I didn't say there wasn't those that existed in the early church that didn't believe in eternal hell, but the majority of the early church based on the teachings of the major early universities didn't believe teach or believe in eternal hell, including the theology schools of Alexandria, Cesarea, Antioch, and Edessa. Only one leading theology school advocated Eternal Hell ,the Latin Church of North Africa ran by Tertullian " an avowed former pagan" who considered every one that disagreed with him would go to hell and that one day he would laugh from heaven at them.
Here a list of the majority of church leaders, theology scholars, etc..that taught in these schools and preached in the areas near.
(" Pantaenus: Clement of Alexandria: Origen; Athanasius; Didymus the Blind; Macarius of Egypt; Gregory Thaumaturgus; Ambrose; Ephraim; John Chrysostum; Gregory of Nyssa; Gregory of Nazianzus; Jerome of Bethlehem; Evangrius; Titus of Bastra; Asterius of Amasea; Cyril; Methodius of Tyre; Pamphilius Eusibius; Hillary of Poitiers; Victorinus; Macrina the Younger; Dionysius the Areopagite; John Cassian; Proclus of Constantinople; Peter Chrysologus; Diodorus of Tarsus; Stephen bar Sudaili."
We have no idea who wrote "The Martyrdom of Polycarp" and how it reflects his true views, it is a recorded story and many feel it was written in the 3rd century. Still, I'm sure it has great truths and much is accurate to his beliefs, but when you hand down stories... Most of the ones you listed had strong pagan upbringings and connections are often obvious. I certainly admit some of those I listed views changed and evolved, such as Clement who had tendency to blend Greek and Christian philosophies. Irenaeus believed all unbaptized infants went to hell as did Augustine, doubt he got that from John, but obvious the Catholic church changed somewhat on that, but where infant baptism stems from.
Most important was prevalent teaching in the Alexandrine church from the apostles death until about 400AD and in this connection it may be repeated that the Catechetical school in Alexandria was taught by "Anaxagoras, Pantænus, Origen, Clement, Heraclas, Dionysius, Pierius, Theognostus, Peter Martyr, Arius and Didymus", all were universalist and saw the lake of fire as purifying, but why that subject isn't allowed for open debate here, we can say they clearly didn't believe in everlasting punishment..
Obvious in both camps of the early church there were other sects that believed in purgatory, annihilation, universalism, hell, etc..various forms of judgments and many on both side that had conflicting views with each other, but the overwhelming evidence is the majority of the early church closest to Jerusalem didn't adhere to a place of everlasting punishment as it wasn't taught in the 4 largest universities, nor was it included in the earliest church creeds or heretical decrees. However, with all these leaders, regardless of their beliefs, they had no bible, there was still much debate on which letters by the apostles were authentic more than inspired, they used many other resources than we accept today and they all wrote numerous epistles themselves that had great effect in the area and often conflict arose.
There was no doubt that most believed in God's judgments, but as the church grew and became more dividied and political, it went from a God of judgments through a process of "fire" not taken as literal, but as purifying to a God of cruel torture with literal fire and other tortures.
One must study the historical church as it evolved from Greek to Latin, how the early christians acted, their beliefs and rituals and how they changed. Augustine was the first church father to really promote eternal torture, hated the Greek and studied mostly in Latin. When the power of the church shifted from the Greek fathers (Alexandrian) to the Latin, the earlier views were redefined to suit the new politcal power of the church and the need to control and convert the masses and the church entered the "dark age" period
As the church became political, these fears were used and eternal torture became a main latin doctrine, worse, the church now became agents of torture themselves and this continued for generations to come. Many Popes and councils during this period reasoned that if God pusnishes with eternal torture, his followers may certainly use torture against God's opponents on earth. Andrew White a more secular historian sums it up pretty well.
"The natural argument developed in hundreds of pulpits was this: If the All-wise God punishes his creatures with tortures infinite in cruelty and duration, why should not his ministers, as far as they can, imitate him."
Just look what the Catholic Bloody Queen Mary stated.
"As the souls of heretics are to be forever burning in hell," she decreed, "there can be nothing more proper than for me to imitate the Divine vengeance by burning them on earth."
Sadly we know as the church embraced a God of torture, church history became cruel and violent using torture for hundreds of years, the early church certainly wasn't like that. The majority of Kings, Queens, Popes, Priest and councils wrote numerous decrees how they were allowed to torture, burn, kill, etc..following God's example. Worse, as Christians divided , they had no problem torturing each other as was done often by Protestants and Catholics, then Anglican, then...and on and on.....
It is a long complex difficult debate, but very interesting nonetheless.
