One of the areas where I might disagree (with respect to some of the nuances) with the real Francis Turretin, is in his treatment of the Old Testament civil law. Nevertheless, as Andrew Myers has (at Virginia is for Hugenots) kindly provided a quotation from Turretin on this subject (along with other interesting related material), perhaps you'd like to see what he says: (link).
To the glory of our Most High Law-giver!
-TurretinFan
Friday, July 10, 2009
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I would be certainly interested in knowing what those differences are between the two of you, I suppose. Keeping in mind, you are alive and active here so I can question your thoughts and reasons. To the dearly departed, his writings, however put over, by him or translators, we are faced with the fixed intent to which we can speculate to each other the other and so arrive at his intent, which might not be what was thought to be, a difference? :)
In any event I can see where Turrentin might be gaining his insights in that quotation in the linked article though.
Two examples occur to me. One, close to home, in this area where I am from and the other, in a more distant area of the State I reside in.
Here, because of moral and legal problems with the "Chief of Police" of a very small incorporated city community in this area of my county, the city chose to shut down the police department and signed a short three year term contract with the Sheriff of the county, revisitable after the first year and renewable at the expiration of the term. What is the effect? There isn't local law enforcement but county, instead.
In another city, now declared bankrupt, there simply is no money to retain the Sheriff of the county to do local policing, period. When watching the news broadcaster interview a shop keeper of the lurking realities, I could justify their position to take the law matters into their own hands and arm themselves to the hilt to protect their lives and property from the criminal elements who will wisely take advantage of the situation.
We have in our beings the throb of natural law that brings a person to this place in life. What do decent folk resort to do under the circumstances but to do what they did in the old wild wild west days to defend their families and fortunes? That's our inherent sovereign right of nature.
There are civil laws that capture the nature of its society itself. "Do this, that's permitted, don't do that, that is not"; if you will be found to violate the will of the people of the community and those hired to enforce those particular civil laws will come alive and take action, against you! Maybe not. That then becomes a moral question. It is lady justice peeking over, under or around the blindfold. The old saw, the rich were favored and the poor couldn't afford the Justice! :(
There are ceremonial laws that often are done to open the civil duties of a city council or board of supervisors. Each has a "Chair" who oversees the ceremony. It was the same for Israel then and it is the same for Israel now.
And then we have moral laws.
Both the civil and ceremonial laws can be abrogated as my two real life scenarios show. But natural law/moral law, well, God may overlook a violation and suspend punishment to the full degree of the violation because of His rich mercy or He may not. God is just in whatever He does. It will be no abrogation of Himself! He is Just!
I believe what we sow, we reap. I need help to endure what little reaping I experience, knowing full well I am not receiving the fullest extent for the violations I am guilty of before Him!
God has a firm foundation upon which a solution has been found for those for Whom He has given His Christ:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
Eph 2:15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
Eph 2:16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
And what is that solution? Paul writes that the solution is "A body" He can call His Own!
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