For those who don't have the Larger Catechism, here is Q&A 99, with some commentary from my text study for interest. Quote: Q.99. What rules are to be observed for the right understanding of the ten commandments?
For the right understanding of the ten commandments, these rules are to be observed:
(1) That the law is perfect, and bindeth everyone to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience, forever; so as, to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin. (o)
(2) That it is spiritual; and so, reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul, as well as words, works, and gestures. (p)
(3) That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments. (q)
(4) That, as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; (r) and, where a sin is forbidden the contrary duty is commanded: (s) so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included; (t) and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included. (u)
(5) That, what God forbids, is at no time to be done; (w) what he commands, is always our duty, (x) yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times. (y)
(6) That, under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded, together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto. (z)
(7) That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places, to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places. (a)
(8) That, in what is commanded to others, we are bound according to our places and callings to be helpful to them; (b) and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them. (c)
o PSA 19:7; JAM 2:10; MAT 5:21 to the end. [MAT 5:20 to the end; first verse given in text though is verse 21. Also in Duncan and 1771np. Corrected by KNCDa.
p ROM 7:14; DEU 6:5; With MAT 22:37-39; MAT 5:21-22, 27-28, 36 to the end. [Dunlop and L&Rbc drop the MAT 5 reference altogether. RP retained it.] [Rothwell etc Compared With]
q COL 3:5; AMO 8:5; PRO 1:19; 1TI 6:10 [RPc had AMO 8:3]
r ISA 58:13; DEU 6:13; With MAT 4:9-10; MAT 15:4-6 [Rothwell ibid]
s MAT 5:21-25; EPH 4:28 [Dunlop and L&Rbc drop vs 25 from the MAT reference].
t EXO 20:12; With PRO 30:17 [Rothwell ibid]
u JER 18:7-8; EXO 20:7; With PSA 15:1, 4-5; And PSA 24:4-5 [Rothwell Compared With and And With]]
w JOB 13:7-8; ROM 3:8; JOB 36:21; HEB 11:25
x DEU 4:8-9
y MAT 12:7
z MAT 5:21-22, 27-28; MAT 15:4-6; HEB 10:24-25; 1TH 5:22; JUD 23; GAL 5:26; COL 3:21 [JUD 22 in RPc].
a EXO 20:10; LEV 19:17; GEN 18:19; JOS 24:15; DEU 6:6-7
b 2CO 1:24
c 1TI 5:22; EPH 5:11
Variants:
1)The rules for rightly understanding the Ten Commandments in Larger Catechism 99 seem to have first been numbered in the Dillingham Latin translation first published by John Field in 1656 (DLL). MAX did not number them, but RTHb does so, as do THIRD, SNDRS, and SWTNab. See Coldwell, “The Development of the Traditional Form of The Westminster Standards” CPJ 1.169.
2)“commandments these rules”: MSa.
3)(1) observed.”: MSa; MAX; RothB; RPa. (2) “observed;” MSb; L&Rc. (3) “observed,”: THIRD; FOURTH; COX; DNLP; L&Rb. (3) “observed:”: E.Rob?; but may be broken type and a semi-colon. Duncan and 1771np have the semi-colon.
4)In Rule 1: “conformity, in”: MSb.
5)“whole man, unto”: MSS.
6)“obedience forever; so”: MSa; W1438; Dunlop; L&R; E.Rob. (2) “forever, so”: MAX; RothB; THIRD; FOURTH; COX; E.Rob. (3) “so as to”: W1438; Dunlop; L&R; E.Rob; RPc.
7)“and, to forbid”: MSb.
8)In Rule 2: “spiritual, and”: MSS; MAX; RothB; THIRD; FOURTH; COX; Dunlop; RP; L&R; E.Rob.
9)“so reacheth”: FOURTH; Dunlop; RP; L&R; E.Rob.
10)“soul; as”: Dunlop; L&Rbc. [corrected; typo of “soul; and” in previous files]. E.Rob has the comma.
11)“works and”: MSa.
12)In Rule 3: “same things”: MSb.
13)“required, or”: MSS.
14)“forbidden, in”: MSa.
15)In Rule 4: (1) That as where”: MSa; Dunlop. (2) That as, where”: RP; L&R; E.Rob.
16)(1) “is forbidden &, where a sin”: W1438. (2) “forbidden, and where”: MAX; RothB; THIRD; FOURTH; COX. (3) “forbidden; and where”: Dunlop; RPa; L&R. (4) “forbidden,— and where” … “included, — and where”: RPc.
17)(1) “forbidden, the contrary”: MSb; AM; Tyler; MAX; RothB; THIRD; FOURTH; COX; Dunlop; RP; L&R; E.Rob. (2) “forbidden; the”: W1438.
18)“commanded; so”: RP; E.Rob.
19)(1) “so where”: W1438; FOURTH; Dunlop. (2) “and where”: W1438; Dunlop; RPc.
20)(1) “included: and”: Tyler. (2) “included, and”: E.Rob. (3) “and where”: E.Rob.
21)In Rule 5: “That what”: MSa; RothB; THIRD; FOURTH; COX; Dunlop; E.Rob.
22)“forbids is”: MSa.
23)(1) “done: what”: MSa. (2) “done, what”: Tyler; MAX; RothB; THIRD; FOURTH; COX.
24)commands is”: MSa.
25)(1) “duty; yet”: MSa; W1438. (2) “our duty, and yet”: MAX; RothB; THIRD; FOURTH; COX. (3) “our duty; and yet”: Dunlop; RP; L&R; E.Rob. (4) “our duty: and yet”: RPc. Rothwell ‘A’ (MAX) added the “and” prior to “yet.”
26)In Rule 6: “That under”: MSS; FOURTH; Dunlop; L&R.
27)“sin, or duty”: MSa.
28)“forbidden, or”: MSa.
29)“commanded; together”: Dunlop; L&R; E.Rob.
30)“occasions and”: RPa.
31)In Rule 7: “That, what”: MSb; RP.
32)“bound according”: Dunlop.
33)“forbidden, or”: MSa.
34)“avoided, or”: MSa.
35)“performed, by”: MSb.
36)“to, the duty”: AM.
37)In Rule 8: “That in”: MSa; Dunlop; L&Rb. The comma is in L&Rc; 1771np.
38)“others we”: FOURTH.
39)“bound, accordingly”: MSb; RPc.
40)“places, and”: MSa.
41)“callings, to”: MSS; E.Rob; RPc.
42)(1) “them, and”: MAX; RothB; FOURTH; COX; RP; E.Rob. (2) “them and”: THIRD.
43)“and, to”: MSS.
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Chris Coldwell
Lakewood Presbyterian Church (PCA), Member • Naphtali Press: Presbyterian & Reformed Books • The Confessional Presbyterian, A Journal for Discussion of Presbyterian Doctrine & Practice • The Blue Banner Archive When heresy rises in an evangelical body, it is never frank and open. It always begins by skulking, and assuming a disguise. Its advocates, when together, boast of great improvements, and congratulate one another on having gone greatly beyond the ‘old dead orthodoxy,’ and on having left behind many of its antiquated errors: but when taxed with deviations from the received faith, they complain of the unreasonableness of their accusers, as they ‘differ from it only in words.’ This has been the standing course of errorists ever since the apostolic age. Samuel Miller, Introductory essay, The Articles of the Synod of Dort (1841).
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