Chapter 26 — Part III — The Ten Commandments
Section 508. Q. In order the more exactly to understand and keep the first commandment, we must know farther what sins there may be against it. A. 1. Atheism; when men, whom the Psalmist justly calls fools, wishing to rid themselves of the fear of God's judgment, say in their heart, There is no God. Psalm xiv. 1. 2. Polytheism; when, instead of the one true God, men acknowledge a number of false deities. 3. Infidelity; when men, who admit the existence of God, disbelieve his providence and his revelation. 4. Heresy; when people mix with the doctrine of the faith opinions contrary to divine truth. 5. Schism; that is, willful departure from the unity of divine worship, and from the Orthodox Catholic Church of God. 6. Apostasy; when any deny the true faith from fear of man, or for worldly advantage. 7. Despair; when men give up all hope of obtaining from God grace and salvation. 8. Sorcery; when men, leaving faith in the power of God, put their trust in secret and, for the most part, evil powers of creatures, especially of evil spirits, and seek to work by their means. 9. Superstition; when men put faith in any common thing as if it had divine power, and trust in it instead of trusting in God, or fear it instead of fearing God; as, for instance, when they put faith in an old book, and think they can be saved by none other, and must not use a new one, though the new book contain the very same doctrine, and the very same form of divine service. 10. Sloth, in respect of learning religion, or in respect of prayer, and the public service of God. 11. Love of the creature more than of God. 12. Men-pleasing; when they seek to please men, so as for this to be careless of pleasing God. 13. Trusting in man; when any one trusts in his own means and strength, or in the means and strength of others, and not in the mercy and help of God,