Some Questions and Answers about God’s Covenant and the Sacrament That Is a Seal of God’s Covenant

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Robert Rollock. Some Questions and Answers about God’s Covenant and the Sacrament That Is a Seal of God’s Covenant

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Some Questions and Answers about God’s Covenant and the Sacrament That Is the Seal of God’s Covenant

On the Covenant of God58

On the Sacrament59

On Good Works60

Bibliography

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Some Questions and Answers about God’s Covenant and the Sacrament That Is a Seal of God’s Covenant

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Rollock dedicated his catechism to William Little, the public official who had been instrumental in bringing him to Edinburgh. Rollock’s letter of dedication marks his recognition of Little’s patronage and paternal care for him. Little apparently had a son, also named William, enrolled at the University of Edinburgh when Rollock published his work. Rollock makes mention of the younger Little in his dedication, observing with good, humanist humility that his “small trifle” of a catechism comprises questions “about God’s covenant and the sacraments that are childish [pueriles]” but might “be useful to children [pueres] and students of the rudiments,” not least William Little’s son. Rollock actually sounds a rather ambivalent note regarding the younger William Little, expressing his hope that the son might eventually achieve the virtues of his father, but suggesting that if he does not, the failure “must be imputed to the son himself and not to the father.” One gets the impression Rollock would like to have added, perhaps on behalf of the entire university, “or to us.”38

My translation of Rollock’s catechism itself is, I think, fairly straightforward. The headings included throughout the catechism are original to his work. The only real liberty I have taken in translation is the addition of consecutive numbers to the questions. I added these on the assumption that they might prove a useful tool for persons wishing to reference Rollock’s catechism in the future. I have kept critical commentary to a minimum, very occasionally noting Rollock’s mistaken referencing of biblical proof-texts, highlighting the significance that a particular point made might have to scholarly questions/debates about early modern covenant theology, and/or pointing readers towards earlier questions that illumine the meaning of later ones that, at least in my judgment, seem slightly difficult to understand on their own.

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