I showed in the short book THE LAST JUDGMENT AND THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON that a church reaches its end when there is no faith because there is no charity. Since the churches in Christendom have at the present time made themselves distinct solely by such matters as relate to faith, and yet there is no faith where there is no charity. I should like before describing the teaching itself to say a few words by way of introduction on the teaching about charity among the ancient peoples. When I speak of the churches in Christendom I mean the churches among the Reformed or Evangelical Christians. I do not include the church among the Roman Catholics, because there is no Christian church there. For a church is where the Lord is adored and the Word is read, and this is not the case among the Catholics. There they are adored themselves in place of the Lord, and the people are prevented from reading the Word; and the Pope's utterance is placed on a level with, or rather above, the Word.