AE 504 - before the Lord came

AE 504 [31]
In Luke, the Lord said that He came to send fire on the earth;
and what would He if it were already kindled? (Luke 12:49);
which signifies hostilities and combats between good and evil,
and between truth and falsity;
for before the Lord came into the world
there were in the church nothing but falsities and evils,
consequently there was no combat between these and truths and goods;
but when truths and goods had been unveiled by the Lord,
then it was possible for combats to exist,
and without combats between these there can be no reformation . . ..