No. 1.

FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

The subject of inquiry in this essay, is the literal and original meaning of the Greek word av (eternity), and its cognate divio (eternal). They are words employed by the Holy Spirit, to express the duration both of the future happiness of the righteous and the future misery of the wicked. On the meaning of these words, therefore, the strength of the motives that enforce all moral duties must very much depend,

The modern Universalist professes to believe that the literal signification of av is age. I give his proof in his own language: "Homer uses awy for life, or the age of man." Iliad, iv. 478. "Short was his aw, taken off by the spear of the magnanimous Ajax." Iliad, v, 685. "Then may av forsake me in your city." Iliad, xvi. 458. "When his aw shall have left him." The author affirms that the word, in the above passages, cannot mean eternity, and adds-"I boldly assert that it never has such an extensive signification. The proper sense of day is age." Kneeland, also, in his lectures entitled, Endless Misery Refuted, affirms that "it must now be admitted that the word aray DOES not, neither OAN, signify eternity, nor yet endless duration of time. The word signifies literally an age." He admits, indeed, that the word, taken I suppose figuratively, signifies the duration of the world; the ages of the world; the next life; a period, or periodical dispensation of Divine Providence. Now, it is intended in the present discussion to prove, that whilst the word is frequently employ ed figuratively, in all the significations just noticed, its proper, original, and literal meaning is, not age, but eternity; and also, that its cognate, vi, literally signifies, not during an age, but eternal,

That are often means eternity, and vor eternal, we first argue

from the fact, that by ancient Latin writers, who were also well acquainted with the Greek language, the former word is translated ævum, and æternitas; and the latter æternus. The following is an extract from Leigh's Critica Sacra. "This word (a) is translated by Sully and others, sæculum, ætas, annus, and æternitas. Athanasius, Jerome, Hillary, and Ambrose, render alios, æternus. Chrysostom, speaking of the punishment which is qualified by alay 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.""‡

Such are the authorities given by Leigh. But there is no necessity to rest the decision on these only. In the Vulgate Latin version, the word da, is almost constantly rendered æternus. So it is likewise by the early Christian Fathers. Jerome, in his Commentary on Matthew 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 lian, in his Apology against the Hea escape the danger of ruin."§ Tertulthen, in allusion to the same passage says, "that the righteous shall enter upon the retribution of eternal 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, Matt. xxv. 41, thus-"Depart ye cursed into eternal fire, which my Father has prepared for the devil and his angels: And then adds this comment-"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 Matt. xxv. 41, uses this language-"Go," he says, "ye cursed into eternal fire."||

It is quite unnecessary any further to multiply quotations, to prove that the early fathers translated advies by æternus. But still it may possibly be urged that æternus itself, does not mean eternal. Let Latin authorities determine this point. Chrysostom, in his twenty-sixth homily, gives us an opportunity of knowing how he understood the word. He says for him (the devil) unextinguishable fire bas been prepared. Now fire that is unextinguishable is certainly eternal. Again, Cicero gives us his opinon on the extent of this word's significa tion.** "As to the universe, in itself

Et ignis autem aeternus, quem præpa. ravit Pater meus diabollo et angelis ejus. † Abite maledicti in ignem æternum, quem præparavit Pater meus diabolo et angelis ejus.

+ Significans quoniam non homini principaliter præparatus est æternus ignis, sed ei qui seduxit et offendere fecit hominem. Lib. iv. cap. 25.

§ Pœna non solum temporabilis sed (et) æterna facta. Lib. iv. cap. 47. Item, vide Lib. iv. cap. 45, atque 78, et Lib. v. cap. 27.

num.

Ite dicet, maledicti, in ignem æter

Illi enim olim præparatus est inextinguibilis ille ignis.

** Ut mundum ex quadam parte mortalem, ipse Deus æternus, sic fragite corpus animus sempiternus, movet. Nam quod semper movetur æternum est.-Nam quod autem motum affert alicui, quodque agitatur aliunde, quando finem habet motus, vivendi finem habeat necesse est. Solum igitur quod sese movet-quia nunquam ne movere quidem desinit, quin cæteris quæ moventur hic fons, hoc principium

mortal, God in himself eternal, gives it motion; so the soul, eternal, actuates the frail body: For what is always moved is eternal." He then proceeds to show what is always moved.-"For that which produces motion in another, and that also which is actuated by some foreign power, when they cease to move, necessarily cease to exist. Therefore, that only which moves itself, since it never ceases to move both itself and those things which are moved by other things, this is the source, this is the beginning of motion. But that which is itself a beginning, can have no origin: for all other things arose from the beginning; itself from nothing. For that which is produced by any thing without itself cannot be a beginning, which, since it never began to exist, shall assuredly never cease to exist." With the correctness or incorrectness of Cicero's philosophical opinions we have, in the present inquiry, no concern. But certainly in the passage just cited, this perfect master of the Latin language, and prince of orators, most unequivocally teaches us what he understood to be meant by the Latin word æternus. It is that which has no beginning, and shall have no end. It militates not at all against our position, that some instances may be cited in which æternus does not mean endless duration. We admit that the word is sometimes used figuratively, to denote limited continuance. But a few cases in which the word is taken in a restrictive sense, no more prove that to be its original and proper signification, than the instances in which the English words everlasting and eternal are applied to terminable objects, prove that they are limited in their original and proper signification. Who ever attempted to prove that because we read of eternal snows, and everlasting hills,

est movendi. Principio autem nulla est origo, nam ex principio oriuntur omnia; ipsum autem, nulla ex re. Nec enim esset principium quod gigneretur aliunde, quod si numquam oritur, ne occidit quidem unquam.

and believeth on him, may have everlasting life," says "What then is beyond obtaining eternal life ?"* For the word aavior in the text, the writer uses aid in the comment. The inference is plain, that in the judgment of Clemens these words mean the same thing. And Clemens, being a Greek writer, certainly knew the proper force of words in his own language. But Aristotle, in his essay concerning Heaven, puts this question beyond all doubt in the following language "This extent, which includes the duration of each, beyond which there is nothing, is called αιων. And according to this opinion, the duration of every part of heaven, even that duration which includes the interminable continuance and infinitude of all, is any, (derived from ast, and eva,) and is surnamed deathless and divine."t Here is that duration which has nothing beyond it; it includes interminable continuance and infinity; and it is finally deathless. The author also notices the coincidence between his definition of the word, and the meaning most naturally to be deduced from its composition and derivation, namely a, ever, and Eival, to be, making the compound literally ever-being. Now nothing can surely be ever-being, of which it can ever be said in truth "it has no being." To deny this, is very much like denying one of the plainest principles of common sense.

Such then is the authority of Aristotle, one of the most distinguished teachers of Philosophy and Language that the world ever saw. How much such authorities ought to be regard

* Τι παραιτερω του κεκτησθαι ζωην αιδιον υπολειπεται.

† Το γας τελοσ, το περι έχον τον τησ εκαστου ζωησ χρονον, ου μεδεν εξω, κατα Φυσιν αιων εκαστου κεκληται. Κατά τον

αυτόν, δε και το του παντοσ ουρανου τελος, και το τον παντων απείρον χρονον, και την απειρίαν περιέχον τέλος, αιων εστιν, αποτου αει και είναι, ειληφως επωνομίαν αθανατος και θειοσ.

Arist, De Calo, lib. i. cap. 9.

ed, in opposition to the vapouring assertions of our modern universalists, let every unprejudiced reader decide for himself.-We say assertions, for they are able to produce no proof. All the show of proof they present, is nothing but some passages in the classics, in which a means age, or lifetime. But from this fact, how does it necessarily follow that this must be its proper, literal, or original meaning? If it were settled that the word can have but one signification, then there might be some connexion between the fact and the consequence which the Universalist draws; but as it is, there is none at all. Let us for a moment look at this kind of reasoning, when applied to other subjects. The Universalist finds some passages in the classics, where av must mean age; therefore he "boldly asserts" that it "cannot mean eternity," and that the proper sense of this word is age. Take of this reasoning the following fair Parallelisms.-In the English classics, sentences are found in which the inhabitants of a particular region, are called "the country." Therefore the word country, we may "boldly assert," never means a region, and that its proper sense is the inhabitants of a region! Again: Our representatives in congress are sometimes called "The House." Therefore we are "boldly to assert" that the word "House," never signifies a dwelling, but properly a company of men!-I beg not to be compelled publickly to prove that such reasoners possess minds eminently stored with the rudiments of logic, or that they are profoundly read in the Greek language.

If the proof of our position be now complete, then in explaining those passages of scripture in which &ιων and avo are found, we have classical usage to support us in giving them an unlimited signification, in all cases except those in which sufficient reasons can be assigned, from obvious attending circumstances, for taking them otherwise. Infinite duration being their literal signification, all other

things being equal, is always to be preferred. In a future number, these words shall be examined, as to the extent of their signification in several passages of the Septuagint and the Greek Testament. A. C.

TRAVELS IN EUROPE FOR HEALTH IN 1820. BY AN AMERICAN CLERGYMAN, OF THE SYNOD OF PHILADELPHIA.

Gibraltar, January 20th, 1820. My dear Friend,-You may possibly suppose, that my not yet having given you any information relative to the state of religion in this place, must be owing to my curiosity being so much occupied about the many strange objects with which I find myself surrounded, as to allow little time or inclination to inquire on the subject. It is not so. Such a procedure would indeed be unpardonable. The very first concern of man upon earth is religion: and I hold it to be the primary object of inquiry, with a traveller, to ascertain if possible its state in the countries he visits. More is to be known of a people, both as it regards their present situation and their future prospects, by knowing their religion, and the hold it has upon them, than from any other item of knowledge concerning them. On religion depends morality, and on morality depends prosperity. It would be easy to demonstrate this position from all history, both sacred and profane. But you have no incredulity on the subject, that calls for any such demonstration. I may therefore go on to my proper business, of detailing to you what I have learned of the religion of the people of Gibraltar. Only I would premise, that my delay has been owing to a wish to possess myself of all the information which my stay here will allow me to obtain, that I may give it to you altogether. I was in Gibraltar but a very short time, until my attention was attracted to the Spanish chapel, convenient to my hotel, by the almost incessant

ringing of its bells. It is a large building, of modern construction, exhibiting nothing remarkable on its exterior. But within, the profusion of ornament, comprehending pictures, crucifixes, gilding, painting, &c. gives a brilliancy and glitter to the whole, that to a stranger is very imposing. This, connected with the full-toned organ, accompanied with fine vocal musick, renders the place very attractive, but to me, much more for the gratification of curiosity and amusement, than the exercise of devotion. It is open at all hours of the day, and every evening there is quite a congregation assembled for evening prayers. If a stranger takes off his hat, it seems to be regarded as no intrusion to go quietly through the house, and look at all its exhibitions; even though he has to wind his way among the kneeling devotees, who may be scattered over the floor-offering their adorations before the pictures of saints or crucifixes, as each one likes best. There are no pews; the floor is quite vacant-except here and there some benches, where those who are disposed may sit, and give themselves to silent meditation. On one of these I have often sat, while my feelings were soothed and softened by the exquisite musick, and while I have wondered at the strange devotion going on around me. Each worshipper, as he enters, crosses or sprinkles himself with the consecrated water, contained in a large marble vase near the door; then goes to the situation preferred, generally before some painting or crucifix; where dropping on his knees, he repeats in a low whisper, his prayers, gazing on the object before him with a countenance of solemnity and awe, as if looking at the very Deity. Some, without any object before them, with closed eyes, seem to be absorb ed in silent supplication. If appearances are to be trusted, there is much sincerity and reverence on the minds of many of these Roman Catholick worshippers, that do them credit; and which ought to put to shame, the profane thoughtlessness and levity, that