9. The Doctrine of Charity, which is the Doctrine of Life, in the Ancient Churches was doctrine itself; (concerning these Churches see A. C. nos. 1238, 2385;) and that doctrine conjoined all Churches, and so made out of many one. For they acknowledged as men of the Church all those who lived in the good of charity, and called them brethren, however else they might differ as to those truths, which at this day are called truths of faith. One instructed another in these truths, which instruction was among their works of charity - nor did they become indignant if one did not accede to the opinion of another for they knew that every one receives as much of truth as he is in good. The members of the Ancient Churches, being such, they were interior men; and being interior men, they were so much the wiser. For those who are in the good of love and charity are, as to their internal man, in heaven; and they are there, as to their internal man, in an angelic society which is in a like good. From this came their elevation of mind to interiors; and, consequently, their wisdom; for wisdom cannot come from any other source than from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord; and in heaven there is wisdom, because there they are in good. Wisdom is seeing truth from the light of truth; and the light of truth is the light which is in heaven. In process of time, however, that ancient wisdom declined; for in proportion is the human race declined from the good of love to the Lord, and of love to the neighbour, which love is called charity, they also declined from wisdom, because by so much they declined from heaven. This is the reason that man, from being internal, became external, and indeed successively; and after man had become external, he became also worldly and corporeal. When he is of such a quality, he cares little for the things of heaven; for then the delights of earthly loves wholly occupy him, and, together with these, the evils which, from such loves, are delightful to man. In this state, the things which he hears about the life after death, about heaven and hell, and in short about spiritual things, are then as it were outside of him, and not within him, as they nevertheless ought to be. This is the reason also that the Doctrine of Charity, which was so highly esteemed among the Ancients, at the present day is among the things lost. For who, at this day, knows what, in the genuine sense, is meant by charity, and what in the genuine sense is meant by a neighbour? when yet this doctrine not only teaches that, but innumerable things besides, of which, at the present time, not the thousandth part is known. The whole Sacred Scripture is nothing else than the Doctrine of Love and Charity; which is also taught by the Lord, when He says (Matt. xxii. 37-39), "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; this is the first and great commandment: the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang the Law, and the Prophets." By the Law and the Prophets is meant the Word, in each and all of its things.