Chris Coldwell (NaphtaliPress) has published Presbyterian & Reformed books since 1987. He is the editor of The Confessional Presbyterian journal, an annual publication containing scholarly articles from a Confessional Presbyterian perspective by men from the many conservative Presbyterian & Reformed denominations today. He has a particular interest in the text of the Westminster Standards, and a critical text of the Larger Catechism is running serially in the journal beginning with the 2007 issue.
A Critical Text of the Westminster Larger Catechism 7: Q. 12 & 13
Posted 09-27-2007 at 11:09 AM by NaphtaliPress
A Critical Text of the Westminster Larger Catechism: Q. 1–50
Q. 12. What are the decrees of God?
A. God’s decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will,t whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time;u especially concerning angels and men.
t. Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:33; Rom. 9:14–15, 18.
u. Eph. 1:4, 11; Rom. 9:22–23; Ps. 33:11.
Variants:
88. (1) “Decrees, are, the”: MSb. (2) “decrees are, the”: Watson.
89. “free and”: THIRD; Cox; L&Rb; RPa. DNLP and L&Ra have the comma and L&Rc restored it to the traditional text.
90. “will; whereby”: THIRD; Cox. The comma is in Watson.
91. In “t”: (1) Eph. 4:11 but the text is correct: MAX—Cox. Corrected by DNLP; RP; L&R—. (2) Rom. 9:15–15, 18: RPc.
92. “whereby from”: MSa;† AMb; W1438; MAX; RTHb; Watson; DNLP; RPc; ARPd; Perkins. †Bower notes a comma in MSa; and there is a faint mark in the copy.
93. “eternity he”: RTHb—DNLP; RPc; UPCa.
94. (1) “he hath for”: AMab; TYLRab; W1438; MAX; RTHb; Watson; DNLP. (2) “hath, for” (THIRD): MSS, THIRD; Cox; RPa; L&R and forward in American and Scottish texts. The added comma has been retained as helpful.
95. “unchangeably, foreordained”: AMab; TYLRab; W1438. This is an unnecessary and rather nonsensical comma. It is not in the MSS, and was dropped from the traditional text from the Rothwell editions forward.
96. “time, especially”: MSa; MAX—Mair; FPLC; all American texts.
97. “angels, and”: MSb.
98. American proofs. PCUSA(1797): In “t”: Aitken and PCUSAb had Rom. 9.14–and 15, 18, but text only of 15 and 18. Woodward and Finley have Rom. ix. 14–and xv. 18 and text of 9:15, 18. PCUSAc drops v 14 and corrects to 9:15, 18 with only the text of those verses. PCUSA(1894): In “t”: (–) Rom. 9:15, 18; (+) Isa. 45:6–7. PCUS(1910): (–) “t”. In “u”: (–) Rom. 9:22–23; (+) Acts 4:27–28. OPC(2001): In “t”: (+) Isa. 45:6–7. In “u”: (+) Isa. 14:24; Acts 2:23; Acts 4:27–28.
Q. 13. What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men?
A. God by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory;w and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof:x and also according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favour as he pleaseth), hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonour and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.y
w. 1 Tim. 5:21.
x. Eph. 1:4–6; 2 Thess. 2:13–14.
y. Rom. 9:17–18, 21–22; Matt. 11:25–26; 2 Tim. 2:20; Jude 4; 1 Pet. 2:8.
Variants:
99. In “y”: 1 Tim. 2:20, but text correct (L&Rc): RobSR; WDuncan; Duncan. Correct in E.Rob forward.
100. In Q. “angels, and”: MSa.
101. “God, by”: MSS; BSTK, THIRD; Cox; RPa; L&Rac—Mair; FPLC; all American texts. This comma was not in the early printed editions prior to Bostock. It was present in the MSS and in a few editions after Bostock. RPa has it, but it was not introduced into the traditional text until L&Ra. It dropped out in L&Rb, but was restored in L&Rc, and came into the traditional text. The comma is not necessary, and while it may appear helpful, and has long been retained, the focus is on God’s decree and the comma tends to lessen this emphasis.
102. “love for”: MSa. Bower assigns no comma; the copy has a “comma-like” mark.
103. “eternal, and”: MSa.
104. “grace, to be” (THIRD; KNCDb): THIRD; Cox; RPc; KNCDb—Mair; FPLC. Only ARPa–d lack the comma in American editions.
105. (1) “glory, and”: MAX—Cox; E.Rob;† UPCa; Vos (but not Young). DNLP restored the semi-colon. †The text was into the gutter in the L&Rc microfilm; but the other L&Rc “types” have the semi-colon (where this occurs, here and hereafter, reference to “other types” of L&Rc implies: RobSR, WDuncan and Duncan and the Glasgow of 1763, n.p.). (2) “glory: and”: PCUSab.
106. In “w”: DNLP left off the 1 in 1 Tim. 5:21.
107. (1) “and, in Christ, hath” (E.Rob; PCUSAb): MSa. E.Rob—Kerr; ARPa–d; PCUSAb–e; PCUS. (2) “and in Christ, hath”: Blair; Orr; Mair; Towar; Young; Perkins; Vos. (3) “and in Christ hath”: MSb; J&H; PCUSAf–UP; GCP; OPC; PCA.
108. “life and”: DNLP—L&R; PCUSAa. The comma was reintroduced to the traditional text by E.Rob.
109. (1) “thereof; and”: TYLRab;† W1438a; THIRD; Cox; E.Rob; UPCa; PCUSAb, i–UP; PCUSb–BofC; BP. (2) “thereof, and”: MAX; RTHb; Watson; PCUSAc–f; PCUSab; Perkins. DNLP restored the colon. It is in several examples of type L&Rc except for E.Rob. The colon comes in again with 1771np and KNCDa. The colon was in †W1435 and W1435a.
110. “and also, according”: MSb; THIRD; Cox; RP; L&R—Mair; FPLC; all American texts. There is no comma in Watson or DNLP. The L&Rc text was into the gutter, but others which follow the L&Rc form have the comma.
111. (1) “will (whereby”: THIRD; Cox; UPCa; ARPa, d–g; PCUSAg–UP; BP; GCP. The early editions and the MSS have a comma after “will, “ which is unnecessary. (2) “pleaseth) hath”: MSa; AMab; TYLRab; W1438; MAX—L&Rab; RPa. (3) Both commas missing: L&Rc; E.Rob; PCUSAa–f; PCUS; Perkins. (4) “pleaseth, )”: MSb; KNCDb. The comma evidently was not moved to the outside of the parentheses until 1771np and KNCDa. Kerr moved it back inside. In this critical text a distinction will generally not be made whether punctuation is inside or outside the closing parentheses, or before or after the Scripture proof reference, or other like accidentals in the text.
112. “extendeth, or … favour, as”: MAX—Cox; RPa.
113. (1) “passed by, and”: MSS;† TYLRab;‡ W1438a; THIRD—COX; L&R; RP; Kerr; ARPa–d; RPCNA; PCUSA–UP;§ PCUS; PERKINS; BP. The comma is dropped in all the editions of Blair—Mair. ‡W1435 has no comma. (2) “passed, by”: §PCUSAi.
114. “and, fore-ordained”: MSb. Bower assigns a comma, but this appears rather to be an insertion mark (^), a symbol used throughout to indicate an interline insertion. In this case, the “fore” is inserted interline above the mark, and no other mark which may be a comma is discernable in the copy, except possibly a very small extension at the point of the mark.
115. “inflicted to”: †MSS; PCUSAb. †MSa “,” possible.
116. American proofs. PCUSA(1797/1894): In “x”: (+) 1 Pet. 1:2. In “y”: (–) 1 Pet. 2:8. PCUSA(1894): In “x”: (+) Eph. 2:10; (–) Eph. 1:4–6. In “y”: (–) 2 Tim. 2:20; (+) Ezek. 18; Matt. 25:41–46. PCUS(1910): In “x”: (+) 1 Pet. 1:2. In “y”: (–) 1 Pet. 2:8. OPC(2001): In “x”: (+) Eph. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:2.
Q. 12. What are the decrees of God?
A. God’s decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of his will,t whereby, from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time;u especially concerning angels and men.
t. Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:33; Rom. 9:14–15, 18.
u. Eph. 1:4, 11; Rom. 9:22–23; Ps. 33:11.
Variants:
88. (1) “Decrees, are, the”: MSb. (2) “decrees are, the”: Watson.
89. “free and”: THIRD; Cox; L&Rb; RPa. DNLP and L&Ra have the comma and L&Rc restored it to the traditional text.
90. “will; whereby”: THIRD; Cox. The comma is in Watson.
91. In “t”: (1) Eph. 4:11 but the text is correct: MAX—Cox. Corrected by DNLP; RP; L&R—. (2) Rom. 9:15–15, 18: RPc.
92. “whereby from”: MSa;† AMb; W1438; MAX; RTHb; Watson; DNLP; RPc; ARPd; Perkins. †Bower notes a comma in MSa; and there is a faint mark in the copy.
93. “eternity he”: RTHb—DNLP; RPc; UPCa.
94. (1) “he hath for”: AMab; TYLRab; W1438; MAX; RTHb; Watson; DNLP. (2) “hath, for” (THIRD): MSS, THIRD; Cox; RPa; L&R and forward in American and Scottish texts. The added comma has been retained as helpful.
95. “unchangeably, foreordained”: AMab; TYLRab; W1438. This is an unnecessary and rather nonsensical comma. It is not in the MSS, and was dropped from the traditional text from the Rothwell editions forward.
96. “time, especially”: MSa; MAX—Mair; FPLC; all American texts.
97. “angels, and”: MSb.
98. American proofs. PCUSA(1797): In “t”: Aitken and PCUSAb had Rom. 9.14–and 15, 18, but text only of 15 and 18. Woodward and Finley have Rom. ix. 14–and xv. 18 and text of 9:15, 18. PCUSAc drops v 14 and corrects to 9:15, 18 with only the text of those verses. PCUSA(1894): In “t”: (–) Rom. 9:15, 18; (+) Isa. 45:6–7. PCUS(1910): (–) “t”. In “u”: (–) Rom. 9:22–23; (+) Acts 4:27–28. OPC(2001): In “t”: (+) Isa. 45:6–7. In “u”: (+) Isa. 14:24; Acts 2:23; Acts 4:27–28.
Q. 13. What hath God especially decreed concerning angels and men?
A. God by an eternal and immutable decree, out of his mere love, for the praise of his glorious grace to be manifested in due time, hath elected some angels to glory;w and in Christ hath chosen some men to eternal life, and the means thereof:x and also according to his sovereign power, and the unsearchable counsel of his own will (whereby he extendeth or withholdeth favour as he pleaseth), hath passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonour and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted, to the praise of the glory of his justice.y
w. 1 Tim. 5:21.
x. Eph. 1:4–6; 2 Thess. 2:13–14.
y. Rom. 9:17–18, 21–22; Matt. 11:25–26; 2 Tim. 2:20; Jude 4; 1 Pet. 2:8.
Variants:
99. In “y”: 1 Tim. 2:20, but text correct (L&Rc): RobSR; WDuncan; Duncan. Correct in E.Rob forward.
100. In Q. “angels, and”: MSa.
101. “God, by”: MSS; BSTK, THIRD; Cox; RPa; L&Rac—Mair; FPLC; all American texts. This comma was not in the early printed editions prior to Bostock. It was present in the MSS and in a few editions after Bostock. RPa has it, but it was not introduced into the traditional text until L&Ra. It dropped out in L&Rb, but was restored in L&Rc, and came into the traditional text. The comma is not necessary, and while it may appear helpful, and has long been retained, the focus is on God’s decree and the comma tends to lessen this emphasis.
102. “love for”: MSa. Bower assigns no comma; the copy has a “comma-like” mark.
103. “eternal, and”: MSa.
104. “grace, to be” (THIRD; KNCDb): THIRD; Cox; RPc; KNCDb—Mair; FPLC. Only ARPa–d lack the comma in American editions.
105. (1) “glory, and”: MAX—Cox; E.Rob;† UPCa; Vos (but not Young). DNLP restored the semi-colon. †The text was into the gutter in the L&Rc microfilm; but the other L&Rc “types” have the semi-colon (where this occurs, here and hereafter, reference to “other types” of L&Rc implies: RobSR, WDuncan and Duncan and the Glasgow of 1763, n.p.). (2) “glory: and”: PCUSab.
106. In “w”: DNLP left off the 1 in 1 Tim. 5:21.
107. (1) “and, in Christ, hath” (E.Rob; PCUSAb): MSa. E.Rob—Kerr; ARPa–d; PCUSAb–e; PCUS. (2) “and in Christ, hath”: Blair; Orr; Mair; Towar; Young; Perkins; Vos. (3) “and in Christ hath”: MSb; J&H; PCUSAf–UP; GCP; OPC; PCA.
108. “life and”: DNLP—L&R; PCUSAa. The comma was reintroduced to the traditional text by E.Rob.
109. (1) “thereof; and”: TYLRab;† W1438a; THIRD; Cox; E.Rob; UPCa; PCUSAb, i–UP; PCUSb–BofC; BP. (2) “thereof, and”: MAX; RTHb; Watson; PCUSAc–f; PCUSab; Perkins. DNLP restored the colon. It is in several examples of type L&Rc except for E.Rob. The colon comes in again with 1771np and KNCDa. The colon was in †W1435 and W1435a.
110. “and also, according”: MSb; THIRD; Cox; RP; L&R—Mair; FPLC; all American texts. There is no comma in Watson or DNLP. The L&Rc text was into the gutter, but others which follow the L&Rc form have the comma.
111. (1) “will (whereby”: THIRD; Cox; UPCa; ARPa, d–g; PCUSAg–UP; BP; GCP. The early editions and the MSS have a comma after “will, “ which is unnecessary. (2) “pleaseth) hath”: MSa; AMab; TYLRab; W1438; MAX—L&Rab; RPa. (3) Both commas missing: L&Rc; E.Rob; PCUSAa–f; PCUS; Perkins. (4) “pleaseth, )”: MSb; KNCDb. The comma evidently was not moved to the outside of the parentheses until 1771np and KNCDa. Kerr moved it back inside. In this critical text a distinction will generally not be made whether punctuation is inside or outside the closing parentheses, or before or after the Scripture proof reference, or other like accidentals in the text.
112. “extendeth, or … favour, as”: MAX—Cox; RPa.
113. (1) “passed by, and”: MSS;† TYLRab;‡ W1438a; THIRD—COX; L&R; RP; Kerr; ARPa–d; RPCNA; PCUSA–UP;§ PCUS; PERKINS; BP. The comma is dropped in all the editions of Blair—Mair. ‡W1435 has no comma. (2) “passed, by”: §PCUSAi.
114. “and, fore-ordained”: MSb. Bower assigns a comma, but this appears rather to be an insertion mark (^), a symbol used throughout to indicate an interline insertion. In this case, the “fore” is inserted interline above the mark, and no other mark which may be a comma is discernable in the copy, except possibly a very small extension at the point of the mark.
115. “inflicted to”: †MSS; PCUSAb. †MSa “,” possible.
116. American proofs. PCUSA(1797/1894): In “x”: (+) 1 Pet. 1:2. In “y”: (–) 1 Pet. 2:8. PCUSA(1894): In “x”: (+) Eph. 2:10; (–) Eph. 1:4–6. In “y”: (–) 2 Tim. 2:20; (+) Ezek. 18; Matt. 25:41–46. PCUS(1910): In “x”: (+) 1 Pet. 1:2. In “y”: (–) 1 Pet. 2:8. OPC(2001): In “x”: (+) Eph. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:2.
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