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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
the keys of the kingdom 
Subject: the keys of the kingdom
From: Jonny Keen 
Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 18:44:50 -0400

To the Westminster Forum-I have read all the recent e-mails-I find them interest-
ing even though I do not understand where everyone is coming from especially Mr.
Bacon-he does give me food for thought though.
	I have been thinking somemore on GG's treatise but what I have been think-
ing is not related to what has been posted on the e-mails-but I will share my
thoughts anyway-it seems we are all at different places when it comes to coming 
to terms with GG's treatise.
	Awhile back I was reading the life of George Fox-the books was titled
First Among Friends-George Fox & the Creation of Quakerism by H. Larry Ingle-
in reading the book I recall the Presbyterians persecuting Fox and the Quakers
for their teachings-I do not remember much of what I read-but I do recall that
at the time of the beginning of Quakerism we had Cromwell and the Revolution-
there was at this time questions concerning liberty of conscience-in my library
I have book titled Puritanism and Liberty-Being The Army Debates (1647-49)
>From The Clarke Manuscripts Edited and Introduced by A.S.P. Woodhouse-I got
this book out last night and came across this "[Parable of the Tares (Matt.13.
24-30) Interpreted]. . . Secondly, it is manifest that the Lord Jesus in this
parable intends no other sort of sinners, of whom he saith, "Let them alone",
in church or state; for then he should contradict other holy and blessed
ordinances for the punishment of offenders, both in Christian and civil state.
	First in civil state. From the beginning of the world, God hath armed
fathers, masters, magistrates, to punish evil-doers; that is, such, of whose
actions fathers, masters, magistrates are to judge, and accordingly to punish
such sinners as transgress against the good and peace of their civil state,
families, towns, cities, kingdoms-their states, governments, governors, laws,
punishments, and weapons being all of a civil nature; and therefore neither
disobedience to parentsor magistrates, nor murder, nor quarrelling, unclean-
ness nor lasciviousness, stealing, nor extortion, neither aught of that kind,
ought to be let alone either in lesser or greater families, towns, cities,
kingdoms (Rom.13). but seasonably to be suppressed, as may best conduce to the
public safety.
	Again, secondly, in the kingdom of Christ Jesus, whose kingdom, officers,
laws, punishments, weapons, are spiritual and of a soul nature, he will not have
Antichristian idolaters, extortioners, covetous, &c. to be let alone; but the
unclean and lepers to be thrust forth, the old leaven purged out, the obstinate
in sin spiritually stoned to death, and put away from Israel; and this by many
degrees of gentle admonition in private and public, as the case requires.
	Therefore, if neither, if neither offenders against the civil laws, state,
and peace ought to be let alone, nor the spiritual estate, the Church of Jesus
Christ, ought to bear with them that are evil (Rev.2[2]), I conclude that these
are sinners of another nature-idolaters, false worshippers, Antichristians, who
without discouragement to true Christians must be let alone and permitted 'in the
world' to grow and fill up the measure of their sins, after the image of him
that hath sown them, until the great harvest shall make the difference. . ."
pp.269,270 Puritanism and Liberty.
	The above quote reminds me of what is set forth in the Heidelber Catech-
ism concerning the 'keys of the kingdom'-we saw that Gillispie says that Christian
Magistrates are to put to death heretics-he believes this because of OT Torah-
Deut.13:6-9-but like I said before I do not believe the universal Church is not 
OT Israel-the Church is not to be ruled like the nation of OT Israel. Today the
Church is under the New Covenant not the Mosaic Covenant. We can not say the
ceremonial law has been fulfilled by Christ but the civil laws have not been done
 away with-the whole Torah has been fulfilled in Christ-we as Christians
are not under the Old Covenant/Torah but the New Covenant (Hebrews 8)-Here is
a quote from J.Douma of the Reformed Churches (Liberated) seminary "2.9 Ful-
fillment in Christ (1). The significance of Christ for our moral reflection
is not exhausted by using the example provided by his life. We cannot employ
Scripture very well in ethics unless we also know him as the Fulfiller of
the Old Testament law and prophets. For this fulfillment brought with it a
significant alteration, so that we can no longer use the Mosaic law-code,
for example, as a guide in the sense outlined in 2.2. Regulations dealing
with Israel's sacrificial worship no longer specify our worship. This applies
even more to the Mosaic penal code which stipulates capital punishment for
more than twenty crimes. . ."
	I could write more but I need to rest. Jonny