ANNIHILATION

ANNIHILATION, the Act of reducing a Substance into Nothing; or of totally destroying and taking away its Existence. See SUBSTANCE and EXISTENCE. Annihilation stands opposed to Creation: The one supposes something made out of nothing, the other nothing made out of something. See CREATION. All Annihilation must be Metaphysical or Supernatural. See BODY, ALTERATION, CORRUPTION, etc. Bodies naturally admit of Changes and Alterations in their form; but not of Annihilation. Philosophers object against this Notion of Annihilation; in that it supposes an Act required thereto: Whereas, according to them, Annihilation must ensue upon God’s merely ceasing to act, or to create a thing. For, if the Conservation of a thing be a continued Creation thereof; as is almost universally allowed: It's evident a thing can no longer endure, than while God continues to create. The Word is compounded of ad, to, and nihil, nothing.

ANNIHILATION