wilderness, when he crosses his own track he knows it not, but insists it must be the track of another. And when he runs reckless against the sharp points of my arguments, he cries out piteously, that it is not fair!-that I have changed my ground!!-when in fact, it is his own blunderings and tergiversations, which lead the poor man into all his troubles !! Let me add here, that it is lamentable to see the ignorance of the Scriptures manifested by my opponent, in quoting for the purpose he has, such passages as these "He that believeth not, shall be damned." He that is unjust, let him be unjust still," etc. I have already shown the true explanation of one of these passages, yet the Elder continues to give it the old and absurd construction, as though he had not been taught better. Mr. Holmes catches wildly at my declaration, that if men will not enter heaven, when the way is prepared for them, “let them stay out." The eagerness with which he seizes upon this declaration, shows his great want of capital for declamation. I am really glad I have given my friend something to enable him to indulge in a little furor. The idea, however, that mankind in another state of existence, having a full knowledge of the odiousness of sin, and the beauty and excellency of righteousness, will not enter upon the joys of heaven when the way is open for them, is foolish in the extreme. All the advantage my friend can obtain from such a supposition, he is welcome to enjoy. God will say to none," let them stay out," when he has the power to make them willing to come in!! Neither the Creator, nor the Redeemer, nor angels, nor good men, will say, "let them stay out!" but rather let them be prepared to come in! "Whosoever will, LET him come," is the great declaration of the gospel, which will be inscribed over the gates of Heaven forever!! The Elder's attempt to make out that Universalists believe infants will be tortured in fire for thousands of years, because one Universalist believed adult sinners, would experience future limited punishment, is supremely ridiculous!! It is one of those melancholly instances in which my opposer has been driven, to manufacture that which IS NOT TRUE, out of whole cloth!! I say this deliberately. Elder Holmes had Winchester's writings, and the writings of other Universalists, in his possession. He knew that neither Winchester, nor any other Universalist, believed that infants will be punished hereafter!! Hence he deliberately makes this charge knowing there is not one word of truth in it!! Again I ask the public what they can think of a cause which demoralizes its advocates to such a degree, as to compel them to utter the most harefaced untruths?-and what dependence they can place on the assertions of a man who so wantonly tramples under foot the dictates of veracity !! The Elder also said, that God cannot love sin ners. I will stand aside, and St Paul shall exhibit the ignorance of the Scriptures which prompted such a declaration." But God who is rich in mercy, for his GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in SINS, hath quickened us together with Christ."-(Eph. ii. 4, 5.) I think I cannot do better than to occupy the remainder of my time in this speech, in an explanation of the words, aion, aionion, etc. In the course of this discussion my opponent will quote several passages in which such phrases occur as Everlasting, Eternal, Forever, and forever and ever. These words, as most of my bearers are aware, are translated from the Greek word aion and its derivatives. It is a singular fact, that the whole philological argument drawn from the Bible, in support of the doctrine of Endless Punishment, depends almost entirely on the meaning of the words aion, aionios, etc. Let these words be set aside, and there are few men who would ever attempt to sustain that sentiment by the mere force of Scripture phraseology. Yet there are few words in the Bible, the meaning of which are so variable and uncertain as these. Professor Stuart considers them, as used in the Scriptures, with something like ten different meanings. Is it not most remarkable that the strongest words depended upon to support the doctrine of endless punishment, are so acknowledgedly indefinite in their signification? As much stress is laid on these words, I design to devote a short period to their exclusive consideration. 1. AION.-I have before me the opinions of some thirteen differ. ent Lexicographers, and all agree mainly, as to the definition of this word. Donnegan defines it as follows-“ AION--Time-a space of time-life time and life-the ordinary period of man's life-the age of man-man's estate-a long period of time-eternity-the spinal marrow." This agrees with most Lexicons. It will be seen by these definitions, that aion is a word of very indefinite meaning-signifying sometimes a long, and sometimes a short period of time-sometimes an age, a life time, an era, and in some cases, Eternity. But in no passage in the Bible, where aion signifies strictly eternal, is it ever applied to punishment. I challenge my friend to cite such an instance. 2. Scriptural usage of aion. The manner in which the Scripture writers use this word, shows conclusively, they designed to teach no such doctrine by it as Endless Punishment. "Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world (aioni,) but also in that which is to come.”—(Eph. i. 21.) Here aioni signifies this world. "Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly (kosmikas) lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world"—(aioni)—(Titus ii. 12.) Here again, aioni signifies this world. Of course in these instances, (and many more might be given,) aioni signifies not time without end, but a limited pe riod. 3. AIONION-AIONIOS.-Great stress is laid on these words, to prove that the punishment which God will inflict on his creatures, will be endless. But it will be seen, I trust, in this investigation, that they contain, not even presumptive evidence of the truth of such a doctrine. It is self-evident that a derivative can mean no more than the word from which it it is derived. "Goodness" expresses no more of that which can be approbated, than "good." "Righteousness" means no more than " right." On the same principle I maintain that aionion and aionios, can signify no more than aion, from which they are derived. Now aion, although it sometimes means endless, yet in vastly the majority of cases, it signifies a limited period of time, as we have seen-an age-a lifetime-any period of time, whether long or short. Hence aionion and aionios have the same varieties of signification. We find this to be the case in consulting Lexicons. Schrevelius gives the following definition-" Ainoios-Of long duration-lasting-sometimes everlasting-sometimes lasting through life, as aeternus in Latin." I might quote other Lexicons, but it is unnecessary. They all substantially agree with Schrevelius. Here we learn that aionios and aionion, generally translated everlasting and forever, so far from always having the meaning of endless, have only occasionally that signification, while they very often mean life-time, or a long but not endless period of time. 4 Scripture usage of Aionion and Anonios.-The Scripture usage of these words will show that so far from signifying endless time, they are most generally used to designate a limited duration. What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world”—aionos—(Matt. xxiv. 3.) Here the END of aionos is mentioned. If that word means literally and necessarily time without end, then the passage should read-What shall be the sign of thy coming, and the end of forever—or the end of eternity? Dr. Adam Clarke says that the word aionos, in this passage, signities" age." He insists the inquiry of the disciples was, as to the end of the Jewish Economy. Let it be remembered, this is the strongest word the advocates of endless misery can find in the whole Bible, to prove it to be a Scripture doctrine." Perhaps he (Onesimus,) therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldst receive him forever" (aionion)—that is a life-time.—(Phil. 15 ) “He that received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, (aionos-this life,) and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word."-(Matt. xiii. 22.) In these passages, aionos means only this life. We read of the BEGINNING of the aionion-" As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world (aionos) began.”—(Luke i. 70.) "The Restitution of all things, 669 which hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets We read of the END of the aionos-The harvest is the end of the world." (aionos)-(Matt. xiii. 39.) "So shall it be in the end But now once in of this world"-(aionos)-(Matt. xiii. 40.) the end of the world, (aionion) hath he [Christ,] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb. ix. 26.) They are written for our admonition, upon whom, the ends of the world are come." (1 Cor. x. 11.) The aionion came to an end 1800 years ago. If aionion means literally forever in these passages, how would they read?"the harvest is the end of forever." "So shall it be in the end of forever." "They are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of everlasting are come." Substitute "age," or "dispensation," as the signification of aionion, and how plain and simple is their meaning. From these examples nothing is more evident, than that those words are very frequently used in the New Testament in a limited sense-indicating a time that comes to an end! And yet, let me remind you again, these are the strongest words the advocates of Endless Punishment can find in the Bible to sustain that doctrine. When we turn to the Old Testament we find "aionion," and "aionios," used in the same limited sense, as the following examples will show. "For all the land which thou seest, [addressed to Abraham,] to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever."-[Hebrew, OLIM-Greek septuagint, AIONOS-English, FOREVER.]-(Gen. xiii. 15.) In this case, aionos could not mean strictly endless, for Canaan has long since passed out of the possession of Abraham "You shall keep it, [the passover,] a feast and his descendents. by ordinance forever," (aionion.)-(Ex. xii. 14.) "They (Jewish slaves,) shall be your bondmen forever," [aionion-life-time.] (Lev. xxv. 46.) The earth with her bars was about me forever," (aionion-three days.]-(Jonah ii. 6.) "I will give thee the land of Canaan for an everlasting (aionion) possession." (Gen. xvii. 8.) "For their annointing shall surely be an everlasting [aionion,] priesthood throughout their generations."-(Ex. xl. 15.) Many more passages might be quoted in which these words are used in the same manner. Thus when we examine the Old Testament, we find these words translated forever and everlasting, frequently used to signify a limited period of time-one that comes to an end! Indeed it is evident that the translators of our Bible in the use of the English word forever, did not mean by it, in all instances, time without end. In more than seventy cases in the Bible, they mean by forever, a time of limited duration. Professor Stuart says-"It is indeed true, that these words, everlasting, forever, etc., may be employed to designate a period which is in its own nature temporary. 5. Classical usage of Aion.-Let us look at the sense attached to aion by the early Greek writers. I am aided in this investigation by the labors of Mr. Goodwin, an accurate and ripe scholar, who made a thorough research into the meaning of aion and its derivatives, and published the result of his investigations in the "Christian Examiner," in 1831. He asserts on his reputation as a Greek scholar, that in the Ancient Classical Greek "aion" contains no sense of Eternity, whatever." In the Iliad" and Odyssey," aion occurs thirteen times only as a noun,-i. e. simply existence. I notice in "Hesiod," only two instances of "aion." "This is certain," asserts Mr. Goodwin, "mean what it may, aion in Homer and Hesiod, never means Eternity." These are the oldest Greek writings in existence. "In Eschylus," continues Mr. Goodwin, I notice nineteen instances of aion. I believe no one will suspect that Eschylus ever imagined a sense of Eternity to belong to aion." He lived and wrote about 500 years before Christ. Mr. Goodwin found aion thirteen times in “ Pindars* Odes,” written 495 years before Christ. In "Sophocles," he found aion nine times. In those works of " Aristotle," which he examined, he found it twelve times. In "Euripides," he found it in thirty-two instances. He says, "as certainly as human life is not eternal, so certainly, aion did not contain the meaning of Eternity." And as the result of his investigations in regard to this word, Mr. Goodwin says "The instances produced show plainly that aion, in these wri ters, never expresses positive eternity. In some few cases it may signify a term of duration; but more commonly, it expresses, either simply existence, or the person existing. And in many cases, the vital principal, or life, or the living spirit itself." Mr. Goodwin farther declares that the word aionios (aionion)—is not found in any instance, in the Ancient Greek writings. When they desired to express endless duration, they used some other words than those our translators have rendered forever and eternal in the English version of the Bible. Hence the only word on which Partialist theologians build their philological argument in defence of endless punishment, was never used by the Ancient Greek writers to express endless duration. Usage of Aionion-Aionios-In the days of Christ.-That these words could not not have been considered in the days of Christ, as always expressing endless time, is evident from the fact that the end of the time they represent, is expressly mentioned. The disciples inquired of the Savior-"What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”—aionos-(Matt. xxiv. 3.) "They are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world Laionion] are come.”—(1 Cor. x. 11.) It is frequently said, however, that some of the sects among the Jews-the Pharisees and Essenes, were believers in Endless Punishment: that when |