WLC answers

[Amazing Grace]

A friend of mine asked me if I knew why those who penned the WLC put so many answers to the questions. I have no idea. Does anyone have any input on this? To be more clear, it seems an answer like "No sports allowed...." Would have listed 77 different sports. Did they go around a table and allow all present to say something to be included?

 

[Scott1]

Westminster Larger Catechism

....

Q. 7. What is God?

A. God is a Spirit,[18] in and of himself infinite in being,[19] glory,[20] blessedness,[21] and perfection;[22] all-sufficient,[23] eternal,[24] unchangeable,[25] incomprehensible,[26] every where present,[27] almighty,[28] knowing all things,[29] most wise,[30] most holy,[31] most just,[32] most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.[33]

....

Scripture proofs

[18] John 4:24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
[19] Exodus 3:14. And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Job 11:7-9. Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
[20] Acts 7:2. And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran.
[21] 1 Timothy 6:15. Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.
[22] Matthew 5:48. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
[23] Genesis 17:1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
[24] Psalm 90:2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
[25] Malachi 3:6. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
[26] 1 Kings 8:27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
[27] Psalm 139:1-13. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
[28] Revelation 4:8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
[29] Hebrews 4:13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Psalm 147:5. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
[30] Romans 16:27. To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
[31] Isaiah 6:3. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Revelation 15:4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
[32] Deuteronomy 32:4. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
[33] Exodus 34:6. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

If I'm understanding your question, the question and answer format of the Westminster Catechisms is a concise way of summarizing doctrine.

The Westminster Standards (Confession, Larger and Shorter Catechisms) are set up so that each statement and each proposition within each statement represents doctrine of Scripture.

It is not written toward ambiguity, nor toward compromise between various views. It represents the agreed essentials very specifically and sticks right to them throughout.

This of course is in contrast to much writing, today and in the past where ambiguity and compromise is actually sought as a purpose for the prose.

But to approach the special revelation of God as the peculiar province of the intellectual opinion of a few men, would be great sin, and so the Standards eschew this throughout.

That's why a proposition that may be only one word is footnoted as the example from question 7 above.

Each attribute of God footnoted was agreed by the broader committee of the (Westminster) Divines to be a necessary doctrinal attribute, in light of Scripture and perhaps in light of truths historically contended for in the Christian Church.

For example, this question (7.) alone goes a long way toward establishing the sovereignty of God. It militates against modern day Arminian influence (and Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism of earlier days).

So, when we as fallen creatures, limited, creations of our God demand that God justify His ways to us (by making them sound "fair" to us) or when we require "explanation" of details as a condition of our faith, we are, in effect, making ourselves god-like. Our intellect becomes the arbitrator of all things, the measure of all things by which God must prove Himself to us. (This is sin, an offense to our Creator. It is a form of idolatry).

So, in this instance, the attributes summarize doctrine of God (sovereignty) by attributes that revealed in Scripture, "infinite in being," and "incomprehensible" and "every where present."

Were the Catechism summarizing the doctrine of Scripture regarding "sports" it likely would not be germane to itemize sports because the point of the doctrine is not the variety of sport, but in something intrinsic to it generally.

 

[KaphLamedh]

Westminster Larger Catechism is great. It tells everything so thoroughly.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Here is some background on the Larger Catechism.
"The Making of the Westminster Larger Catechism" by Chad B. Van Dixhoorn

Some years back Dr. Van Dixhoorn, the author of the above, rediscovered the original two surviving manuscripts of the Larger Catechism (the tale he tells in the transcripts, see below). These were clearly the two presented to the Parliament for their review, one to the House of Commons and one to the House of Lords, each in a different "hand" and with variations.

Chad asked me to transcribe the two MSS since he knew I was working on critical text work. After submitting a draft I worked some years to perfect it with more research and published the text this year via Westminster Letter Press.

The Larger Catechism of the Westminster Assembly: A Transcription of the Surviving Manuscripts with Notes.