November 28th 1621

Hell and damnation

In the 17th Century and the early part of the 18th, the extreme doctrines of Calvinism were much more popular. Most Scots were miserably poor and perhaps to many the belief that they were a pre-ordained elect with a future of eternal bliss was comforting and helped to make their earthly wretchedness more bearable. But even so, the rigid disciplines enforced by the Kirk Sessions and the constant threats from the pulpit must have helped to create a joyless society living in constant fear.

The threat of perdition was ever present, “for man, aye even the new-born babe, is a lump of wrath, a child of hell.”  And for those who deviated from the strict precepts of the church there was no hope.

“What must it be to be banished from the Almighty God? But whither must they go? Into everlasting fire. Oh what a bed is there! No feathers but fire; no friends but furies; no ease but fetters; no daylight but darkness; no clock to pass away the time, but endless eternity; fire eternal is always burning and never dying away. Oh who can endure the everlasting flame? It shall not be quenched night or day. The smoke thereof shall go up for ever and ever. The wicked shall be crowded like bricks in a fiery furnace. Good Lord, what a world of miseries hath seized on miserable sinners!……Oh how will these poor souls quake and tremble……

The Judge is risen from his glorious seat. The saints guard him along, and the sentenced prisoners are delivered to the jailers. Shrieks of horror shall be heard. What woes and lamentations shall be uttered when devils and reprobates and all the damned crew of hell shall be driven into hell never to return. Down they go! Howling shrieking and gnashing of their teeth……What wailing, weeping, roaring, yelling, filling both heaven and earth. O miserable wretches!” 

There were endless variations on the same theme, nor was there to be much chance of compassion from God. “God shall not pity them, but laugh at their calamity. The righteous company in heaven shall rejoice in the execution of God’s judgement, and shall sing while the smoke riseth up for ever. Natural affection shall be extinguished; parents will not love their children, nor children their parents; the mother will not pity the daughter in the flames, nor the daughter the mother.” 

There is no doubt that the preachers were eloquent, if horrifying, on the torments of hell. They were less satisfactory on the delights of paradise. There would be “everlasting praise to the Three-in-one; they will be employed in an eternal review of the Lord’s doings with them, each will tell the other what the Lord hath done for his soul, and will be ever telling it to God in holy rapture.”  This might be thought to be somewhat boring after a time, but we are assured “there will never be any weariness, they will ever be fresh, and it will ever be new to them.” 

To obtain assurance of salvation it was only necessary to accept God as their “surety” , to “pay their debt to God,”  “to embrace Him.”  The idea that salvation might be gained by stressing general morality and the duties of love to others was attacked as a “horrid blasphemy and the result of damned ignorance,”  or as one preacher put it “the cleanest road to hell.” 

To modern eyes it is not an attractive doctrine. Even at its height there continued to be many who were unable or unwilling to conform to its principles. As the 18th Century advanced, new more kindly conceptions of religion came to the fore; the harshness of Calvinism was modified and it became possible once again to enjoy life without committing mortal sin.