Q. 56 of the WSC and "Escape Punishment by Men"

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Q. 56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?

A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.

This open ended so please feel free to discuss.

What does the Westminster Shorter Catechism mean by "escaping the punishment of men"?

Ecclesiastical?

Civil?

Other?

What say you?

 

[Scott1]

Westminster Shorter Catechism
Question 56

Scripture proofs

[140] Deuteronomy 28:58-59. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. 1 Samuel 3:13. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 1 Samuel 4:11. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

Looking at the context of how this is presented in the Catechism, and the Scripture proofs, I think this means something like...

Even though man may seem to get away with it here (among men), he is and will be judged for it by God.