The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-24
HE'LL \ THEME FOR SERMONS.
yJJr pOCTRTNE or ETIRNL TORTURE
JNSIILED 4ND DEFENDED.
r,itmnns vigorous Denunc,ntiou -T,ouRh'.
s-rdrubrtaInn Ideas " oodsides Firm
pru,rIn Never Ending Agony, md tox's
Theory of quick Destruction by Fire.

r,n4 yesterday discussed the renewed ques-
zion whether there is n hell.
II cannot bc that for six thousand years or
more" said the Rev. J. NJ. Pullman in the
universalist Church Of Our Saviour. God has
been in a rage with the poor helpless mites that
tnhaht this insignificant planet. We must dis
card this idea as altogether absurd and inn
probable. We are in the morning OF n great
day Science will never make it ensier for Il
man to suldue his passions. yet science has
discovered many things which lead II man to-
erdeavcr to- suhdue his injurious passions.
Formerly people believed Ia driving man into
becoming n Christian. or in terrifying him into
m attompt To es'npc the toriures Of hell. These
have hccn proved to bo mistaken dortrncs. A
man mover docs his best while under the in
flcnce Of terror. The change that has coms
over man i'm his conceptions of hia God is
proof Of the broadening ~ ha mind. In carly
iays God was regarded as devil. with power
tn doatroy and ho must he prOpitiated with an
manner of snoria'e Later he WIS deemed an
iron God. who cared moro for law than for my
Ning else. II WAS thought that God wanted
the best OF ov rything. So. when Abraham was
about TO ofier M Isaac. he deemed that
hs Wa pleasing God. Let man try thHt
aort OF thing to-day. ana see what Chris
u1ns viii say Of him And yet. on
American soil. people had been burned
n the stake for their rcliL i,us belief and to-day
the religious animus " many people in our
midst IN only roetraiued hS the fear Of the law.
L.tit loose. nnd scc what will happen. Any
hing IL better than soul wrapped up in sr
cshne-s. Some persons say that the great re-
rgious progress Of to-day j. owing to the fact
that things have tendency to come straight.
This Is all cant. Nothing hut sacrifice can make
things straight. Nothing is So shameful in men
q. TO say that the religious agitation ofto-day is
only the development Of atnndeney.
How many martyrs to religious liberty have
there been Their names are legion. The
vnfle idea % destiny has changed. Years ago
/, WIS thought that not more than one ia ton
thousand would b. saved. Loss than a century
ago men have told us that the pleasures OF
heaven would be enhanced 10y tho suiIorings of
tho damned inmates Of hell. Now II is thought
thm thore will be about as many people lost MS
there nre inmates Of prisons The rest will be
snvsd." Mr. Pullman read extracts from the
sermons Of Canon Tarrar concerning hell and
said That is direct confirmation Of the doe
trnes of the Unversalst Church. The slavery
OF 'he spirit cannot last mu IN longer. Spir
itgal despotism must cease Man Is going TO he
fr3e The time is coming when the Bible will
be- more studied by the majority ~ mon. Tint
time will come when ia" translaior- OF the
Scriptures get over their damnahle ideas OF the
Old doctrine. In every household there II a
Bible. and in cverv household II Is allowed TO
lie unopened on the shell uni gather dust. be-
cause the mind Of man VIII not permit him To
heed the lies which are enclosed between its
The Rev DR.. ormiston in the Reformed
Dutch Church at Twenty ninth street and Fifth
avenue said that "a give some understanding o.
heaven to our faculties i had been described a.
aeountry. kingdom. fathers house and 10
give II dignity i was added That i contained
thrones. crowns harps. and palms. which meant
that there was victory, triumph sonss. and joy
~. Tflt ttr nts st