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 it descends, on account of such variety. We further learn that the New Church in its entireness—"in the aggregate"—is described as to its various particulars in what is said of "the seven churches in Asia."

Looking, now, at the faith of these "seven churches," as revealed in the spiritual sense of what is addressed to them, we find there all the dominant forms of religious error current in the creeds of Christendom at the time Swedenborg wrote. We find some among them "who primarily respect truths of doctrine and not the good of life;" some "who are in good as to life, but in falsities as to doctrine;" some "who place the whole of the Church in good works, and nothing of it in truths of doctrine;" some "who have suffered themselves to be seduced by others"—who "have not themselves falsified truths," but have given credit to others "who have done so;" some "who are in dead worship;" and some "who are in faith separate from charity." (A. E., nos. 112, 163, 195, 227.) But notwithstanding the errors incorporated into their creeds, and professed by the people, many in these same churches are said to live the life of charity, and are therefore really members of the Lord's true Church—the New Jerusalem. Thus it is said of those professing the doctrine of "salvation by faith alone," that "the greater part of those born within the