Following is the opening salvo of a dialogue found in:
The universal restoration: Exhibited in four dialogues between a minister and his friend...
By Elhanan Winchester written in the late 1700's.Available for free on Google books. An excellent read for all who oppose the idea, and for those who embrace it, as well as for all who aren't sure but would like to think it through. If this describes you, then this is an excellent resource.
Friend: I shall first of all bring to view that grand objection which is formed from the word eternal or everlasting being applied to a future state of punishment as in the following passages.
Isaiah xxxiii 14 The
sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites Who among
us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with
everlasting burnings.
Dan xii 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the
earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting
contempt.
St Matt xviii 8 Wherefore if thine hand or thy foot offend thee or
cause thee to offend cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee
to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to
be cast into everlasting fire.
St Matt xxv 41 Then shall he say also unto them
on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for
the devil and his angels.
Verse 46 These shall go away into everlasting
punishment but the righteous into life eternal or everlasting
The same word in
the original being used for both though varied by the translators.
St Mark iii
29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness
but is in danger of eternal damnation.
2 Thes i 7 8 9 The Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on
them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord and from the glory of his power.
Jude 1: 6, 7 And the Angels which kept not
their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in
everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day even as
Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner giving themselves
over unto fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an
example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
These texts together form such
an objection to the doctrine of the Restoration that I can by no means believe
it unless this can be fairly answered and proofs brought from the Scriptures to
shew that the words everlasting and eternal which are translations of the same
word and synonymous being connected with the punishment of the wicked and their
future misery do not necessarily imply the continuance of the same while God
exists.
Minister: I am glad that you have so fairly and fully stated the matter and I highly commend your resolution not to believe the universal doctrine unless this can be answered fully without any torturing or twisting the Scriptures and if I am not able with God's assistance to remove this difficulty I will publicly recant my sentiments…
Go to Google and get the book to find out what the answer was. The following link should get you close to the page.
http://books.google.com/books?id=BWIVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=aioniois&source=bl&ots=d8mUPUXr_w&sig=hmy0d8sdD2B57PJdp54D5WXOWH4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=pi8CUeDCDeTQiwL0yoHIDw&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=aioniois&f=false
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