Jesus claimed an exclusive role in the establishing of right relations between God and man: He is the way of access to Him, the teacher of divine truth, and the great Exemplar.^[1]

Leadership of mankind is His prerogative; He comes among men as the rightful Shepherd to His flock, and all that preceded Him are ‘thieves and robbers’.^[2]  He is the Light of the world, and men pass judgement on themselves by their reaction to His message.^[3]  This unique place of Jesus in the scheme of redemption is endorsed in the apostolic preaching: ‘And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven that is given among men, wherein we must be saved’.^[4]  He is the sole Mediator between God and men.^[5]

If God has revealed one particular way of salvation, we neglect or ignore that way at our peril, and we are in duty bound to proclaim that Way to all mankind.  We cannot leave men utterly dependent upon ‘the light of Nature’.  At best, ‘the knowledge of God to be gained from Nature is only partial.  To put it metaphorically: from Nature we know the hands and feet but not the heart of God.  We can know His wisdom and omnipotence, also His justice and even His goodness, but not His forgiving mercy, His absolute will to bring about a communion between man and Himself’.^[6]  The Church has been ‘sent’ by God to be His instrument in bringing men into communion with Him.^[7]  It is her duty ‘so to present Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, that men shall come to put their trust in God through Him, to accept Him as their Saviour, and serve Him as their King in the fellowship of His Church’.^[8]

The Article does not justify any presentation of the Gospel that has the effect of persuading men to renounce their allegiance to the Church in order to join some novel sect.  Nor does it repudiate the principle ‘Extra ecclesiam nulla salus’ (Outside the Church there is no salvation).  The Archbishops’ Commission on Evangelism emphasizes ‘When the Gospel was first proclaimed, the fellowship of the Church was also proclaimed as an essential element of God's Good News: “They then that received His word were baptized . . . And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers.”^[9]  To have claimed to be able to live the Christian life apart from the Christian community would have passed the comprehension of the New Testament’.^[10]