Lord’s Day 4Questions 9–11
Reformed Church in America English, 1879
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Text public domain · U.S.
1879 Reformed Church in America Q&A text with inline proof references. Source: Wikisource scan transcription.
This English edition was published in the United States in 1879, before the current U.S. public-domain cutoff. Rights evidence. Verified 2026-07-14.
Doth not God then do injustice to man by requiring from him, in his law, that which he cannot perform?—(Gal. 3;10).
Not at all (Rom. 3;20); for God made man capable of performing it (Ecc. 7:29); but man, by the instigation of the devil, and his own willful disobedience (Rom. 5;19), deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts (Rom. 5;12).
Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
By no means, but is terribly displeased with our original (Eph. 2;3), as well as actual sins (Ps. 7;11); and will punish them in his just judgment temporally (Gen. 19;24), and eternally (Heb. 9;27); as he hath declared, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. 3;10).
Is not God then also merciful?
God is indeed merciful (Ps. 103;8); but also just (Ps. 89;14); therefore his justice requires that sin, which is committed against the most high majesty of God (Ps. 51;4), be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment, both of body and soul (Hab. 1;13.)