same breach of covenant with Adam, being all in him; secondly, ^bour souls with his were deprived of that holiness, innocence, and righteousness wherein they were at first created; thirdly, ^cpollution and defilement of nature came upon us; with, fourthly, ^dan extreme disability of doing any thing that is well-pleasing unto God; ^eby all which we are made obnoxious to the curse.
^aJohn iii. 36; Rom. v. 12; Eph. ii. 3. ^bGen. iii. 10; Eph iv. 23, 24; Col. iii. 10. ^cJob xiv. 4; Ps. li. 7; John iii. 6; Rom. iii. 13. ^dGen. vi. 5; Eph. ii. 1; Jer. vi. 16, xiii. 23; Rom. viii. 7. ^eGen. iii. 17; Gal. iii. 10.

Q. 3. Wherein doth the curse of God consist?

A. In divers things; first, ^ain the⁴¹⁴¹   All that a natural man hath on this side hell is free mercy. guilt of death, temporal and eternal; secondly, ^bthe loss of the grace and favour of God; thirdly, ^cguilt and horror of conscience, despair and anguish here; with, fourthly, ^deternal damnation hereafter.
^aGen. ii. 17; Rom. i. 18, v. 12, 17; Eph. ii. 3. ^bGen. iii. 24; Ezek. xvi. 3–5; Eph ii. 13. ^cGen. iii. 10; Isa. xlviii. 22; Rom. iii. 9, 19, Gal. iii. 22. ^dGen. iii. 10, 13; John iii. 36.

Q. 4. Are all men born in this estate?

A. Every one without exception.
Ps. li. 5; Isa. liii. 6; Rom. iii. 9–12; Eph. ii. 3.

Q. 5. And do they continue therein?

A. Of themselves⁴²⁴²   The end of this is Jesus Christ, to all that fly for refuge to the hope set before them. they cannot otherwise do, being able neither to ^aknow, nor ^bwill, nor ^cdo any thing that is spiritually good and pleasing unto God.
^aActs viii. 31, xvi. 14; 1 Cor. ii. 14; Eph. v. 8; John i. 5. ^bJer. vi. 16, xiii. 23; Luke iv. 18; Rom. vi. 16, viii. 7. ^cJohn vi. 44; 2 Cor. iii. 5.

478Q. 6. Have they, then, no way of themselves to escape the curse and wrath of God?

A. None at all; they can neither satisfy his justice, nor fulfil his law.