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held by Mr. Mitchell of New York:* It is however severely reprobated by Mr. Kneeland. Much as the schemes of these mighty champions of Universalism are at variance: when the doctrine of eternal punishment is to be contested, they move in unison,

No. VIII.—The argument from the strength of the terms, RESUMED.

In this number we shall give the argument which is deduced from the strength of the terms used in relation to future punishment something more at length. And we propose to observe the following order:

1. To give additional authorities for the proper and literal meaning of the words rendered everlasting, &c. H. Show the sense in which these words are used by the sacred Writers. & III. That the particular construction in which they are used in relation to punishment, is never used for limited duration.

1. We are to give some additional authorities to show That the proper and literal meaning of the terms in question, is duration absolutely endless.

By the ancient Latin writers, the word aion is translated a vum and æternitas: and aronios, æternus. "This word (aion) is translated by Sully and others, sæculum, ætas, annus, and æternitas. Athanasius, Jerome,

Hillary, and Ambrose, render aionios, æternus. Chrys ostom speaking of the punishment which is qualified by aion says, that it is a punishment from which they escape not. And Theopholact, that it is not to be remitted either here or elsewhere, but to be endured both here and elsewhere.' Cyprian renders it æternus. His language is, guilty of an eternal sin never to be blotted out."

LEIGH'S CRITIRA SACRA.

*See Tract No 1, published by the New York Universalist Book Society

See Kneeland's Lectures pp. 108-110. A Note.

A

In the Vulgate Latin version, the word aion is almost constantly rendered æternus. So it is likewise by the early Christian Fathers. Jerome, in his Commentary on Mat. xxv. 41, uses the following language: Let the prudent reader attend to the fact, that the punishments are eternal, and the life perpetual, that he may thus escape the danger of ruin? Tertulian, in his apology against the heathen, in allusion to the same passage says, that the righteous shall enter upon the retribution of eter, mal life, and the wicked shall go into fire equally perpetual and durable. Irenæus, that the fire is eternal which my Father has prepared for the devil and his angels.' Again he quotes the text Mat. xxv, 41. thus: Depart ye cursed into eternal fire, which my Father has prepared for the devil and his angels,' and then adds this cominent: Because intimating that eternal fire was not prepared principally for man, but for him who seduced him and caused him to sin.' And again: punishment not only temporal but eternal. Chrysostom in his Latin works, homily xvi. speaking on Mat. xxv. 41. uses this language: 'Go' he says ye cursed into eternal fire.'"

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THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

(A magazine published in Philadelphia,) Vol. III. pp. 156. 157. An able article signed A. C.

In the Lexicons these words are translated thus: aion, Ærum, æternitas, sœculum; quasi (as if) aei on always being, or existing, HEDERICUS. Aion ærum, mundus, sæculum: q. e. (which is) aci SCHREVELIUS. Aionios is æternus, sempeternus, perennis. HEDERICUS. Eternus. SCHREVELIUS.

on.

The Latin words above are defined in English as follows: Erum, Eternity, an age. Eternitas, Eternity, Duration without beginning or end. Sæculum an age, the life of men, the world. Mundus, the world, the universe. Eternus 1. Eternal. 2. Continual. 3. Of long continuance. Sempiternus, Endless, perpetual, continual, everlasting. Perennis. 1. That continueth all the year round. 2. Lasting durable. 4. Never failing, 5. Constant, steady, steadfast, 6. perpetual, incessant, contin ual, uninterrupted. 7. Eternal, endless, everlasting.

AINSWORTH

"Aion.

This word occurs also in the New Testament; it answers to the Hebrew word olam, whose various meanings it takes.

9. Eternity the whole duration whether it be without beginning or end. Of duration without end it is used in imitation of the Hebrew olam Mat. vi. 13. be glory for

ever.

2. Every thing which is without end, especially what will come to pass after this life, and the end of the world; in this sense the word is used in all those places in the New Testament where the words eternal fire, eternal judgment, eternal condemnation, eternal punishment, &c. occur, for by such expressions the perpetual punishment of crimes, which the wicked suffer after this life, their future uninterrupted miserable state, is pointed out & so the phrases of an opposite kind, eternal habitations, eternal life, &c. the state and condition of the constant happiness of the pious after death is pointed out."*

SCHLEUSNER.

"Aion q. aei on, always being. It denotes duration or continuance of time, but with great variety. I. Both in the singular and plural it signifies eternity, whether past or to come. John iv, 14. vi. 51. Eph. iii. 11. I.

Tim. i. 17.

II. The duration of this world Mat, xxviii. 20. comp. Mat. xiii. 39.

* III. The ages of the world.

"IV This present life. this world.

"V. The world to come. the next life. Mark x 30. Luke xviii. 30. Comp. Luke xx. 35.

66 Aionios, from aion.

"I. Eternal. having neither beginning or end. Rom. xvi. 26. (Comp. I Tim. i. 17.) Heb. ix. 14.

"II. Eternal without end. Mat xxv. 41. 46. II. Thes. i. 9." PARKHURST. "SCAPULA says that aion is as if it were spoken AIEN ON being always. For this etymology and explanation he refers to Aristotle and Philo, both of whom declare unequivocally, that it means an absolute eternity." (See M Calla on Universalism P. 291.)

*This is a translation of Schleusner, from the Methodist Magazine, Vol. III. P. 271.

"The everlasting God. el olam JEHOVAH the strong God, the eternal one. This is the first place in the scriptures in which olam occurs as an attribute of God, and here it is evidently designed to point out his utmost duration: that it can mean no limited time is self evident, because nothing of this kind can be attributed to God. The Septuagint renders the words Theos avonios the ever existing God. From this application of the words, we learn that olam and aion originally signified ETERNAL, or duration without end, olam signifies he was hidden, concealed or kept secret:* and aion according to Aristotle, De Cælo, Lib. 1. Chap. 9. and a higher authority need not be sought is compounded of aci always, and on being-acon estin apo tou aei einar. The same author informs us that God was termed Aisan, because he was always existing kaleitar Aisan de aei ousan. De Mundo, Chap. 7. in fine. Hence we see that no words can more forcibly express the grand characteristics of eternity than these. It is that duration which is concealed, hidden or

* It hath been said, that there is nothing in the hebrew root olam and its derivatives, which imply endless duration; and that it can be thus understood only when the nature of the subject necessarily requires it, as when it is applied to God. This matter deserves attention. It is known that one meaning of this word is hid or obscured; and I have no doubt but this was its original meaning, as all words were first applied to sensible objects. A finite mind cannot comprehend infinite; so that infinite or eternal duration, is in its nature hidden or incomprehensible by man. But no limited duration, be it ever so long, is in its nature incomprehensible or hidden.-The original application of this word to duration in the Hebrew language, was doubtless on the ground I have mentioned; and its natural meaning is duration in its nature incomprehensible; and none but endless or eternal duration is such. There is great beauty and energy in applying the word in this manner to the existence of God, and to other things which are eternal in the endless sense. In the Greek language, absolute eternity is expressed by the quality of existing or continuing always. In the Hebrew, from its being hidden, or incomprehensible in its nature, by a finite mind. In the Latin from its being without end or limit, and in the English by a derivation from the Latin in the same manner," Dr. Strong. (See Benevolence and misery pp. 100, 101.)

kept secret from all created beings:--which is always existing, still running on, but never running out—one interminable incessant, and immeasurable duration: it is THAT, in the whole of which God alone can be said to exist; and that which the eternal mind can alone comprehend.

"In all languages words have, in process of time, deviated from their original acceptations, and have become accommodated to particular purposes, and limited to particular meanings. This has happened both to the Hebrew olam and to the Greek aion: they have been both used to express a limited time, but, in general, a time, the limits of which are unknown; and thus a pointed reference to the original ideal meaning 'is still kept up. Those who bring any of these terms in an accommodated sense, to favor a particular doctrine, &c. must depend on the good graces of their opponents for permission to use them in this way. For as the real grammatical meaning of both words is eternal, and all other meanings only accommodated ones. sound criticism, in all matters of dispute concerning the import of a word or term, must have recourse to the grammatical meaning, and its use among the earliest and most correct writers in the language, and will determine all accommodated meanings, by this alone. Now the first and best writers in both languages apply olam and aion to express eternal in the proper meaning of that word." DR. CLARKE. (See his note upon Gen. xxi. 33)

From the above authorities, (and though better cannot be obtained, yet more of the same character might be added, it appears from the etymology of the original Hebrew and Greek words rendered eternal, &c. and from their use among the earliest and best writers in those languages, that their literal and proper meaning is infinite duration-always being. On the principle of interpretation which we have laid down in the preceding number, the ground is now fairly gained, until our opponent shows that these words are to be taken in a figurative and an improper sense, when used in reference to future punishment. Though what immediately follows, is not absolutely essential to the argument: —it will however greatly corroborate it. We shall now proceed to enquire for,