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be used in a variety of senses. Dr. Clarke then never expressed a greater error, than when he said, "there is no word which more forcibly points out the grand characteristic of eternity,'

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that endless is its grammatical meaning,' "and that all others are accommodated." Its grammatical meaning is time indefinite or a very long time, as we have seen, not however, by quoting one word from Grove, and one from Parkhurst, but by giving their definitions in FULL, and by tracing its derivation. Hence the propriety of its various usage.

Your classification of the different senses and forms of aion, will enable me to present, what I wish to say on these, in a few words.

1. You say, it is 27 times rendered "this world," "the world," and "that world," and in all cases, is used in a limited sense. Now, as these passages speak of different aions, those past and those to come, I ask, if this usage is not proof against you? How could a word, strictly endless in its meaning, be thus various ly used? You say in these 27 times, it is used metaphorically; but this is an assertion without proof, and against fact.

2. You say aion occurs 36 times in the singular, where it is used, to signify endless; and is rendered forever, never, &c. Let us test this position. Take the phrases, since the world began; from the beginning of the world; while the world standeth. Can we speak of the beginning of eternity, and of a period before its beginning? And is it correct to say, while eternity standeth? Such language is absurd in the highest sense, and yet you think it divine. Many of the 36 times, in which you say the sig

nification is endless, are as evidently limited, as the instances noticed. How many cternities do you imagine there are? Perhaps we agree respecting the duration of misery; for if eternity began, it may end-so that punishment may last through eternity, and yet not be endless! It should be remembered, that under this head, you find three texts, which teach endless wo!

3. You say that aion is used 18 times in the plural and 6 of these are in a limited figurative sense. Figurative! It is easy to make assertions. But I deny that when Paul spoke of the ends of the aions, he spoke figuratively. I also deny that he spoke thus, when he said, "that in the ages to come, he might show the riches of his grace;" "but now once in the end of the world, hath he appeared," &c. But you must call these figurative, or admit that there are eternities, and that they will end, yea, have ended already.

4. Under this head, you say, that aion is used in the plural form, and in an endless sense, in 12 places. But what meaneth the following: From the beginning of the (aionon, eternites) world! Besides, why did Paul, to the Col. speak of a mystery which had been hid from ages (aionon, eternities) and from generations? Are there past eternities? And why does Paul connect with ages, generations? Does not this show, that he used aion, in a limited sense And I would ask too, if the word in the singular means endless, how it could be used in the plural?

5. Let us briefly consider the double form of aion. In this you say, it occurs 23 times, and invariably means endless. But the question arises, if you have rightly defined aion, how?

the inspired writers could properly say, forever and ever? According to your views, it is eter nity and eternity. Here then is an insurmountable objection to your definition of aion.

The three instances under this head, which you say teach endless woe, carry with them a refutation of such an idea; for in all three, the phrase, day and night, is coupled with forever and ever. Will time be measured in eternity by days and nights? Besides, this is not the day, to adduce texts from Revelations to prove a disputed doctrine. If Dr. Clarke could not explain the book, will you attempt it?

Here wish the reader to observe, that you have produced only six instances, in which you say aion is applied to punishment, and three of these, are in the book of Revelations! What a weight of proof!

I deny, that aion is oftener used in an unlimited, than a limited sense. Simpson, in his essay on future punishment, says, that in seventy cases out of the hundred, it is limited.

Your position respecting eis governing aion, is utterly groundless, according to your own classification of aion. I have not looked the Greek Testament through, but I have found the following instances, where eis does not govern aion, in which you say it means endless. Mark x. 30; Luke xviii. 30; John ix. 32; Acts xv. 18; Eph. iii. 9-11-21; Col. i. 26.

If we turn to the Greek translation of the Old Testament, we find eis often governing aion, when used in a limited sense. In Exod. xxi. 6. speaking of a slave it says, he shall serve eis ton aiona, forever. Eccles. i. 4. One generation passeth away and another cometh;

but the earth abideth eis ton aiona, forever, not surely to eternity.

The same is true of the New Testament.John viii. 35. The servant abideth not in the house eis ton aiona, forever; the son abideth eis ton aiona, forever. As the slave served only six years, he is said not to abide forever. See John xiv. 16.

In the light of these facts, what am I to think of your position respecting eis? Shall I say, it is one, which, every scholar would despise? Or shall I say, you took it, to deceive the unlearned? To your question, "what an unprejudiced man must conclude respecting eis," I answer, that your statement concerning it, was entirely false. Your appeal to Greek scholars, will avail nothing, unless they can read with your glasses.

I will close by asking, if aion means endless, why were eti and epekeina added in the following places? Exod. xv. 18. "The Lord shall reign," ton aiona, kai ep' aiona, kai eti from aeon to aeon, AND FURTHER. Dan. xii. 3. And they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars," eis tous aionas, kai eti, through the cons, AND FURTHER. Mich. iv. 5. "And we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God," eis ton aiona, kai epekeina, through the con

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AND BEYOND IT.

To denounce me as an ignorant impostor will not be a satisfactory answer.

As I have shown that aion is no proof of endless punishment, you must rest the argument of your six texts on some other point, or give them up. I am, dear sir, yours,

In the bonds of Christ,

OTIS A. SKINNER.

LETTER NO. III.

BATIMORE, Nov. 5, 1834.

To Rev. Otis A. Skinner:

Dear Sir-Agreeably to my promise I hasten to send you some remarks on the adjective aionios, commonly_translated eternal. This word according to Parkhurst, is derived from the noun aion and signifies eternal, or time without end. There is no word, perhaps, in all the sacred writings, more unfavorable to the doctrine of Universalists than the word aionios; though we are frequently told, it is applied to temporal things, and, consequently cannot prove the punishment of the wicked to be eternal, or endless. Now, in order to show the reader that the word is not applied to temporal things, in any instance, in all the inspired writings, I shall refer to all the places where it occurs. I am not able to find, so much as one place in the New Testament, where this word has a limited signification, and does not mean endless duration. It occurs seventy-one times in the New Testament; and is forty-one times translated "eternal," twenty-six times " everlasting," twice "before the world began," once "since the world began," and once "for ever." It is the common adjective employed by the writers of the New Testament to teach us what is absolutely eternal. This will be manifest to any one that will pay strict attention to the use that is made of it, in all the places where it occurs. It is forty-four times employed to express

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