Proofs From The Necessity of The True Faith

The Testimony of the Scriptures Regarding the Doctrine of Exclusive Salvation
THE RIGHT REVEREND ARCHBISHOP GEORGE HAY (1729-1811)

Proofs of the Necessity of the True Faith

(1) Jesus Christ, addressing Himself to His Eternal Father, says: "This is eternal life, that they may know Thee the
only True God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent," (John 17:3). Hence it necessarily follows, that all those
who do not know Jesus Christ cannot have eternal life. Now, this knowledge of Jesus Christ, is not the bare
knowledge that there was such a person, but believing Him to be what He is, the Eternal Son of God, made man
for the salvation of mankind; and, therefore, He says again: "God so loved the world as to give his Only Begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting." (John 3:16). Hence the
believing in Jesus Christ, is one condition positively required by God, in order to gain salvation; so that without this
belief there can be no salvation; for, as He Himself again declares: "He that believeth not, is already condemned;
because he believeth not in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God." (John 3:18), and "He that believeth not
the Son, shall not see light; but the wrath of God abideth on him," (John 3:36). And the beloved disciple adds,
"Many seducers are gone out into the world, who confess not the Name of Christ in the Flesh; this is a seducer
and an anti-Christ," (2 John 7). Where it is manifest, that those who do not know Jesus Christ, and consequently
do not believe in Him; and also that those who do not know there was such a person, who heard of Him, but refuse
to believe, and confess that He is the Son of God COME IN THE FLESH, cannot be saved; and therefore, that the
knowing and believing in Jesus Christ, is appointed by Almighty God, as an absolute condition for salvation.

(2) But it is not enough to believe in the person of Jesus Christ; it is required to believe His doctrine, to believe His
Words, to believe those divine Truths which He has revealed; and, indeed, how can we believe Him to be God, if
we refuse to believe what He says? Hence, when He gave the pastors of His Church, in the person of His
Apostles, their commission to preach the gospel He ordered them to teach the world "to observe," says He, "all
those things whatsoever I have commanded you." (Mt. 28:20) And He immediately adds, "He that believeth not,
shall be damned." (Mk 16:16) Where it is manifest that the belief of His doctrine, the observance, and
consequently the belief of all those things which He commanded His Apostles to teach, is required as a necessary
condition for salvation. Nay, He adds to another part, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me, and of My Words, in
this sinful and adulterous generation, him also the Son of Man shall be ashamed of, when he shall come in the
glory of His Father, with His holy angels." (Mk 8:38) Now, if the being ashamed of His Words shall bring on such a
condemnation, what shall the denial of them do? It is evident, therefore, that the True Faith of Jesus Christ
comprehends the belief of both His Person and of His Words, that is, of His doctrine, and that this True Faith is
laid down by Almighty God as a necessary condition for salvation.

(3) As it is impossible that Jesus Christ should reveal contradictions, or say to one that a thing is true, and to
another that it is false; hence it follows that the True Faith of Jesus Christ cannot contain contradictions; and,
therefore, that it must be one and the same everywhere, and in no point contrary to itself; and this the scripture
expressly affirms, saying, "One Lord, one Faith, one baptism," (Eph. 4:5). Now, St. Paul positively declares that
"without Faith, it is impossible to please God." (Heb. 11:16) Consequently, this one True Faith of Jesus Christ is
so absolutely required as a condition of salvation, that without it, let a man do what he wills, it is impossible to
please God, or be saved.

(4) The Scripture declares that, when the Apostles published the Truths of the Gospel, "as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48); consequently, those who did not believe were not ordained to eternal life;
whence it evidently follows, that Faith is a condition absolutely required by God or obtaining eternal life. For St.
Paul affirms, "The sure foundation of God standeth firm, having this seal, the Lord knoweth who are His," (2 Tim.
2:19).; that is to say, God, from all eternity, most certainly knows who are His; who those are, who, by obeying His
holy grace, will continue faithful till the end, and to be happy with Him Forever; and all such He ordains to eternal
life. When, therefore, the scripture affirms, that as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, it evidently
shows, that the belief of the Truth of the Gospel, or True Faith, is appointed by God as a necessary condition for
salvation, as none are so ordained but those who believe.

(5) Our Blessed Savior, speaking of those who belong to Him says, "I know Mine, and Mine know Me ... My sheep
hear My Voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall not perish forever"
(Jn. 10:14, 10:28). Can any words express more clearly, that to know Jesus Christ, and to hear His Voice, and to
follow Him, that is to believe and obey Him, are the distinguishing characters of His sheep, to whom He gives
eternal life? Consequently, those who do not believe Him are none of His, and therefore will not be saved; as he
expressly says to the Jews, "but ye do not believe because ye are not of My sheep," (Jn. 10:26).; which shows to a
demonstration, that Faith in Jesus Christ is expressly appointed by Almighty God, as a condition of salvation;
"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we
must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

(6) St. Paul, expressing that of the Psalmist, "Today if ye shall hear his voice," etc., says, "And to whom did He
swear that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that were incredulous; and we see that they could not
enter in, because of unbelief." (Heb. 3:18) On this account he exhorts thus: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God," (Heb. 3:12); and again, "There remaineth the day
of rest for the people of God ... Let us hasten, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall into the same
example of unbelief," (Heb. 4:9, 11). In all this passage, we see that the main scope of the Apostle is to show that
unbelievers cannot go to heaven, and that this truth is confirmed by Almighty God even with a solemn oath.

(7) The Holy Scripture declares that unbelievers, instead of going to heaven, shall be condemned to hell fire, and
classes all such in company with the words of criminals. Thus, the Almighty Himself declares to St. John the
Apostle, "But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which is the
second death.," (Apoc. 21:8). If, therefore, Almighty God has sworn that unbelievers shall not enter into His rest,
and if he declares that their portion shall be in hell, one must shut his eyes on purpose not to see that True belief,
True Faith in Jesus Christ and His Words, namely, that Faith, WITHOUT WHICH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE
GOD, is absolutely required by Almighty God as a condition for salvation.

(8) The Word of God assures us, that, antecedently to Faith in Christ, all mankind are under sin, and that it is
impossible to be justified from sin but by Faith in Jesus Christ, which is set forth by God as a means for obtaining
justification. Thus, "we have charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin, as it is written: There is not
any man just (Rom. 3:9). But the justice of God is by Faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that belief in
Him; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned, and do need the glory of God; being justified freely by His
grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through Faith
in His Blood." (Rom. 3:22). Also, "The Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by Faith of Jesus
Christ might be given to them that believe." (Gal. 3:22).

(9) The Athanasian Creed begins: "Whosoever will be saved, before all things, it is necessary that he hold the
Catholic Faith, except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly." Then
after explaining the great mysteries of the Catholic Faith, concerning the Unity and Trinity of God, and the
Incarnation and Death of Jesus Christ, it concludes with these words: "This is the Catholic Faith, which, except a
man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved." This speaks plain indeed, and needs no application.

Now, seeing the True Faith, or the firm belief of those Truths which Jesus Christ revealed, is thus absolutely
required as a condition for salvation, it follows as a necessary consequence, that, out of the True Church of Christ,
there is no salvation, because this True Faith can only be found in the True Church of Christ; to her the sacred
charge of the Truths of eternity was committed, the words of Jesus Christ were first put in her mouth, and an
express covenant made by God, THAT THEY SHOULD NEVER DEPART FROM HER MOUTH. It is therefore
from the pastors of the Church alone we can learn the True Faith, since they alone are authorized to preach it, and,
hearing them, we hear Christ Himself. Hence, St. Paul says, "How shall they believe Him, of Whom they have not
heard? And how shall they hear, without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be sent?" (Rom.
10:14). Now, the pastors of the Church were ordained and sent by Jesus Christ to "teach all nations, and to
preach the gospel to every creature," consequently, it is only from them that the Truths of the Gospel can be
learned.