Ancient Churches Lexicon Entry:
Faith
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Because the people of the Most Ancient Church were of a celestial disposition, and therefore had perception, they had the doctrine of charity “inscribed within them,” and their faith came from this charity (AC 202, AC 2417). When any knowledge of faith was told to a person of the Most Ancient Church, they simply answered that it was so, or that it was not so, because they perceived it from the Lord (AC 202). But there were some people who began to foster faith as something separate from charity; these people were called “Cain” (AC 2417). Any doctrinal teaching that separates faith from charity conspires with a life of evil. When finally there was nothing of faith or charity left, and perception ended, the church underwent its Last Judgment (AC 1850).
After the Flood, the people of the Ancient Church were of a spiritual disposition instead of a celestial disposition. The people of the Ancient Church knew about charity, not from perception, but from a conscience formed from the knowledge of faith (AC 200, AC 371). These doctrinal matters of faith had been gathered together from the members of the Most Ancient Church by “Cain” and “Enoch” (AC 920). The people of the Ancient Church at first held charity to be the primary element of the church. But after a time, just as had happened in the Most Ancient Church, people began to foster the doctrine of faith as something separate from charity. These people were called “Ham” (AC 2417). This church also ended and underwent a Last Judgment when its faith grew dark and its charity cold (AC 1850).
See also:
Antediluvians, Cain,
Charity, Conscience,
Doctrine, Enoch ‘Who Walked with God’,
The Fall, Flood, Disposition,
Ham, Last Judgments, Perception
Passages relating to Faith and the Ancient Churches:
AC 32; AC 125; AC 127; AC 192; AC 200; AC 202; AC 240; AC 276; AC 283;
AC 287; AC 310; AC 325; AC 330; AC 332; AC 335; AC 337; AC 338; AC 371;
AC 393; AC 398; AC 407; AC 468; AC 479; AC 503; AC 597; AC 609; AC 615;
AC 640; AC 660; AC 661; AC 736; AC 765; AC 838; AC 874; AC 875; AC 895;
AC 920; AC 927; AC 975; AC 1001; AC 1025; AC 1043; AC 1072; AC 1119; AC
1120; AC 1121; AC 1201; AC 1850; AC 2048; AC 2336; AC 2417; AC 2435; AC
2571; AC 2910; AC 2913; AC 3268; AC 3892; AC 4448; AC 4925; AC 6269; AC
6628; AC 8098; AC 10248; AE 374; AE 813; EU 85; HD 246; HH 327; SE 2950;
SE 3324; SE 4636m
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