Q. 6. What was the ftate in which our first parents were created, from whence they fell?"

A. The ftate wherein our firft parents were created, and from whence they fell, was a state of innocency. Eccles. vii. 29. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright, but they have fought out many inventions.'

Q. 7. Whereby did our first parents fall from the ftate wherein they were created?

A. Our first parents fell from the state wherein they were created, by finning against God.

XIV. Queft. What is fin?

Anfw. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or tranfgref fion of the law of God.

Q. I. What is meant by the law of God, which fin iş a breach of?

A. By the law of God is meant the commandments, which God the Creator, and Supreme King and Lawgiv. er, hath laid upon all the children of men, his creatures & fubjects, as the rule of their obedience.

Q. 2. Where is the law of God to be found?

A. The law of God in fome part of it, and more darkly, is to be found written upon the hearts of all men, Rom. ii. 15. but most plainly and fully, it is to be found writ ten in the word of God.

Q. 3. How many kinds of laws of God are there in the word of God?

A. 1. There is the judicial law, which concerned chiefly the nation of the Jews, and in every respect doth not bind all other nations. 2. There is the ceremonial law, which was in no part of it binding upon any, but for a time; namely, before the coming of Chrift, who fulfilled this law, and abrogated it. 3. There is the moral law, written at first by God himself in tables of stone, which is a standing rule of obedience unto the end of the world. Q. 4. What is meant by want of conformity to the law of God?

A. By want of conformity to God's law, is meant, both an unfuitablenefs and difagreeablenefs to the law and a not observation and not obedience to it.

Q5. What fins doth want of conformity to the law in clude?

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A. The fins included in the want of conformity to the law of God, are, 1. Original fin, and that natural enmity in the heart against the law of God. Rom. viii. 7. • The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not fubject to his law, neither indeed can be.' 2. All fins of omiffion; the former is a want of conformity of heart, the latter a want of conformity of life, to God's law.

Q. 6. What is it to tranfgrefs the law of God?

A. To tranfgrefs the law, is to pass the bounds which are fet in the law.

Q. 7. How doth it appear that the tranfgreffion of the law is fin?

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A. It doth appear from 1 John iii. 4. ' Whofoever committeth fin, tranfgreffeth the law; for fin is the trangreffion of the law.'

Q. 8. Is nothing a fin then, but what is against God's law? A. Nothing is a fin, but what God hath either exprefsly, or by confequence, forbidden in his law.

XV. Queft What was the fin whereby our first parents fell from the eftate wherein they were created?

Anfw. The fin whereby our first parents fell from the eftate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.

Q. 1. Why did God forbid our firft parents to eat of this fruit?

A. Not because there was any intrinsical evil in the fruit of the forbidden tree, it being as indifferent in itself to eat of this tree as any other tree in the garden; but God did forbid them to eat of the fruit of this tree, to try their obedience.

Q. 2. Could this fin, of eating the forbidden fruit, be very heinous, when the thing in itself was indifferent?

A. 1. Though the eating the fruit was indifferent in itfelf, yet when fo exprefsly forbidden by God, it ceased to be indifferent, but was abfolutely unlawful, and a great fin. 2. This fin of eating the forbidden fruit, was fuch a fin as included many other fins, as it was circumftantia

ted.

Q3. What fins did the eating of the forbidden fruit include?

A. The fins included in our first parents eating the

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forbidden fruit, were, 1. Rebellion against God their fove reign, who had exprefsly forbidden them to eat of this tree. 2. Treafon in confpiring with the devil, God's enemy, against God. 3. Ambition, in afpiring to a higher ftate, namely, to be as God 4. Luxury, in indulging fo much to please the sense of tafte, which did inordinately defire this fruit. 5. Ingratitude to God, who had given them leave to eat of any tree of the garden befides. 6. Unbelief, in not giving credit to the threatning of death; but believing the devil, who faid, they fhould not die; rather than God, who told them they should furely die, did they eat of this fruit. 7. Murder, in bringing death by this fin upon themselves, and all their pofterity. Thefe and many other fins were included in this fin of our first parents eating of the forbidden fruit; which did render it exceeding heinous in the fight of God.

XVI. Queft. Did all mankind fall in Adam's first tranfgreffion?

Anfw. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his pofterity, all mankind, defcending from him by ordinary generation, finned in him, and fell with him in his firft tranfgreffion.

Q. 1. Did all mankind, without any exception, fall in Adam's firft tranfgrefion?

A. No: for our Lord Jefus Chrift, who was one of Adam's pofterity, did not fall with Adam, but was per fectly free, both from original and actual fin. Heb. vii. 26. For fuch an high priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, feparate from finners.' 1 Pet. ii. 22. Who did no fin.'

Q. 2. How was it that the Lord Jefus Chrift efcaped tre fall with Adam?

A. Because our Lord Jefus defcended from Adam by extraordinary generation, being born of a virgin. Matth. i. 18. Now the birth of Chrift was on this wife; when as his mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph, before they came together, the was found with child of the Holy Ghoft.'

Q. 3. Did all the pofterity of Adam, befides Chrift, fail in his first fin?

4. All the pofterity of Adam, befides Chrift, defcend

ing from him by ordinary generation, did fall in his firft fin. Rom. v. 12. By one man fin entered into the world and death by fin; and fo death paffed upon all men, for that all have finned.'

Q. 4. How could all the pofterity of Adam, being then unborn, fall in his fin?

A. All the pofterity of Adam were in him before they were born, and fo they finned in him and fell with him. 1 Cor. xv. 22. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive.'

Q. 5. How were all Adam's pofterity in him when be first finned?

A. 1. They were in him virtually, they were in his loins; and as Levi is faid to pay tithes in Abraham, when only in his loins. Heb. vii. 9. fo Adam's pofterity finned in his loins. 2. They were in him reprefentatively; Adam was the common head and representative of all mankind.

Q. 6. What reafon is there that the pofterity of Adam Should fall with Adam their reprefentative?

A. Because the covenant of works, wherein life was promifed upon condition of obedience, was made with Adam not only for himself, but alfo for his pofterity: therefore, as if Adam had ftood, all his pofterity had flood with him; fo Adam falling, they all fell with him. Q. 7. How could Adam be the reprefentative of all his pofterity, when there was none of them in being, to make choice of him for their reprefentative?

A. 1. It was more fit Adam fhould be the reprefentative of his pofterity than any elfe, being the father of them all. 2. Though they did not chufe him for their repre resentative, yet God did chufe him; and God made as good a choice for them, as they could have made for themfelves.

XVII. Queft. Into what eftate did the fall bring mankind? Anfw. The fall brought mankind into an estate of fin and mifery.

XVIII. Queft. Wherein confifts the finfulness of that eftate whereinto man fell?

Anfw. The finfulness of that estate whereinto man fell confifts in the guilt of Adam's firft fin, the want of original righteoufnefs, and the corruption of his whole nature,

which is commonly called original fin, together with all actual tranfgreffions which proceed from it.

Q. 1. How many forts of fin are there which denote the finfulness of the eftate of man by the fall?

A. There are two forts of fin, namely, original fin, and actual fin.

Q. 2. Wherein doth original fin confist?

A. Original fin doth confift in three things: 1. In the guilt of Adam's first fin. 2. In the want of original righteoufnefs. 3. In the corruption of the whole nature. Q.3. How are all the children of men guilty of Adam's first fin?

A. All the children of men are guilty of Adam's first fin by imputation: as the righteoufnefs of Chrift, the fecond Adam, is imputed unto all the spiritual feed, namely, to all believers; fo the fin of the first Adam is imputed to all the natural feed which came forth of his loins. Rom. v. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made finners; fo by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous.'

Q.4. What is included in the want of original righteousness? A. The want of original righteousness doth include, 1. Want of true fpiritual knowledge in the mind.

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I. Cor. ii. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; neither can he know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned.' 2. Want of inclination and power to good; and want of all spiritual affections in the will and heart.' Rom. vii. 18. In me (that is in my fieth) dwelleth no good thing; but how to perform that which is good, I find not '

Q.5. Is the want of original righteousness a fin?

A. Yes becaufe it is a want of conformity to the law of God, which requireth original and habitual righteoufuefs, as well as actual.

Q.6. If God withhold this original righteousness, is not be the author of fin?

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A. No becaufe, though man be bound to have it, yet God is not bound to restore it when man hath loft it; and it is not a fin, but a punishment of the first fin, as God doth withhold it.

Q.7. How could the fouls of Adam's pofterity, not yet cre