[Vision2020] The Worst Lot of All

[News of Christ Cult]

Sunday, October 28, 2007  The Worst Lot of
All<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/2007/10/worst-lot-of-all.html>

*Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy;
what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his
blasphemy.* — Matthew 26:65


No one knows how to wax indignant better than a self-righteous Pharisee, and
the greater the audience, the greater the show. Take Caiaphas, for example,
who put on a real-life show before the Lord Jesus Christ and actually tore
asunder his priestly garments in righteous indignation when he witnessed the
Son of God's good confession.

Or take Douglas Wilson, for another example, who recently put on an
indignant rhetorical spectacle, waxing furious at the PCA for its treatment
of Federal Visionist Steve Wilkins:

In the old days, defenders of the faith used proclamation, argumentation,
and apologetics. These days, the defenders of the faith use all the
bureaucratic levers they have hidden under the desk. If the SJC goes the way
I suspect it might, that would mean that Wilkins would be condemned in the
PCA despite two vindications by his own presbytery, despite the fact that no
charges were ever brought, despite the fact that no trial was ever held, and
despite the fact that he was never given an opportunity to defend himself in
open court. Don't talk to me about proof. We don't need no stinking *proof.*

In the old days, the prophets of God would thunder the word. These days,
they resort to Machinations and Back Room Deals. You don't think so? Then
look at what happens to Wilkins. Look *closely.* Look at the procedures.
Look at what was done, and what was *not* done. And imagine yourself trying
to explain the polity ramifications of all of that to Samuel Miller. The
whole thing would be a joke if it were only funny. ("We Don't Need No
Stinking Proof"<http://www.dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=4664>
)


Setting aside Wilson's obvious
ignorance<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/2007/10/important-clarification.html>of
the issue pending before the SJC, this was not the only time that time
he
raged furious at the PCA. Consider this one:

To call the determinations of an unpresbyterian entity like the SJC — "where
the PCA GA outsources its justice!" — a "final court of appeal" is
overstating it a bit. It is certainly a necessary part of the process
because the PCA did decide to abandon historic presbyterian polity at this
point, and it was all entered into the minutes and everything. ("I Love
Analogies"<http://www.dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=4359>
)


Of course, these quotations from the Prince of Blog and Mablog leave the
impression that the very thought of dirty back-room deals designed to
circumvent presbyterian polity horrifies him. Indeed, these quotes leave the
impression that Beelzeblog longs for the old days and that he esteems the
historic presbyterianism taught by Samuel Miller so much that he would never
violate its principles in such a way that he could not justify it to the
Princeton hero.

Unfortunately, Pastor Wilson isn't as scrupulous as he would have us believe
because if you compare his outrage at the PCA in the matter of Steve Wilkins
with his treatment of deposed PCA minister Burke Shade, you'll see exactly
where Wilson's scruples lie.

On April 17, 1999, Illiana Presbytery (PCA) deposed Burke Shade from the
ministry after declaring him guilty on three of four charges against him, in
a trial that began on November 9, 1998, and lasted six sessions. *P & R News
* <http://www.presbyteriannews.org/volumes/v5/1/SecretTrial.html> covered
the whole story.

But while Illiana Presbytery conducted itself pursuant to the PCA's BCO,
which contains a good measure of presbyterian polity, Burke Shade and
Douglas Wilson busied themselves working the Machinations of a Back Room
Deal. We know this because *"it was all entered into the minutes and
everything."* Accordingly, the Christ Church Elders' Minutes state,

Doug described the situation with Cornerstone Reformed Church and Burke
Shade. Motion (DW/PB) [Doug Wilson/Patch Blakey] to authorize Doug to make a
motion at CRE to receive Cornerstone as a fraternal delegate. All approved.
(April 17, 1999)


Admittedly, this doesn't say much but it shows that Shade made his case to
Wilson *before* the PCA deposed him, and it lays the foundation for this
revelation taken from the Christ Church Elders' Meeting minutes dated July
13, 2000:

Doug Jones reported that the ad hoc committee concerning Burke Shade
recommends that we should not send out the current letter, and that we
should wait while Chris Schlect and Doug Jones continue to work through the
trial materials, before they make a further recommendation. *Doug Wilson
reminded the elders that we have already agreed this situation is not a
barrier to Burke Shade and his church being accepted into the CRE, and that
he has communicated this to Burke.* The elders agreed that, further review
of the material, the burden of proof is on the committee to overturn our
previous decisions, which would only happen if new, clear information
against Burke appears. The elders would like a report from the committee by
July 27. This recommendation considered as a motion passed. (emphasis added)


Now, I know these minutes are legitimate because I know my sources. But
don't take my word for it, take Wilson's who confirmed it a few months ago
at Green Baggins<http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/the-triumph-of-the-gospel/#comment-15984>(cf.
this comment<http://greenbaggins.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/the-triumph-of-the-gospel/#comment-15735>).
The point here, however, is not the minutes' legitimacy. The point is
Wilson's *illegitimacy.*

Here is a man who, for all intents and purposes, wants us to believe that he
reveres presbyterianism proper and that he abhors back-room deals. But "Look
*closely.* Look at the procedures. Look at what was done, and what was
*not*done. And imagine yourself trying to explain the polity
ramifications of all
of that to Samuel Miller," because here is also a man who, like Caiaphas,
tears his garments at the PCA for their handling of Steve Wilkins and, just
like Caiaphas, thwarts church polity by pulling the levers under his desk
with Judas, the covenant breaker.

Yes, indeed, Wilson was right when he wrote, "Don't talk to me about proof.
We don't need no stinking *proof,"* because this event took place in the
visible church, or as the Federal Visionists would say, in the Covenant. To
be sure, this event could be photographed or fingerprinted, for as noted, *"it
was all entered into the minutes and everything."* Sadly, "The whole thing
would be a joke if it were only funny." But it's not.

So how do we account for Pastor Wilson's staggering hypocrisy? How do we
reconcile his righteous indignation in one instance with his cunning
conniving in the other? — *We don't.* Rather, we let his words speak for
themselves, because by his own testimony he has the worst lot of all:

The opposing error is that of straight hypocrisy. This is the idea that mere
covenant membership can replace covenant faithfulness as the one thing
needful. The lips draw near while the heart is far removed from God. But
such snakes within the covenant have the worst lot of all. (Douglas Wilson,
*"Reformed" Is Not Enough*, "Judas Was A Christian?" [Moscow: Canon Press,
2003] 21)

 Posted by Mark T.  at 8:28
AM<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/2007/10/worst-lot-of-all.html>

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Labels: DUMB <http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/search/label/DUMB>, Federal
Delusion<http://federal-vision.blogspot.com/search/label/Federal%20Delusion>


-- 


Juanita Flores
Advocate for the Truth from Jesus
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