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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
Re: WF: the keys of the kingdom 
Subject: Re: WF: the keys of the kingdom
From: "Raymond P. Joseph" 
Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 10:17:23 -0400

I am bold to display my ignorance.
Who was "Piscator" ???

For Christ's Crown and Covenant,
RPJ

=============
At 07:05 AM 5/8/97 -0500, you wrote:
>At 06:44 PM 5/7/97 -0400, Jonny Keen wrote:
>
>>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)
>
>Jonny brings up an interesting point.  Is GG's distinction of moral,
>judicial and ceremonial a valid one?  It was followed by virtually
>the entire Reformed community, true enough, but is it valid?  Some today
>would argue that it is not.  I am not sure that Jonny is making that
>argument, but it does seem to me that GG is claiming that what the
>magistrate must enforce wrt Deut. 13:6-9 is the *moral* aspect of it,
>and not necessarily the judicial.
>
>Remember, GG quoted Piscator approvingly in Piscator's commentary
>on Exodus 21-23:
>
>>But things 
>>immutable, and common to all nations, are 
>>the laws concerning moral trespass, sins 
>>against the moral law, as murder, adultery, 
>>theft, enticing away from God, blasphemy, 
>>striking of parents. Now that the Christian 
>>Magistrate is bound to observe these judicial 
>>laws of Moses, which appoint the 
>>punishments of sins against the moral law, 
>
>After admitting that there were parts and portions of the judicial laws
>of Moses that pertained to Israel as a nation and only to Israel as a
>nation, GG/Piscator go on to maintain that there are some aspects of
>the judicial laws which concern *moral trespass.*  Now it is clear that
>moral trespass does not apply only to Israel, but to any nation that
>will do the will of God.  Further, it is clear that moral trespass
>is impossible to define apart from the will of God.
>
>Therefore, in order to have anything like a moral content to the laws
>of nations, those laws must refer themselves back to the will of the
>creator.
>
>If it would be helpful, I could post some portions from GG's 
>_Aaron's Rod Blossoming_ so you can see the distinctions he makes
>when writing against Erastianism.  I think there may be some confusion
>on the part of some posters that GG is setting forth Erastianism in
>WS.  I don't think so.  What must be observed is that GG is combatting
>one error in WS and an altogether opposite error in ARB.
>
>
>Dick Bacon
>Poster of the text and keeper of the order.
>
>
>--
>Westminster mailing list.
>Dick Bacon, Moderator pastor@fpcr.org
>Chris Coldwell, Webmaster naphtali@naphtali.com
>
>