Ancient Churches Lexicon Entry:
Heretitary Evil
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The Most Ancient Church, as well as the Ancient Church, degenerated mainly because people were producing hereditary evil through their own sins, and adding this to the evils they inherited from their parents. In this way it accumulated and remained in their descendants. Hereditary evil is only moderated in people who are being regenerated by the Lord (AC 494). The descendants of the Most Ancient Church, because they came from a celestial seed, also inherited a mind in which the will and understanding were united. Consequently, when self-love and the resulting insane and evil desires began to take possession of their will, not only did the will itself become corrupt, but also the understanding. And when the last descendants of the Most Ancient Church immersed falsities in their evil desires they became the Nephilim (AC 805, AC 927).
The people of the church called Noah, which immediately followed the Most Ancient Church, survived the Flood. But they were in a state of hereditary evil similar to that of the people who did not survive the Flood. People in this state can not be regenerated and made spiritual in the same way as those who do not receive such qualities by inheritance (AC 788).
See also:
Antediluvians, Disposition,
Evil Desires, The Fall, Flood,
Hereditary Evil, Noah,
Persuasions, Posterities,
Regeneration, Will and Understanding
Passages relating to Heretitary Evil and the Ancient Churches:
AC 310; AC 494; AC 640; AC 661; AC 726; AC 731; AC 788; AC 805; AC 927;
AC 2910; CL 205; SE 4096
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