Marshall County Republican., 1878-01-17
HE'LL.


of the land feel called upon to define
the hell doctrine, and it Is plain
enough that they have been driven
to the wall or they would not now
discuss the subject. Preachers have
ignored this subject, and not one ser
mon in 800 that you will hear now
a-days contains any warning against
the terrors OF the eternal burning.
They have each year catered more
and more to the taste OF their hear
ers, and rather than shock their SEN
sibilities by pointing out the terrors
of hell, they have left the subject un-
touched and dealt in honied words,
frequently meaningless.
1t probably requires considerable
pluck for a minister to stand square
ly up to the old theology and
preach hell to his congregation when
he knows that one-half OF the "pay-
ing members squirm in their seats
at the mention of the word. And it
has naturally followed that while this
milk -and-water preaching was 60
ing on Universalism and Unitarian
ism have gained ground with enorm-
Gus strides.
1t is not fashionable to preach hell
and its torments in this age; it is not
fashionable to believe in it. The
stern old theology which asserted
that men who died in their sins were
doomed to eternal punishment, has
been hustled aside by what is called
modern thought" and the hell Of
our daddies is likely to turn out
myth in its hands to accomplish
this wonderful advance" The old
theologians who understood the
English language as we'll as We
modern thinkers" interpreted the
language OF the scripture to mean
just what it said. When the threat
is made that soul will be cast into
a "lake burning with fire and brim-
stone," they were unable to make out
that this meant some kind OF unhap-
piness no one could imagine what;
but that it meant just what il said.
Some of these old fellows were
amazingly smart, too, it is conceded,
but then our modern thinkers" are
very much in their advance. CD Do
not our modern thinkers" arrogate
to themselves very much more wis
dom than they are entitled to? 1t is
called thinking" to construe plain
English to mean something not ap-
parent in any word contained in the
Bible. II the threat Of punishment is
to be construed away, is not the
promise of heaven liable to similar
construction? II we then, do away
with the one by our thinking the
other stands in the same relation.
and the entire theory OF future life
falls to the ground. The question too
as to what hell is, is plain enough in
the scriptures.
On examining the emphatic decla-
rations there is no chance to avoid
the birthstone idea. Why it should
be punishment by fire as well as by
other means no one can tell. A
theory is put in place OF it because it
is vulgar, and impolite to believe in
a punishment. Yet the Bible in 56
places mentions the word fire In de-
scribing eternal punishment. 1t is
trifiing and feeble to attempt to do
away with the words OF the Bible or
distort them into some equivocal mean
ing. We group together few texts
to which we call the attention
OF those who believe in any theory
not mentioned in them. They ex-
press the idea conveyed throughout
the Bible and will admit of only one
construction; that Is the doctrine
taught by the old theologians that
hell is a place OF torment and the
smoke OF its burning shall ascend
forever and ever. We regret that the
words are so vulgar, and old-fash-
ioned but the Language Is plain Eng
lish, and easily to be understood.
Here are a few quotations-We
might make the number fifty:
Matt. 13, C. AZ, v.-And shall cast
them into a furnace Of fire; there
shall be walling and gnashing OF
teeth.
Matt. 26, C. Al, V, Depart from me,
ye cursed into everlasting fire, pre-
pared for the devil and, his angels.
Same chap. AZ v. And these shall go
away into everlasting punishment.
Mark 9, C. 43. A, v,-And IL thy
hand offend thee cut it off, 1t is better
for thee to enter life manned, than
two hands to go into hell, into the
fire that shall never be quenched:
Where the worm dieth not, and the
fire Is not quenched.
Rev. 20, c. 10, v.-And the devil
that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and birthstone, and
shall be tormented day and night
forever and ever. V. 14,-And death
and hell were cast into the lake OF
fire. This is the second death.
Rev. 21, C. 7. 8, v.-He that over
cometh shall inherit all things; and I
shall be his god, and he shall be
my son. But the fearful, and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and
murderers, and whore -mongers, and
sorcerers, and idolaters. and all liars,