AN INQUIRY INTO THE SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE CONCERNING THE DEVIL AND SATAN: AND INTO THE EXTENT OF DURATION EXPRESSED BY THE TERMS OLIM, AION, AND AIONIOS, RENDERED EVERLASTING, FOREVER, &c. IN THE COMMON VERSION, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN APPLIED TO PUNISHMENT. SECOND EDITION. BY WALTER BALFOUR. CHARLESTOWN (Ms.) DAVIDSON, PRINTER. BT 980 1827 cop a 2 District of Massachusetts, to wit: BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the thirtieth day of December, A.D. 1826, in the fiftieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, WALTER BALFOUR, of the said District, haih deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as Author, in the words following, to wit : “An Inquiry into the scriptural doctrine concerning the Devil and Satan: and into the extent of duration expressed by the terms Olim, Aion, and Aionios, rendered everlasting, forever, &c. in the com mon version, and especially when applied to punishment. Second edition. By Walter Balfour.” In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, “An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned ;" and also to an act entitled “an act supplementary to an act entitled 'an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts and books, 10 the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching, historical and other prints.” JOHN W. DAVIS, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. CONTENTS. PART 1. Page. Common opinions of the Devil and Satau briefly Sect. II, Remarks on Genesis 3. showing that the serpent which deceived Eve was not a fallen angel Secr. III. All the texts in the Old Testament where the original word Shaitan, or Satan occurs, consid- Sect. IV. The opinion that the Devil or Satan is a real being, with other connected opinions, shown to have Secr. v. All the passages in the New Testament where the SECT. VI. All the passages where the original word Diabolos, translated Devil, is used, considered Sect. VII. All the passages considered in which the terms Devil and Satan are used synoniinously Sect. VIII. All the texts considered where the Devil is sup- posed to be called the evil one, the tempter, the great dragon, the serpent, and old serpent, the prince of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and the god of this world SECT. IX. Facts stated, showing that the Devil is not a fallen Sect. X. Concluding remarks, pointing out the evils which Secr. I. All the texts noticed where Olim occurs in the Old Teslament, but is rendered by words which do not express or imply endless duration SECT. 1. All the passages noticed where Olim is used, and rendered by words which convey the idea of SECT. III. All the texts where Olimi occurs, is rendered by words which convey the idea of endless duration, and applied to punishment, particularly consid- ered Secr. iv. General remarks on Aion and Aiopios, as used in SECT. V. All the places noticed where Aion and Aionios are readered ages, course, never, forever, evermore, eternal, everlasting ; but which have no relation. SECT. VI. All the places where Aion and Aionios are render- SECT. vil. All the places where Aion and Aionios are used to express the duration of punishment, particularly considered, in whatever way rendered in the Sect. VIII. Concluding remarks on Olim, Aion aud Aionios, IN presenting the following pages to the public, were any apology necessary, I would make it in the words of Professor Stuart to Dr. Miller. He says, p. 12, 13, of his Letters, “It is just as much our individual duty now, to bring every principle of the creed of the Protestant churches to the test of the divine word, as it was the duty of the Reformers to bring that of the Catholics to the test of Scripture. This position is absolutely certain; unless we can prove that the formers of the Protestant symbols were inspired. If they were not, they may have erred in some things; and if so, it is important to us, if possible, to know in what they have erred. But how shall we, or how can we know this, unless their creeds are subjected, anew and repeatedly, to the test of the Scriptures? “Will it be said, that the dwarfs of modern days only exhibit their pride and self conceit in attempting a comparison with those giants of yore? If it should, my answer would be; That dwarfs as we are in modern days, we stand, at least, upon the shoulders of those ancient giants, and must needs have a somewhat more extended |