A discussion of the popish doctrine of transubstantiation wherein the same is declared, by…A discussion of the popish doctrine of transubstantiation vvherein the same is declared, by…

The pretence of a Church and Religion like to theirs in former ages cannot colourably be defended without many shifts & contradictory devices: Some will have it to have been latent and invisible for 800. others 900 other 1000 or 1200. years: Others contrarily teach it to have been ever visible and conspicuously dilated into many Christian Countries, as the Oraculous predictions of the Prophets and express promises of God himself describe it: Others say that our Church was ⟨p. 198⟩ever the true Church of Christ; only in some parts of faith not fundamental erring, and by them since Luther reformed: Others deny that ever our Church was the true Church of Christ, or other than a prevailing faction in the true Church professing at all times visibly and in all Christian countries their present doctrine. But no one of these dreamers and Church-devisers (as I may term them) is able before Luther to assign in any age since Christ or Country of the world one Parish of Protestant true professors, or single person jumping in all points with any one sect of them: their religion indeed being like a beggars cloak patched together out of old condemned Heresies and unsuitably composed. Their marks of a Church, to wit, preaching of true doctrine and a rightful administration of Sacraments are such as any heretical sect past or to come may equally pretend according to the main grounds of Protestant doctrine; which are to admit no common translation or interpretation of Scripture, but what themselves list for discerning of true doctrine and rightly administering Sacraments.

The pretence of a Church and Religion like to theirs in former ages canot colourably be defended without many shifts & contradictory deuices: Some will haue it to haue beene latent and inuisible for 800. others 900 other 1000 or 1200. yeers: Others contrarily teach it to haue beene euer visible and conspicuously dilated into many Christian Countries, as the Oraculous predictions of the Prophets and expresse promises of God himselfe describe it: Others say that our Church was ⟨p. 198⟩euer the true Church of Christ; onely in some parts of faith not fundamentall erring, and by them since Luther reformed: Others deny that euer our Church was the true Church of Christ, or other than a preuailing faction in the true Church professing at all times visibly and in all Christian countries their present doctrine. But no one of these dreamers and Church-deuisers (as I may tearme them) is able before Luther to assigne in any age since Christ or Country of the world one Parish of Protestant true prosessors, or single person iumping in all points with any one sect of them: their religion indeed being like a beggers cloake patched together out of olde condemned Heresies and vnsutably composed. Their markes of a Church, to wit, preaching of true doctrine and a rightfull administration of Sacraments are such as any hereticall sect past or to come may equally peetend according to the maine grounds of Protestant doctrine; which are to admit no common translation or interpretation of Scripture, but what themselues list for discerning of true doctrine and rightly administring Sacraments.