256. It was said above, that by the seven churches here written to, are not meant seven churches, but all those who belong to the church, and, in the abstract, all things of the church; that this is the case is evident from the consideration, that by seven are signified all, and all things, and that by the names are signified things. That all who belong to the church, or all things of the church, are meant by what is written to those seven churches is also evident from the explanation of those things. For all things of the church have reference to the following four general principles, doctrine, life according to it, faith according to life. These are treated of in what is written to six of the churches - doctrine, to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna; life according to doctrine, to the churches in Thyatira and Sardis; and faith according to life, to the churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea. And because doctrine cannot be implanted in man's life and become a matter of faith unless he fights against the evils and falsities which he possesses from heredity, therefore that combat is also treated of in what is written to the church in Pergamos; for the subject there treated of is temptations; and temptations are combats against evils and falsities.

(That temptations are treated of in what is written to the church in Pergamos may be seen above, n. 130; that doctrine is the subject treated of in what is written to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna may be seen above also, n. 93, 95, 112; that a life according to doctrine is treated of in what is written to the churches in Thyatira and Sardis, (n. 150, 182, and that faith according to life is treated of in what is written to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea, n. 203 and 227.) Because in what is written to this last church, namely, that in Laodicea, those who are in the doctrine of faith alone are treated of, and also, at the end, the nature of faith originating in charity, to what has already been said, it is here to be added, that love constitutes heaven; and because it does so, it also forms the church. For all the societies of heaven, which are innumerable, are arranged according to the affections of love, and also all within each society; so that it is affection, or love, according to which all things are arranged in the heavens, and not in any case faith alone. Spiritual affection, or love, is charity. It is therefore clear that no one can ever enter heaven unless he is in charity.

93. It is here first written to the angel of the church of Ephesus. By the angel of that church are meant all those in the church that are in the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good, thus in the knowledges (cognitiones) of such things as pertain to heaven and the church, and who nevertheless are not, or not as yet, in a life according to them. By these knowledges are chiefly meant doctrinals; but doctrinals alone, or knowledges alone, of good and truth, do not make man spiritual, but a life according to them; for doctrinals or knowledges (cognitiones) without a life according to them, reside only in the memory, and thence in the thought; and all things which only reside there, reside in his natural man; a man therefore does not become spiritual before those things enter into his life, and they then enter into his life when he wills the things which he thinks, and thence does them. That this is the case, any one may know from this fact alone that, supposing any one to know all the laws of moral and civil life, and not to live according to them, he would yet not be a moral and civil man; he may indeed speak respecting them with more knowledge than others, but nevertheless he is rejected. The same also is the case if any one knows the ten precepts of the Decalogue, so that he can even explain them and preach them intelligently, and yet does not live according to them. Those therefore within the church who have the knowledges (cognitiones) of such things as pertain to the church, that is, who have the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good from the Word, and are not, or not as yet, in a life according to them, are here first treated of; and they are described by the things written to the angel of the Ephesian church.