this subject was, that the spirits of the dead were received into scheol, which is represented as a large subterranean abode, Gen. xxxvii. 35; comp. Num. xvi. 30-33. Deut. xxxii. 22. Into this abode, we are told, that the wicked are driven suddenly, their days being cut short; but the good descend into it in tranquillity, and in the fulness of their years." Archaeology, § 314. He further states, that as to a difference of situation in scheol, in the opinion of the ancient Hebrews, it "cannot be proved by direct testimony." He adds, “We have not authority, therefore, decidedly to say, that any other motives were held out to the ancient Hebrews to pursue the good and to avoid the evil, than those which were derived from the rewards and punishments of this life."

Dr. ALLEN, President of Bowdoin College, in commenting on Ps. ix. 17, says: "The punishment expressed, is cutting off from life, destroying from the earth, by some special judgment, and removing to the invisible state of the dead. The term [scheol] does not seem to mean with certainty any thing more than the state of the dead in their deep abode."-Lecture on Universal Salvation.

The above are the opinions of men who strongly advocated the doctrine of endless punishment. In addition thereto I remark, that Ps. ix is evidently a thanksgiving ode for victory and deliverance from the heathen, who had risen up against David. The theme is the Lord's judgments in the earth, coupled with a declaration, that the wicked and the heathen shall be "driven into scheol, i. e. pursued by victorious enemies till they are destroyed."-NOYES's Translation, note on the passage in

review.

Whoever will read Deut. xxxii. 22, with attention, will perceive that your exposition thereof is without authority. "A fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest scheol, AND shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains. I will heap mischiefs upon them. the day of their calamity IS AT HAND," verse 35. No doubt this is strong figurative language, denoting the dreadful evils

that should speedily come upon the Israelites for having forsaken the Lord, and broken his statutes.

I have not granted, nor do I allow, "that paradise in hades means a state of pure and perfect happiness." Hades, corresponding with scheol of the Old Testament, signifies simply, "the state of the dead in general, without regard to the goodness or badness of the persons. their happiness or misery." Paul speaks of a man who had been "caught up into paradise," 2 Cor. xii. 4; and here I allow that the word signifies "a state of pure and perfect happiness"-but you will notice that it was not

a paradise in hades," the state of the dead, but "in the third heaven," to which the individual referred to was caught up. Christ descended into hades, or as Paul expresses it, "into the lower parts of the earth," Eph. iv. 9. And if the paradise mentioned in our Lord's address to the thief, be in hades, it must be somewhere in the bowels of this earthly ball. But I have yet to learn, that either revelation or natural philosophy teaches the existence of a place or state of pure and perfect happiness," in "the lower parts of the earth."

The same general remarks are applicable to tartarus and gehenna, both of which you place in hades.

As to the word tartarosas, it occurs but once in the Bible—and for the want of parallel passages, we may not be enabled to determine precisely the meaning attached thereto, by the apostle. You may, if you think proper, adopt the fables of heathen mythology, in relation to tartarus-but in this case, you must receive the ridiculous stories of Ixion, Sysiphus, Tantalus, and others of the like character. And you must also search for this fabulous place of torment, not in the future state of being, but "within earth's spacious womb."

For my own part, I profess to build my faith on the testimony of the Bible. Peter was instructed to "search the Scriptures," namely, of the Old Testament--and it is not reasonable to suppose, that he used the word tartarus in any other sense, than that in which the word scheol was used in "the law and the prophets."

You say "that the Holy Ghost introduced this tartarosas into the sacred oracles on purpose to refute the false doctrine that hell means nothing but the grave or the state of the dead." If this be true, then the Holy Ghost introduced a word into a single passage of the Bible, on purpose to contradict and refute all that had been written previously in relation to the state of the dead!

I have already quoted from Drs. CAMPBELL, JAHN, and ALLEN and I will add thereto, another citation from CAMPBELL. He says, "In my judgment, it [the word hades] ought never in Scripture to be rendered HELL, at least in the sense wherein that word is now universally understood by Christians....It is very plain, that neither in the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, nor in the New, does the word hades convey the meaning which the present English word hell, in the Christian usage, always conveys to our minds." He proceeds to say, as before quoted, that the word in question signifies simply "the state of the dead, without regard to the goodness or badness of the persons, their happiness or misery." And I apprehend that Peter, in using the word tartarosas, attached to it precisely the signification of scheol or hades.

I approve of much that you have written in relation to gehenna. You are correct in your derivation of the word, and I thank you for having informed our readers that it primarily signified the Valley of Hinnom, which lay near Jerusalem. In this valley, sacrifices were offered to the Ammonitish idol, Molech. It was subsequently defiled, being selected as the depot of the filth of Jerusalem. Here malefactors were put to death-worms were constantly feeding on putrid carcasses, and a fire was continually kept burning to consume the filth. I might mention many particulars appertaining to this subject, which would perhaps be interesting and profitable to our readers-but a desire to be as brief as possible, admonishes me to forbear.

In my judgment, your argument in proof of endless

punishment, drawn from the use of the word gehenna, is very deficient, being based, as I shall proceed to show, in groundless suppositions.

After giving a brief but correct definition and description of the valley of Hinnom, you add, "It is evident from these passages that gehenna was the name of a place of pollution, punishment, and the service of false and cruel gods. What more expressive or suitable term I could have been chosen to denote the state of sin and misery and irreligion beyond the grave?" But you first take for granted that there is a state of sin and misery and irreligion beyond the grave," and then inquire what more suitable term than gehenna could have been chosen to denote that state. The reality must be proved, before the emblem can properly be chosen.

You continue: "The expression gehenna of fire, was probably chosen to denote the punishment of hell, because of the fires employed in the service of Molech, and the fires subsequently employed in burning the offals of Jerusalem." Here you assume the whole matter in debate, and then inform us, that "the expression gehenna of fire, was probably chosen to denote" it. We should have nothing to do with probabilities, but only with positive proofs.

I could select other portions of your remarks, to which similar exceptions might be taken-but the foregoing will answer the purpose for which they were introduced.

Your arguments are two in number. 1st. You quote PARKHURST, Who says, "The Jews, in our Saviour's time, used the compound word gehinnom for hell, the place of the damned. And you add, "This appears from that word being thus applied by several Jewish comments, called Targums, to which he [PARKHURST] refers." On this I remark, 1st. Jesus came "to fulfil the law and the prophets." He condemned the Scribes and Pharisees for having made void the law of God through their traditions. He continually quoted from the Old Testament, which is a key to the New. The meaning of words and phrases, as found in the New Testament, must be learned

from the Old, and not from the opinions of the Jews, any farther than those opinions accorded with "the law and the testimony." In the Old Testament, the valley of Hinnom and every thing connected therewith, is used as an emblem of the temporal judgments coming upon the Jewish people. If you deny this statement, I will prove it. And I call upon you to adduce a single instance from the Old Testament, in which the valley of Hinnom is used as an emblem of any other than temporal judgments and punishments. But 2d. It remains to be shown that any Jewish Targum is of an earlier date than the second century of the Christian era. You will perceive, that your argument drawn from the usage of the word gehenna in the Targums, is nothing to the purpose, if you fail to establish the position I have just disputed.

Your second argument is predicated of the language in Mark ix. 44, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not [or never shall be] quenched." Allusion here is unquestionably made to the fire and worms in the valley of Hinnom. Our Lord quotes Isa. lxvi. 24: "And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." I desire to repeat, that our Lord quoted this language in Mark ix. 43, et seq., on which passages you so confidently rely for proof of endless punishment. You will not dispute that the quotation from Isaiah referred to temporal punishments, and to temporal punishments alone. Why, then, should you apply the same language, when uttered by our Lord, to a future state of wo?

Concerning Idumea it is written, "The streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste," Isa. xxxiv. 9, 10.

Of Jerusalem it is recorded, "I will kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusa