3655. The subject treated of in the preceding verses from the evangelist, was the first and second state of the church’s perversion. That the first state consisted in their beginning no longer to know what is good and what is true, and in disputing together about them, whence came falsities, may be seen above (n. 3354); and that the second state consisted in their despising what is good and true, and also in being averse thereto, and thus in the dying out of faith in the Lord, according to the degrees of the cessation of charity, may be seen above (n. 3487, 3488). So that the subject treated of in this preface is the third state of the church, which is its state of desolation in respect to good and truth.