Traditional Roman
Catholicism
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THE RIGHT REVEREND ARCHBISHOP GEORGE HAY
(1729-1811)
Direct Proofs from Scripture
(1) The prophet Isaiah, foretelling the glory of the Church of Christ, says, "No weapon that is formed against thee
shall prosper, and every tongue that resisteth thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn," (Isaiah 3:17). "For the nation
and the kingdom that will not serve thee, shall perish," (Isaiah 9:12). Here we see declared in express terms, that
all those who oppose the Church of Christ, and refuse to submit to her authority, shall be condemned by her, and
shall perish. Our Savior declares the same in still stronger terms, when He says to the pastors of His Church, in
the persons of the Apostles, when He sent them to preach the gospel: "Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear
your words, going forth out of that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it shall be
more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city." (Matt. 10:14).
(2) Our Savior, after ordering us to admonish our offending brother in private, or before a few witnesses,
concludes thus: "If he will not hear them, tell the Church. And if he will not hear the Church, let him be to the as a
heathen or a publican." (Matt. 18:17). The heathens are those who know not the True God, and who worship
sticks and stones, and the very devils themselves, instead of God; the publicans [tax collectors] were a set of
people among the Jews, remarkable for their crimes [mainly, of extortion and irreligion], and looked upon by all as
abandoned by God, and given up to a reprobate sense, with these, then, all those who obstinately resist the voice
of the Church, are classed and condemned by the Mouth of Jesus Christ Himself.
(3) Our Savior speaking of His Church under the figure of a flock, of which He Himself is the Good Shepherd,
says: "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, that they shall hear My Voice, and
there shall be one flock and One Shepherd." (John 10:16). He is here speaking of those who were not then joined
in communion with His Apostles and other disciples, and he calls them, at that time, "His sheep;" but to show that
there was no salvation for them in the state they were in, unless they were united to the fold, He says, "them also I
must bring;" which shows, that according to the disposition of the Divine decrees, it was absolutely necessary,
and that all who belong to Jesus Christ, all of whom He acknowledges for His sheep, should be brought to, and
united in communion with, that one fold, which is His Church.
(4) In consequence of this, we are assured, that, when the Apostles began to publish the gospel, "the Lord daily
added to the Church, such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47) which points out in the strongest manner, by what
God actually did, that the being added to the Church is a condition absolutely required by Him, in order to be
saved; and, if that were so then, it must be so now, and will be so to the end of the world; for the conditions of
salvation, ordained at the beginning, and revealed by Jesus Christ, could never be altered by any other, and He
never made any new revelation by which He altered them Himself.
(5) The Church is the Body of Christ, and all who belong to the Church are members of His Body, and as such are
united with Jesus Christ, as the Head; but those who are out of the Church, are not members of His Body, and of
course are not united with Jesus Christ, as the Head. Now, speaking of His Church and all her members, under
the figure of a vine,with all its branches united to it, He says, "I am the Vine, ye the branches; he that abideth in
Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing. If anyone abide not in Me, he shall
be cast forth as a branch and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth."
(John 15:5). What Christ here says, under the figure of a vine, is equally true as to the members of the Body; for
no member who is separated from the body can do anything, it has neither life nor sense, nor motion, but corrupts
and rots; which expressly shows, that if we be not united to the Church of Christ, whether we consider this Church
as a Body consisting of Head and members, or as a vine with all its branches, we are not united with Church, and
on that account are on the road to perdition.
