ON THE BURNING OF THE WORLD Translated from the Latin of CAMPEGIUS VITRINGA,* by the 2 Peter iii. 3-13. τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκοντες, ὅτι ἐλεύσονται ἐπ ̓ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ ἐμπαῖκται, κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας αὑτῶν ἐπιθυμίας πορευόμενοι καὶ λέγοντες· ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ; ἀφ ̓ ἧς γὰρ οἱ πατέρες ἐκοιμήθησαν, πάντα οὕτω διαμένει ἀπ ̓ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως. λανθάνει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο θέλοντας, ὅτι οὐρανοὶ ἦσαν ἔκπαλαι καὶ γῆ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ δι ̓ ὕδατος συνεστῶσα τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγῳ, δι ὧν ὁ τότε κόσμος ὕδατι κατακλυσθεὶς ἀπώλετο. οἱ δὲ νῦν οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ τεθησαυρισμένοι εἰσὶ πυρὶ, τηρούμενοι εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως καὶ ἀπωλείας τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἓν δὲ τοῦτο μὴ λανθανέτω ὑμᾶς, ἀγαπητοὶ, ὅτι μία ἡμέρα παρὰ κυρίῳ ὡς χίλια ἔτη καὶ χίλια ἔτη ὡς ἡμέρα μία. οὐ βραδύνει ὁ κύριος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ὥς τινες βραδυτῆτα ἡγοῦνται, ἀλλὰ μακροθυμεῖ εἰς ἡμᾶς, μὴ βουλόμενός τινας ἀπολέσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντας εἰς μετάνοιαν χωρῆσαι. ἥξει δὲ ἡ ἡμέρα κυρίου ὡς κλέπτης, ἐν ᾗ οἱ οὐρανοὶ ῥοιζηδὸν παρελεύσονται, στοιχεῖα δὲ καυσούμενα λυθήσονται καὶ γῆ καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ἔργα κατακαήσεται. τούτων οὖν πάντων λυομένων ποταποὺς δεῖ ὑπάρχειν ὑμᾶς; ἐν ἁγίαις ἀναστροφαῖς καὶ εὐσεβείαις προσδοκῶντας καὶ σπεύδοντας τὴν παρουσίαν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμέρας, δι ̓ ἣν οὐρανοὶ πυρούμενοι λυθήσονται καὶ στοιχεῖα καυσούμενα τήκεται. καινοὺς δὲ οὐρανοὺς καὶ γῆν καινὴν κατὰ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα αὐτοῦ προσδοκῶμεν, ἐν οἷς δικαιοσύνη κατοικεί. Common Version.-Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying: Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief [in the night]; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. THE * From his Observationes Sacrae, Book iv. chapter 16. The full title of this dissertation contains the words: 'Wherein is shown by solid reasons, that the apostle Peter, in the third chapter of his Second Epistle, where he mentions the coming of the Lord for the punishment of the godless by fire, is not to be understood of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, which is the opinion of some British theologians; but of the last coming of Christ to judge all mortals, and of the burning of the visible world that shall follow.' The Observationes Sacrae of the THE apostle Peter, towards the end of the second Epistle which bears his name as the author, very clearly speaks of a certain coming of the Lord to punish godless men, and to shake the whole fabric of heaven and earth with a great noise, and destroy it with the force of fire. The heavens, according to the apostle, in that last time he speaks of, shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up ;'-in all which language his belief is expressed in chap. iii. 10, besides many other passages on that matter in the same context, which we shall cite presently. The ancient fathers everywhere suppose that the apostle in this discourse graphically delineates the state of things in the last age, -and the coming of the Lord thus spoken of, and the fire accompanying the Lord's coming, they interpret concerning the last and glorious coming of Christ Jesus, when he will appear from heaven as Judge of the dead and living, and inflict the last punishment on the wicked, fresh-fashioning at the same time this universe. Of the fathers of the earlier age, this opinion was held by Tertullian, and especially Augustin, who treats largely of this matter in the books of the City of God. Of commentators on the Scrip tures the elder Vitringa, the great commentator, must not be confounded with the Dissertationes Sacrae of his accomplished son, the heir of his learning and virtues. They are sometimes confounded, as both bore the Christian name of Campegius. Our Vitringa (the elder) was born in 1659 and died in 1722, and was professor of divinity and ecclesiastical history in the University of Franeker. He was one of the most learned and elaborate of the Dutch theologians. Of the work from which this dissertation has been translated, Orme in his Bibliotheca Biblica says: “The Observationes have been frequently reprinted, and contain an immense mass of miscellaneous and learned dissertation on difficult passages of Scripture, and on questions of sacred criticism, theology, and antiquities. Even a list of the subjects would occupy more room than can be spared in this work; but they are all treated with great learning, and often with considerable originality. Some of the sentiments, however, are not strictly correct; and perhaps prepared the way for the greater aberrations of the modern German theologians. Walch commends the Observationes as specimens of exquisite erudition.' It is our intention to have a few of the most interesting of these dissertations translated for the Journal of Sacred Literature.-EDITOR. b Advers. Marc. Lib. iii. c. xvii. • When they are judged who are not written in the book of life, and are sent into everlasting fire (what sort of fire this is, or in what part of the world or of the universe it is to be, I think no man knows, unless it has happened that the Divine Spirit has taught him), then the fashion of this world shall pass away by the burning of the fires of the world, as the flood was made by the overflow of the waters of the world. Therefore, as I have said, by that burning of the world, the qualities of corruptible principles which were meet for our corruptible bodies, shall altogether pass away in the heat; and matter itself shall have those qualities, which by wonderful change shall be meet for deathless bodies; so that indeed the world made new and better, shall be well meetened for men even in the flesh made new and better.-City of God. Book xx. ch. xvi. the Peter has here said nothing of the rising of the dead, but much indeed of the ruin of this world. Also when commemorating the ancient flood, he seems in a manner to teach how far we must believe that the world will perish in the end of this age. For tures in more recent times, I may here mention only Calvin,a Piscator, and amongst the Remonstrants (the Dutch Arminians), Vorstius. For to cite more would be superfluous. This For he says, that at that time, the world which then was, perished; not only the globe of earth, but also the heavens, which however, we understand to be those aërial heavens, the place and space of which was then encroached on by the water's increase. Therefore all, or nearly all that air subject to wind (which he calls heaven or rather heavens, but those of course that are lowest, not those highest, where the sun and moon and stars are established), was changed to a moist nature; and in this way perished with the earth, the former face of which earth was of course obliterated by the flood. But,' he says, 'the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.' Therefore the heavens and earth, that is, the world, which instead of that world which perished by the flood is kept in store from the same water, is itself reserved for the last fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. For he hesitates not to say that there will be a perdition of men also by reason of some great change; when, however, though in everlasting punishment, their nature will remain. Perhaps some one may ask, if after judgment is done, that world will be consumed, until a new heaven and earth be produced instead thereof, even during its burning, where will be the saints, since, having bodies, they must be in some corporeal place. We may answer, that they will be in the higher regions, whither the flame of that fire will not reach, as neither did the wave of the flood. For they will have such bodies, that where they wish there they will be. But made deathless and incorruptible, neither will they be afraid of the fire of that burning,-like as the corruptible and mortal bodies of the three men could live unhurt in the fiery furnace.-Id. ch. xviii. d Calvin on verses 5, 6. With one argument only he refutes the scoff of the godless, to wit, that the world once perished by a flood of waters, when notwithstanding it stood by the water. But since the history was sufficiently known and celebrated, he says that they erred willingly, that is, of their own accord. For they who infer the perpetuity of the world from its long-continued state, wickedly shut their eyes, lest they should perceive so manifest a judgment of God. The world certainly derived its origin from the waters; for chaos, from which the earth was produced, is called waters by Moses, Gen. i. 2. Then it was upheld by the waters; but the Lord employed the waters for its destruction. Whence it appears that the force of nature is not therefore of itself sufficient to cherish and preserve the world, as there is rather included therein the means of destruction, as often as it may please God. For we must always think that the world stands by no other power than of the word of God, and therefore that inferior causes borrow thence their virtue, and are in a manner acted on, so as to produce divers effects. Thus the world stood by the water; but the water by itself could do nothing, but was rather subject as an inferior instrument to the word of God. Therefore when once it pleased God to destroy the earth. the same water rendered its service as a deadly deluge. Now we see how greatly they err, who rely on the mere elements, as though perpetuity belonged to them, and their nature was not rather to be bent according to the Divine nod. With these few words, their perverseness is abundantly refuted, who arm themselves with arguments from nature to oppose God. For the history of the flood, Gen. vii. 17, is a sufficient witness that the whole order of nature is governed only by the command of God. It, however, seems unreasonable that he says, the world perished by the flood, when he had before mentioned heaven and earth. I answer, that heaven also was then drowned (submersum), that is, the region of the air, which is spread out empty between the two waters. For that distinction which Moses speaks of, Gen. i. 6, was destroyed;-and the name heavens is often taken in this sense. If any one wish further information, let him read Augustin's City of God, Book xx. Verse 7. He does not draw this as an inference. Nor had he any other object than to refute the subtlety of the scoffers concerning the lasting state of nature, such as we see many at this day, who with a slight sprinkling of the rudiments of philosophy, This hypothesis, so certainly true, has been approved by the Rev. Dr. Thomas Burnet, who has lately composed with learning and ingenuity, The Sacred Theory of the Earth,' forasmuch as while fully treating of the burning of the world, he has nowhere, so far as I could observe, even questioned whether this passage of Peter is to be understood of that last burning of the whole of this globe of earth, but has everywhere supposed this as a ground of unassailable truth to his dissertation, especially where he expounds in the work this portion of Peter's Epistle. And losophy, for which they give themselves out as great philosophers, only seek for profane speculations. But this, however, is clearly apparent from the above, that there is nothing unreasonable when the Lord foretells that the heaven and earth will one day be consumed by fire, since there is one rule for water and fire. For it was a familiar doctrine with the ancients that from these two great principles all things sprung. Verse 10. What follows concerning the burning of heaven and earth, needs not a long exposition, if we consider its design. For he does not here mean to treat subtilely of fire and storm, and other things, but only thence to infer an exhortation which he presently adds, to wit, that we also should strive after newness of life. For he reasons thus, that heaven and earth will be purified with fire, that they may be suitable to the reign of Christ: therefore it is far more necessary that men should be renewed. Those interpreters are therefore wrong who spend much labour on subtile speculations, when the apostle accommodates this entire teaching to pious exhortations. Heaven, he says, and earth will pass away for our sakes; does it then become us to be overwhelmed in the world, and not rather to aim at a holy and godly life? The defilement of heaven and earth will be purified with fire, though they be pure creatures of God: what then must we do, who are filled with so many pollutions? In the word evσeßelais, godlinesses, he uses the plural for the singular, unless we take it for acts of godliness. Of the elements of the world, I will say this one word, that they will be consumed only to acquire a new nature, while the substance remains, as may be easily gathered from Rom. viii. 21, and other places. e Thomas Burnet, LL.D. born 1635, died 1715. The curious and now obsolete work above referred to has the following passage :- We suppose that the conflagration will end in a dissolution and liquefaction of the elements and all the exterior region of the earth; so as to become a true deluge of fire, or a sea of fire overspreading the whole globe of the earth. This state of the conflagration, I think, may be plainly proved, partly by the expressions of Scripture concerning it, and partly from the Renovation of the earth that is to fol. low upon it. St. Peter who is our chief guide in the doctrine of the conflagration, says, 2 Pet. iii. 10, 11, The elements will be melted with fervent heat;' besides burning up the works of the earth. Then adds, Seeing all these things shall be dissolved,' &c. These terms of liquefaction and dissolution cannot, without violence, be restrained to simple devastation and superficial scorching. Such expressions carry the work a great deal further, even to that full sense which we propose. Besides, the prophets often speak of the melting of the earth, or of the hills and mountains, at the presence of the Lord, in the day of his wrath. Isaiah xxxiv. 3, 4; lxiv. 1, 2; Nahum i. 5; Psalm xcvii. 5. And St. John, Apocal. xv. 2, tells us of a sea of glass, mingled with fire; where the saints stood, singing the song of Moses, and triumphing over their enemies, the spiritual Pharaoh and his host, that were swallowed up in it. The sea of glass must be a sea of molten glass; it must be fluid, not solid, if a sea; neither can a solid substance be said to be mingled with fire, as this was. And to this answers the lake of fire and brimstone,' which the Beast and false prophet were thrown into alive, Apocal. xix. 20. These all refer to the end of the world and the last fire, and also plainly imply, or express rather, that state of liquefaction which we suppose and assert. Furthermore, And yet there have not been wanting in this age, and there may be found now, those who are learned and skilled in Sacred Literature, who are far from understanding this digression of the apostle Peter of the last illustrious coming of Christ Jesus, to pass sentence concerning the life and character of all men, and either to destroy or change this our world, so long subject to vanity and the godlessness of mankind; but rather understand it of the particular judgment to be inflicted by God on the unbelieving and godless Jews, and the coming of the Lord to overthrow their commonwealth, or ecclesiastical polity, which was done by the Romans. Thus among English divines, openly favouring and maintaining this opinion, are Lightfoot,' Owen, and Cave; and h even Furthermore, the Renovation of the world, or the new heavens and new earth, which St. Peter, out of the prophets, tells us shall spring out of these that are burnt and dissolved, do suppose this earth reduced into a fluid chaos, that it may lay a foundation for a second world. If you take such a skeleton of an earth, as your scorching fire would leave behind it; where the flesh is torn from the bones, and the rocks and mountains stand naked and staring upon you; the sea, half empty, gaping at the sun, and the cities all in ruins and in rubbish; how would you raise a new world from this? and a world fit to be a habitation for the righteous; for so St. Peter makes that to be, which is to succeed after the conflagration, 2 Peter iii. 13, and a world also without a sea; so St. John describes the new earth he saw, Apocal. xxi. 1. As these characters do not agree to the present earth, so neither would they agree to your future one; for if that dead lump could revive and become habitable again, it would however retain all the imperfections of the former earth, besides some scars and deformities of its own. Wherefore, if you would cast the earth into a new and better mould, you must first melt it down; and the last fire, being as a Refiner's fire, will make an improvement in it, both as to matter and form. To conclude, it must be reduced into a fluid mass, in the nature of a chaos, as it was at first; but this last will be a fiery chaos, as that was watery; and from this state it will emerge again into a paradisaical world.—Sacred Theory of the Earth, Book iii. ch. ix. Burnet afterwards explains the passage thus:-The apostle answers to the scoffers, that they willingly forget or are ignorant, that there were heavens of old, and an earth, so and so constituted; consisting of water and by water; by reason whereof that world, or those heavens and that earth, perished in a deluge of water. But saith he, the heavens and the earth that are now, are of another constitution, fitted and reserved to another fate. And after these are perished, there will be new heavens and a new earth, according to God's promise. He expounds the passage at length, and argues for its reference to the 'natural world.' He says, 'The sacred basis upon which the whole theory stands, is the doctrine of St. Peter, delivered in his second epistle and third chapter, concerning the triple order and succession of the heavens and the earth. That comprehends the whole extent of our theory; which indeed is but a large commentary upon St. Peter's text.'-iv. 10, TRANS. f Work on Chronology, Part ii. p. 116. 8 Theolog. Lib. iii. cap. i. § 1, 2. b Peter tells us of these scoffers that should come in the last days; that is, before the destruction of Jerusalem (as that phrase is often used in the New Testament), that they should say, 'Where is the promise of his coming? Which clearly respects their making light of those threatenings of our Lord, whereby he had foretold, that he would shortly come in judgment for the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation. This he now puts them in mind of, as what probably he had before told them of, vivâ voce, when he was amongst them. For so we find he did elsewhere. Lactantius assuring us, B. iv. ch. xxi., That amongst many strange and wonderful things which Peter and Paul preached at Rome, and left upon record, this was one, that within a short time, God would send a prince who should destroy the Jews |