y turns it into the nature of
its own form, which is one of evil. It follows that man is in fault if he
is not saved. Evil is indeed from hell but as man receives it from hell
as his and appropriates it to himself, it is the same whether one says
that evil is from man or from hell. But whence there is an appropriation
of evil until finally religion perishes will be told in this order:

1. Every religion declines and comes to an end in the course of time.
2. It does so through the inversion of God's image in man.
3. This takes place through a continual increase of hereditary evil over
the generations.
4. Nevertheless the Lord provides that everyone may be saved.
5. It is also provided that a new church shall succeed in place of the
former devastated church.

328. These points are to be demonstrated in the order given. First:
_Every religion declines and comes to an end in the course of time._
There have been several churches on this earth, one after another, for
wherever mankind is, a church is. For, as was shown above, heaven, which
is the goal of creation, is from mankind, and no one can enter heaven
unless he is in the two universal marks of the church which, as was shown
just above (n. 326), are the acknowledgment of God and living aright. It
follows that there have been churches on this earth from the most ancient
times to the present. These churches are described in the Word, but not
historically except the Israelitish and Jewish church. There were
churches before it which are only described in the Word under the names
of nations and persons and in a few items about them.

[2] The first, the Most Ancient Church, is described under the names of
Adam and his wife Eve. The next church, to be called the Ancient Church,
is described by Noah, his three sons and their posterity. This church was
widespread and extended over many of the kingdoms of Asia: the land of
Canaan on both sides of the Jordan, Syria, Assyria and Chaldea,
Mesopotamia, Egypt, Arabia, Tyre and Sidon. These had the Ancient Word
_(Doctrine of the New Jerusalem about Sacred Scripture,_ nn. 101-103).
That this church existed in those kingdoms is evident from various things
recorded about them in the prophetical parts of the Word. This church was
markedly altered by Eber, from whom arose the Hebrew church, in which
worship by sacrifices was first instituted. From the Hebrew church the
Israelitish and Jewish church was born and solemnly established for the