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Shorter Catechism
St Philaret of Moscow, in Blackmore, 1845
Chapter 2
Q. How is the Creed divided?
A. Into twelve Articles.
Q. What is the first Article of the Creed?
A. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
Q. What points of our belief are contained in this Article?
A. The following:
1. God is One.
2. Being One in essence, He is yet Three in Persons.
3. The First Person of the Trinity is God the Father.
4. God thus One in Three Persons made heaven and earth, and all things visible and invisible.
5. God sustains by His power, and governs all things.
Q. What is the second Article of the Creed?
A. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, Very God of very God, Begotten, not made, Of one substance with the Father, By Whom all things were made.
Q. What points of our belief are taught in this Article?
A. The following:
1. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity is the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus Christ is the one only Son of God, and there is no other Son of God in such sense as He.
3. The Son of God is begotten of God the Father, before all worlds, and all times; and so is coeternal with the Father.
4. Jesus Christ is very God begotten of very God, and is of one substance with the Father.
5. The Son is not made, but all things were made by Him.
Q. What is the third Article of the Creed?
A. Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made Man.
Q. What are we here taught to believe of the Son of God?
A. We are taught to believe as follows:
1. The Son of God came down from heaven; took upon Him the nature of man, that is, a reasonable soul and human flesh; was made man, without ceasing to be God, and dwelt on earth, where He was called Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus Christ was born on earth of the most Holy Virgin Mary, who conceived Him by the operation of the Holy Ghost, and remaineth ever Virgin.
3. Jesus Christ came on earth to save men from sin, in which they are born and live, and from death, to which they have been condemned ever since the Fall of Adam.
Q. What is the fourth Article of the Creed?
A. And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.
Q. What do these words teach us to believe of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
A. 1. That He was nailed to a Cross, suffered many things, died, and was buried.
2. That He endured all this not for Himself, being wholly innocent and sinless, but for us; that is, He endured all the penalties due to all the sins of men, and death itself, in order to deliver us from sin and death.
Q. What is the fifth Article of the Creed?
A. And rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.
Q. What are we here taught of Jesus Christ?
A. That Jesus Christ the third day after His death rose from the tomb, as had been foretold of Him in the books of the Prophets.
Q. What is the sixth Article of the Creed?
A. And ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
Q. What doth this teach us of Jesus Christ?
A. That Jesus Christ on the fortieth day after His resurrection ascended with His body into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father, being equal to Him in power and glory.
Q. What is the seventh Article of the Creed?
A. And He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end.
Q. What doth this teach us of Jesus Christ?
A. That Jesus Christ shall come again from heaven in glory, to judge all men, both the living and the dead, who shall all rise again to be judged.
Q. What is the eighth Article of the Creed?
A. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets.
Q. What part of our belief is contained in this Article?
A. That part which relates to the Holy Ghost, as follows:
1. The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
2. The Holy Ghost proceeds from God the Father.
3. The Holy Ghost, with God the Father and the Son, giveth life to all creatures, and specially spiritual life to men.
4. The same worship and glory, which belongeth to the Father and the Son, belongeth also to the Holy Ghost, as very Lord and God.
5. When the Prophets and Apostles declared God’s will to men, or wrote the sacred books, they spake by inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
Q. What is the ninth Article of the Creed?
A. I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Q. What are we here taught?
A. That the true Christian Church is one, Catholic, or Œcumenical, and Apostolic, that is, derived from the Apostles to us without break or change, and so to be continued to the end of the world: and therefore it is our duty to reverence her, and obey her, and flee all schism; that is, separation from the one Orthodox Church.
Q. What is the tenth Article of the Creed?
A. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
Q. What part of our belief is contained in this Article?
A. The doctrine of the mystery or sacrament of Holy Baptism, which every believer must receive once.
Q. Why is Baptism called a mystery?
A. Because of the grace which mysteriously worketh in it.
Q. Are there any other Sacraments, besides Baptism?
A. The Sacraments in all are seven: 1, Baptism: 2, Unction with Chrism: 3, Communion: 4, Penitence: 5, Orders: 6, Matrimony: 7, Unction with Oil.
Q. In what consists Baptism?
A. In this, that the believer is dipped thrice in water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Q. Why are we baptized?
A. To the end that we may be mystically washed from sin, and receive a new life of grace.
Q. In what consists Unction with Chrism?
A. In this, that the baptized is anointed with Holy Chrism while the minister pronounces the sacramental words: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Q. In what consists Communion?
A. In this, that the believer, under the form of bread communicates of the very Body of Christ, and under the form of wine of the very Blood of Christ.
Q. What are the benefits which he receives thereby?
A. He is made one with Christ, and in Him a partaker of eternal life.
Q. In what consists Penitence?
A. In this, that he who has sinned after Baptism confesses his sins before a Priest, and through him receives pardon from Jesus Christ Himself.
Q. In what consists the sacrament of Orders?
A. In this, that by laying on of the Bishop’s hands power is given to perform or minister sacraments.
Q. In what consists the sacrament of Matrimony?
A. In this, that on the free consent of the man and woman, their union is blessed in the Church, for an image of the union of Christ with His Church.
Q. In what consists Unction with Oil?
A. In this, that the sick is anointed with oil, while grace is prayed for to heal him.
Q. What is the eleventh Article of the Creed?
A. I look for the Resurrection of the dead.
Q. What are we taught here?
A. That all men who are dead shall at a certain time foreordained of God rise again with their bodies, which shall thenceforth be incorruptible and immortal.
Q. What is the twelfth Article of the Creed?
A. And the life of the world to come.
Q. What is taught in this?
A. That after the general resurrection and Christ’s judgment there shall be an everlasting life, in which believers, who have ended their course on earth in repentance and good works, shall receive everlasting bliss; but impenitent sinners shall suffer everlasting torment.