The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-07

away, but my words shall not pass
away" SO the contradiction is only
seeming.
But what of the phrases, this world,
and the world tn come, and eternal
damnation? 1t is conceded by the
learned of former day as we'll as our
now that the Greek noun aion, liter
ally signifies age, and if we are right
in this, the statement from St. Mat
thew's Gospel would properly read, but
whose speaketh against the Holy Ghost
it shall not be forgiven him, neither
in this age, nor the age to come, or to
abridge, neither in this or the coming
age. 1t is also conceded that an ad-
jective cannot signify more than the
noun from which it is derived, so in the
quotation from st. Mark it takes the
adjective form. 1t follows then that
those who sinDed against the Holy
Ghost were in danger of age-lasting
condemnation or judgment. That the
Greek word, aion, does simply mean
age, we give as our authority therefor,
Homer, Herodotus, Isocrates, and
Xenophon, and when Plato and Aris-
totle wished to express more than age
by the term, they used other terms in
connection Herewith. OF those in more
modern times who use the term in
question and define it as above we men,
tion are Donegan and Pickering in their
Greek Lexicons. DR.. Adam Clarke, the
great Methodist commentator, who
was himself an embodiment of his
toric lore, says in reference to the SUBJ
ject in question, Though 1 follow the
common translation, yet I am fully
satisfied that the meaning of the words
is neither in this dispensation, viz,
the Jewish, nor that which is to come,
viz: the Christian, olam-ha DO, the
world to come, is constant phrase for
the times Of the Messiah in the Jewish
writings" Bishop Pearce is acknowl-
edged to have been one of the most ju-
dicious critics and eminent prelates of
the English church, and he says:
"Neither in this world, etc., rather,
neither in this age nor the age to come,
that is, neither in this age when the
law of Moses subsists, nor in that also
when the kingdom of Heaven, which is
at hand, shall succeed it,"
The new translation, although it fol-
lows near the old, yet candor is exhib-
tied in that they put age in the margin
which the UnNersalists have always
contended for. That aion means simply
age, appears to be fully sustained in
the recension of Greisbach's Greek,
and was so used by Philo, the Jew,
who was contemporary with the Saw
Jour, and also Josephus used the term
A. d. 100, which shows the usage at
the time the Saviour used the term.
Our position is sustainable by etymol-
ogy, photography and usage.
But now then for an explanation Of
the text in sense that will cast no
reflection upon God and no final, ever
lasting injury to the children who bear
his divine impress.
Jesus had opened the eyes Of the
blind, unstopped the ears of the deaf;
he had cleansed the leper, raised the
dead and presented the Gospel to the
poor Of Adams race. The Scribes and
Pharisees who saw and knew that these
miracles were wrought by the power
of God perversely attributed it to the
confederate power of Beelzebub. ut
was virtually calling the Holy Spirit
BeelZebub." The Saviour reasoned with
them that Satan would not likely cast
out satan, and that if he did his king
dom would be divided and could not
stand, and he interrogated them and
pressed them to know if he cast out
devils by Beelzebub by whom did their
sons cast them out. Still they per-
sisted in their course and said, He hath
an unclean spirit. So the sin against
the Holy Ghost consisted in ascribing
the miracles wrought by the power of
God through Jesus Christ to the agency
of Satan which sin was not to be for
given in that nor the coming age, and
further those guilty of the calumny
were to undergo judgment represent
ed by st. Mark as age-lasting condem-
nation, or to suffer the result of filling
up the measure of their iniquity a ma
TONS overthrow, which was literally
fulfilled in that generation.
Now be it observed that God forgives
sin but not punishment. In political
government, the pardoning power ex-
tends to the penalty that of course grows
out of the imperfection of the courts
and the fallibility of the witnesses,
but Gods court is not court of error.
He knows just how much punishment
is needed. What God does is to blot
out or take away the sin, but while
punishment was visited upon those
who sinned they did not likely repent
this side of the grave, consequently
not likely forgiven while in this world.
But do you urge that they never will
be growing out of the statement in st.
Marks GosDAl viz. "Hath never for