r ever in hell fire, out of which there is no
possible redemption." Father Pinamonti's _Hell Open to Christians_ is
stigmatised as "repulsive," and its pictures as "revolting." Yet it
is issued "with authority," and Mr. Mivart falls short of the truth in
admitting it has never "incurred any condemnation." This little fact
seems a barrier to his attempt at proving that the Catholic Church is
not committed to the doctrine of a hell of real fire and everlasting
agony.

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" wrote Dante over his Inferno,
and Mr. Mivart allows that "the words truly express what was the
almost universal belief of Christians for many centuries." That belief
flourished under the wing of an infallible Church; and now Mr. Mivart, a
member of this same infallible Church, comes forward to declare that
the belief was a mistake. Nevertheless, he argues, the clergy of former
times did right to preach hell hot and strong, stuff it with fire, and
keep it burning for ever. They had coarse and ignorant people to deal
with, and were obliged to use realistic language. Besides, it was
necessary to exaggerate, in order to bring out the infinite contrast
between heaven and hell, the elect and the reprobates, the saved and the
damned. Mr. Mivart maintains, therefore, that the old representation of
hell "has not caused the least practical error or misled anyone by one
jot or tittle"--which is as bold, or, as some would say, as impudent a
statement as could be well conceived.

Briefly stated, Mr. Mivart's contention is that the fire of hell is
figurative. The pains of damnation, even in the case of the worst of
sinners, have not been liberally described by Popes and Councils. "What
is meant by the expression 'hell fire' has never been defined," says
Mr. Mivart. Perhaps not. There are some things which, for practical
purposes, do not need definition, and _fire_ is one of them. Nor is it
greatly to the purpose to say that "Saint Augustine distinctly declares
our ignorance about it." Saint Augustine was not God Almighty. Ample
set-offs to this Father may be found in the pages of Dr. Pusey's _What
is of Faith as to Everlasting Punishment?_ Besides, if fire does not
mean fire, if torment does not mean torment, and everlasting does not
mean everlasting, perhaps hell does not mean hell; in which case, it is
a waste of time to argue about details, when the whole establishment, to
use a Shakespearian epithet, is simply "tropical."

"Som