"Amazing grace like water flows to the lowest part." ~Philips Brooks
In my opinion the teachings of a second century bishop of the church directly established by the apostles carries more weight that a 19th century protestant theologian when trying to determine what the apostles actually taught.
1. what great things the Lord had done at His coming to save those who received Him, taking compassion upon them; while they keep silence with regard to His judgment; and all those things which shall come upon such as have heard His words, but done them not, and that it were better for them if they had not been born,
Matthew 26:24 and that it shall be more tolerable for
Sodom and
Gomorrha in the judgment than for that city which did not receive the word of His
disciples.
Matthew 10:15
2. For as, in the
New Testament, that
faith of men [to be placed] in God has been increased, receiving in addition [to what was already revealed] the
Son of God, that man too might be a partaker of
God; so is also our walk in life required to be more circumspect, when we are directed not merely to abstain from
evilactions, but even from
evil thoughts, and from idle words, and empty talk, and scurrilous language:
thus also the punishment of those who do not believe the Word of God, and despise His advent, and are turned away backwards, is increased; being not merely temporal, but rendered also eternal. For to whomsoever the Lord shall say, Depart from me, you cursed, into
everlasting fire,
Matthew 25:41 these shall be damned for ever; and to whomsoever He shall say, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you for
eternity,
Matthew 25:34 these do receive the kingdom for ever, and make constant advance in it; since there is one and the same
God the
Father, and His Word, who has been always present with the
human race, by means indeed of various dispensations, and has wrought out many things, and saved from the beginning those who are saved, (for these are they who
love God, and follow the
Word of God according to the class to which they belong,) and has judged those who are judged, that is, those who forget
God, and are
blasphemous, and transgressors of His word.
St Iranaeus 170AD Adversus Haereses Book 4 Chapter 28