Ancient Churches Lexicon Entry:
Canaan Son of Ham
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“Canaan” was not an actual person, but was the name given to a group of people in the Ancient Church whose rituals, or external worship, was separated from in42 ternal worship, thereby separating faith from charity (AC 1140, AC 1163, AC 1083). Since their worship existed only in externals, they had no charity, and therefore they had no conscience (AC 1098). This church, through the desire to investigate the truths of faith by means of its own reasoning, lapsed into errors and perversions. Consequently, they scorned the doctrine of faith itself (AC 975).
Sacrifices had been unknown to people in the Ancient Church, except for some of the descendants of Ham and Canaan, who were idolaters. The Lord permitted them to sacrifice animals to prevent them from sacrificing their sons and daughters (AC 1241).
See also:
Charity, Conscience,
Faith, Ham,
Heresy, Idolatry,
Rituals, Sacrifices
Passages relating to Canaan, Son of Ham and
the Ancient Churches:
AC 975; AC 1063; AC 1075; AC 1078; AC 1083;
AC 1091; AC 1094; AC 1095; AC 1097; AC
1098; AC 1099; AC 1140; AC 1141; AC 1150;
AC 1163; AC 1199; AC 1200; AC 1203; AC
1227; AC 1238; AC 1241; AC 9960
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