Baltimore Catechism Volume Iii Part 9

A. The angels, as G.o.d created them, were good and happy.

Q. 227. {38} Did all the angels remain good and happy?

A. All the angels did not remain good and happy; many of them sinned and were cast into h.e.l.l, and these are called devils or bad angels.

Q. 228. Do we know the number of good and bad Angels?

A. We do not know the number of the good or bad Angels, but we know it is very great.

Q. 229. What was the devil's name before he fell, and why was he cast out of heaven?

A. Before he fell, Satan, or the devil, was called Lucifer, or light-bearer, a name which indicates great beauty. He was cast out of heaven because through pride he rebelled against G.o.d.

Q. 230. How do the bad Angels act toward us?

A. The bad Angels try by every means to lead us into sin. The efforts they make are called temptations of the devil.

Q. 231. Why does the devil tempt us?

A. The devil tempts us because he hates goodness, and does not wish us to enjoy the happiness which he himself has lost.

Q. 232. Can we by our own power overcome the temptations of the devil?

A. We cannot by our own power overcome the temptations of the devil, because the devil is wiser than we are; for, being an Angel, he is more intelligent, and he did not lose his intelligence by falling into sin any more than we do now. Therefore, to overcome his temptations we need the help of G.o.d.

LESSON FIFTH.

ON OUR FIRST PARENTS AND THE FALL.

Q. 233. {39} Who were the first man and woman?

A. The first man and woman were Adam and Eve.

Q. 234. Are there any persons in the world who are not the descendants of Adam and Eve?

A. There are no persons in the world now, and there never have been any, who are not the descendants of Adam and Eve, because the whole human race had but one origin.

Q. 235. Do not the differences in color, figure, &c., which we find in distinct races indicate a difference in first parents?

A. The differences in color, figure, &c., which we find in distinct races do not indicate a difference in first parents, for these differences have been brought about in the lapse of time by other causes, such as climate, habits, etc.

Q. 236. {40} Were Adam and Eve innocent and holy when they came from the hand of G.o.d?

A. Adam and Eve were innocent and holy when they came from the hand of G.o.d.

Q. 237. What do we mean by saying Adam and Eve "were innocent" when they came from the hand of G.o.d?

A. When we say Adam and Eve "were innocent" when they came from the hand of G.o.d we mean they were in the state of original justice; that is, they were gifted with every virtue and free from every sin.

Q. 238. How was Adam's body formed?

A. G.o.d formed Adam's body out of the clay of the earth and then breathed into it a living soul.

Q. 239. How was Eve's body formed?

A. Eve's body was formed from a rib taken from Adam's side during a deep sleep which G.o.d caused to come upon him.

Q. 240. Why did G.o.d make Eve from one of Adam's ribs?

A. G.o.d made Eve from one of Adam's ribs to show the close relations.h.i.+p existing between husband and wife in their marriage union which G.o.d then inst.i.tuted.

Q. 241. Could man's body be developed from the body of an inferior animal?

A. Man's body could be developed from the body of an inferior animal if G.o.d so willed; but science does not prove that man's body was thus formed, while revelation teaches that it was formed directly by G.o.d from the clay of the earth.

Q. 242. Could man's soul and intelligence be formed by the development of animal life and instinct?

A. Man's soul could not be formed by the development of animal instinct; for, being entirely spiritual, it must be created by G.o.d, and it is united to the body as soon as the body is prepared to receive it.

Q. 243. {41} Did G.o.d give any command to Adam and Eve?

A. To try their obedience, G.o.d commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of a certain fruit which grew in the garden of Paradise.

Q. 244. What was the Garden of Paradise?

A. The Garden of Paradise was a large and beautiful place prepared for man's habitation upon earth. It was supplied with every species of plant and animal and with everything that could contribute to man's happiness.

Q. 245. Where was the Garden of Paradise situated?

A. The exact place in which the Garden of Paradise--called also the Garden of Eden--was situated is not known, for the deluge may have so changed the surface of the earth that old landmarks were wiped out. It was probably some place in Asia, not far from the river Euphrates.

Q. 246. What was the tree bearing the forbidden fruit called?

A. The tree bearing the forbidden fruit was called "the tree of knowledge of good and evil."

Q. 247. Do we know the name of any other tree in the garden?

A. We know the name of another tree in the Garden called the "tree of life." Its fruit kept the bodies of our first parents in a state of perfect health.

Q. 248. {42} Which were the chief blessings intended for Adam and Eve had they remained faithful to G.o.d?

A. The chief blessings intended for Adam and Eve, had they remained faithful to G.o.d, were a constant state of happiness in this life and everlasting glory in the next.

Q. 249. {43} Did Adam and Eve remain faithful to G.o.d?

A. Adam and Eve did not remain faithful to G.o.d, but broke His command by eating the forbidden fruit.

Q. 250. Who was the first to disobey G.o.d?

A. Eve was the first to disobey G.o.d, and she induced Adam to do likewise.

Q. 251. How was Eve tempted to sin?

A. Eve was tempted to sin by the devil, who came in the form of a serpent and persuaded her to break G.o.d's command.

Q. 252. Which were the chief causes that led Eve into sin?

A. The chief causes that led Eve into sin were: (1) She went into the danger of sinning by admiring what was forbidden, instead of avoiding it; (2) She did not fly from the temptation at once, but debated about yielding to it. Similar conduct on our part will lead us also into sin.

Q. 253. {44} What befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin?

A. Adam and Eve, on account of their sin, lost innocence and holiness, and were doomed to sickness and death.

Q. 254. What other evils befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin?

A. Many other evils befell Adam and Eve on account of their sin. They were driven out of Paradise and condemned to toil. G.o.d also ordained that henceforth the earth should yield no crops without cultivation, and that the beasts, man's former friends, should become his savage enemies.

Q. 255. Were we to remain in the Garden of Paradise forever if Adam had not sinned?

A. We were not to remain in the Garden of Paradise forever even if Adam had not sinned, but after pa.s.sing through the years of our probation or trial upon earth we were to be taken, body and soul, into heaven without suffering death.

Q. 256. {45} What evil befell us on account of the disobedience of our first parents?

A. On account of the disobedience of our first parents, we all share in their sin and punishment, as we should have shared in their happiness if they had remained faithful.

Q. 257. Is it not unjust to punish us for the sin of our first parents?

A. It is not unjust to punish us for the sin of our first parents, because their punishment consisted in being deprived of a free gift of G.o.d; that is, of the gift of original justice to which they had no strict right and which they wilfully forfeited by their act of disobedience.