For years I have truly appreciated Sherman Isbell's 'The Divine Law of Political Israel Expired: General Equity', and have stumbled onto something else recently that I haven't thought all the way through. How do we define General Equity?
In the portion below it is affirmed that the moral law has sprinkling elements through the civil and ceremonial laws. I recently read a small snippet that defined general equity. It is a quote taken from Calvin that I wonder about. Especially the part "justice tempered by love" in brackets. I believe the author added that based upon some contrived understanding. I just don't know where it comes from. Did Calvin really mean that? It doesn't look like it is a quote from Calvin but an implant to define equity according to the author's thinking.
My questions are..
(1). Is Calvin being made to say something he didn't say? Is equity Justice tempered by love?
(2). If we are to define all law by equity and that equity must be the goal and rule and limit of all laws, How do we define this equity and how do we base our understanding on it from the decalogue alone? Is equity defined in the Decalogue alone?
I admit that I am still wondering where the definition for equity being defined as justice tempered by love comes from. I am just wondering. I am not saying it doesn't mean that. I just didn't know that.
Justice tempered by love is an addition to the text and an implant by the author I believe.Since "the law of God which we call the moral is nothing else than a testimony of natural law..." the common law of nations should be ruled by equity "(justice tempered by love)". Hence this equity alone must be the goal and rule and limit of all laws,... however they may differ from the Jewish law, or among themselves" (Institutes 4.20.16).
In the portion below it is affirmed that the moral law has sprinkling elements through the civil and ceremonial laws. I recently read a small snippet that defined general equity. It is a quote taken from Calvin that I wonder about. Especially the part "justice tempered by love" in brackets. I believe the author added that based upon some contrived understanding. I just don't know where it comes from. Did Calvin really mean that? It doesn't look like it is a quote from Calvin but an implant to define equity according to the author's thinking.
The Confession affirms that the law given by God to Adam at creation is the moral law,(14) and that this is the law which was delivered in the ten commandments, and which forever binds all men and is not dissolved under the Gospel. Beside this law, the ceremonial and judicial laws were given by God to a particular group, namely the people of Israel, considered as a church under age and as a body politic. With the close of the preparatory period in redemptive history, the ceremonial laws were abrogated and the judicial laws expired. At four points in the passage, the Confession identifies the moral law as the mandate which permanently binds and obliges. The presence of moral elements in the ceremonial and judicial laws is acknowledged, though much in the ceremonial and judicial laws is other than moral; part of what the ceremonial laws held forth was instruction of moral duties, and there is an element of general equity in the judicial laws which continues to oblige.
My questions are..
(1). Is Calvin being made to say something he didn't say? Is equity Justice tempered by love?
(2). If we are to define all law by equity and that equity must be the goal and rule and limit of all laws, How do we define this equity and how do we base our understanding on it from the decalogue alone? Is equity defined in the Decalogue alone?
I admit that I am still wondering where the definition for equity being defined as justice tempered by love comes from. I am just wondering. I am not saying it doesn't mean that. I just didn't know that.
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