Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-14

o-;,on who was Platonist, and q
hayet;c on many points," says Alger, "was
aasa,aiv condemned for saying that the
g. ~ hell was inward and Of the con-
an;orca rather than outward and OF the
hodv Tertullian says: THE damned
burn eternally without consuming, as the
yoIcanoes. which are vents from the stored
subterranean fire OF hell, burn forever
withont wasting" These words point
also TO the Dellei hoteu "oo'o enae neii was
located under the earth.
MORE TERRIBLE STILL.
Tn the Middle Ages the Christian concep-
ton of hell became more detailed and
,nore terrible. BY far the most elaborate
description of the punisbments of sinners
which the Middle Ages produced Is that OF
dante. whose Inferno. combines the tor
ments of the classical Inrtarus and the
horrors of the Christian hen. Inc retormers
made little change in the medieval con-
cantion of hell. Calvin writes: Forever
bayassed by dreadful tempest, they shall
tel themselves torn asunder by an angry
Oh and transfixed and penetrated by
n,or,aI stinps. terrified by the thunderbolts
81 God and broken by the weight of His
hand. SO that to sink into any CULTS would be
more tolerable than to stand for moment
in these terrors."
The characteristic austerity OF the Puri.
tans finds free scope In the deplctlon OF
bell's torrents. Their great poet Milton
describes the place in the first and second
hooks Of Paradise Lost. Satan and his
hosts are cast into it. there to dwell in
adanantine chains and penal fie."
A dungeon horrible on all sides round,
AS one great furnace famed; yet from those
flames
L., 6l-6a
PRIMITIVE NOTIONS.
Among primitive peoplesin various parts
of the world variety of notions IN regard
TO future punlshments nave prevailed.
The African tribes which have not been
affected by Mohammedan or Christian in
fuence, although they NAV believe in fu-
tnre rewards and punishments, generally
have no idea of definite places for Heaven
and hell. The Kamtchadales also have no
he'll. OF the American peoples, the an
Gent Mexicans affirmed that the wicked
went TO Alctlan. dismal cavern within
the earth. The Peruvian hell was also IN
the earth, and there the reprobate must en-
dure centuries of toll and anguish. The
Tsouimaux believe that hell is among the
rocks. ice, monsters. and chilling waters
of the sea. All souls must 90 down
into it, but the good pass deeper to more
peaceful abode.
The American Indians have no idea of a
place of future torment except where 1t
has been derived from white missionaries.
1.-The typical belief of the tribes of the
United States" SAYS Brinton, was well
expressed in the reply of Esau Haze. great
medal chief and speaker for the Creek Ma
ton in the National Council, to the ques-
ton. Do the red people believe in future
state of rewards and punishments! We
have an opinion that those who have be-
hayed well are taken under the care of
Esaugetuh Emisee and assisted and that
those who have behaved i'll are left to shift
for themselves, and that there Is no other
punishment"
DROP HILL ALTOGETHER.
Christian preachers and writers OF the
present time do not agree es to the nature
of hells torments. Many of them are
coming TO attach fgurative meaning to
the Biblical descriptions OF hell, and seem
as loath "a their predecessors we're eager to
dwell upon the subject. In the Fortlgtt,ny
Rerielo for January, 1876, Lionel A. Iolle-
mache saws: The wiser among us are
seeking to drop hell out OF the Bible as
quietly, and about as logically. as we al
ready contrlve TO disregard the PLAIN texts
forbidding Christians to GO TO law, ana
Christian women TO plat their hair"
Canon Farrar. in series of sermons, has
emphatically declared his disbelief IN
hell OF material and everlasting FIRE.
The Roman Catholic Church now, as OIL
WAYS. holds that there are material tor
ments IN hell. The idea of hell which pre-
vailed in Europe in the Middle Ages was
that taught by the Catholic Church. which
was practically the only form of Chris
tianltv at that time. An extremely realls-
tic picture of hell is drawn in a Catholic
tract by the Rev. j. Furniss, G. 5. 5. r.,
published not long ago with high ecclesas-
teal endorsement, " for children and young
persons" in England and America. 1t, is
entitled The Sight of He'll" and describes
little children turning and twisting IN red
hot ovens. and screaming TO come out.