The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-02-05
Sun, 3Sth nit.
PREACHING ON HE'LL.
a Variety OF Views Expressed b
n Number OF Our Clergy n en-.

- ~ W. Osss os-p ~
The clergymen are still speaking out
on the subject OF hell, and their sermons
OF yesterday presented wide range Of
views. A lsyman, Mr. z. Cannon, also
took up the current religious theme -
He lectured at 1873 West Twenty-fourth
street, maintaining that the doctrine of
eternal torment is disgrace to the nine
.teenth century. He used an illustrative
panorsna that he had himself painted
The principal picture was called "The
Judgment OF the World" and was eight
by twenty-five feet in size. A line sep
srated the earth, on the lower, half of,
tho canvas, from heaven, ion the upper
half. Two graveyards on the earth bad
tombstones with inscriptions, and the
resurrection was indicated by the emer
ging Of corpses Forms were seen on
their way toward heaven. There we're
green mountains with angels standing
on them, railroad with train, and
steamships Several serpents were rep
resented-one emerging from a pit and
seized by an angel, who was about to
cast it down AMI secure it for q thous
and years. A A,rock was supposed TO be
the one that the wicked prayed would
fall on them and obscure them from the
sight Of God. In heaven, Jesus sat in
the centre OF the great white throne,
surrounded by angels. The lightning
flashed forth from him on either side to
the earth. Some Of the people appI oach.
ing the throne we're dressed in white
and some in black The former were
to be received into heaven. and the lat
ter doomed to burning lake OF fire and
! birthstone, which VAS close at hand. =
Several dragons were lurking among the
angels.
The Rev George H Hepworth, in the
Congregational Church Of the Disciples,
used Paul's warning to.the Hebrews OF
judgment and fiery indignation, which
shall devour the sdversaries," as a text
for his sermon on After Death what 2,
He affirmed his belief In the existence
of a hell, where those who sin in the
Hight of knowledge would be punished
Darwin had laid down the law that
"power that is not used becomes ex
tinct;' from which it could be logically
deduced that the inclination to wrong
doing might be dwarfed by remaining
dormant, while by high thoughts and
right living mans moral faculties
might grow until be attained perfection,
and stood an ,archangel before the
throne But the law was two-edged
sworh and cut also the other way. The
moral nature. by non-u use, might become
dormant. and man could grow in wick
edDess until he lost tue power to turn
back, and went to perdition II there
was an eternity Of joy for the good,
there must be it's opposite for the pun
ishment Of wrong. IL sin was eternal,
it's punishment would be eternal He
said that he could not define his idea, OF
hell, but he believed it to be burning
of some sort Whether hell would be
q place Of everlasting punishment. or
whether God would eventually blot OIL
the wicked, he could not say. 1t was
certain that wrong could never be in
His presence.
The Rev, James M. Pullman, in the
Uuiversalist Church of Our Saviour
said that it was childish thing to in.
dalge in doubts about future life
God would not accept ssa plea for bad
stewsrdship that the future was toe
vague to inspire us to exer,ion. VIZ
had just az mach reason to believe in's
future life ss We had TO believe in any
definite term Of the present life. WAai
he expected to 6nd in the eternity va
the same God, and the same connection
between we'll doing and happiness, snt
between i'll doing and suffering: HI
should go into 1t, not as from an endec
probation, but az. into. commencing
probation. $500
The Rev. j. ]. White in the Fourtl
1 Street Methodist Church, Williamsburg
said that those who harden their heart
toward God will reap in the end tn
, treasury OF wrath they have. laid up 70
iisobedience and sin. They will b
punished forever.
Il The Rev Ezra Tinker In the Centrs
Methodist Church, Yonkers, said tina
} the doctrine Of the non existence OF be
is sustained by, those who have only
superficial knowledge Of the Bible, ant
by those who fear they may 60 there :
e There is feeling implanted in ever
J, mind thatswrong doing 'ougbtto be pur
ished. II do not advocate Q, doctrin
Of eternal and material fire.. he contir
/, ued. "There ia bottomless pit alread
lin memory and an accusing conscience
The thought OF what you might hav
done, but failed through willfulness I
do ia enough to turn heaven into hell