AC 4680 - The Ancient Church

 AC 4680 [2]

The Ancient Church
which was set up by the Lord after the flood
was a representative church,
and was of such a nature
that all and each of its externals of worship
represented the celestial and spiritual things
of the Lord's kingdom,
and in the supreme sense
the Divine things themselves of the Lord;
but all and each of its internals of worship
bore relation to charity.
This church was spread over
a large part of the Asiatic world,
and through many kingdoms there;
and although there were differences among them
as to doctrinal things of faith,
still the church was one,
because all in every part of it
made charity the essential of the church.
Those who at that time
separated faith from charity,
and made faith the essential of the church
were called "Ham."
But in course of time this church turned away to idolatry,
and in Egypt, Babylon, and other places, to magic;
for they began to worship
external things without the internal;
and as they thus receded from charity,
heaven also receded from them,
and in its place came spirits from hell who led them.