The successive visibility of the church of which the Protestants are the soundest members…

We are all agreed that Christianity is the true Religion, and Christ the Churches Universal Head; and the holy Scriptures the Word of God. Papists tell us of another Head and Rule; the Pope and Tradition, and judgement of the Church. Protestants deny these Additionals, and hold to Christianity and Scripture only; Our Religion, being nothing but Christianity, we have no Controversy about: Their Papal Religion, superadded, is that which is Controverted: They affirm 1. the Right. 2. the Antiquity of it: We deny both: The Right we disprove from Scripture, though it belongs to them to prove it. The Antiquity is it that is now to be referred. Protestancy being the Denial of Popery, it is we that Really have the Negative, and the Papists that have the Affirmative. The ⟨p. 89⟩Essence of our Church (which is Christian) is confessed to have been successively visible: But we deny that theirs as Papal hath been so; and now they tell us, that it is Essential to ours to deny the succession of theirs, and therefore require us to prove a succession of ours, as one that still hath denied theirs: Now we leave our case to the Lawyers, seeing to them you make your appeal, 1. Whether the substance of all our cause lie not in this Question, Whether the Papacy or universal Government by the Pope, be of heaven, or of men? and so whether it hath been from the beginning? which we deny, and therefore are called Protestants; and they affirm, and are therefore called Papists. 2. If they cannot first prove a successive visibility of their Papacy and Papal Church, then what Law can bind us to prove that it was denied, before it did arise in the world, or ever any pleaded for it? 3. And as to the point of Possession, I know not what can be pretended on your side. 1. The Possession of this or that particular Parish Church or Tithes, is not the thing in question; but the universal Headship is the thing: But if it were, yet it is I that am yet here in Possession; and Protestants before me for many ages successively: ⟨p. 90⟩And when possessed you the Headship of the Ethiopian, Indian, and other extra-imperial Churches? never to this day. No nor of the Eastern Churches, though you had communion with them. 2. If the Question be, who hath Possession of the universal Church; we pretend not to it; but only to be a part, and the soundest safest part. 3.

We are all agreed that Christianity is the true Religion, and Christ the Churches Universal Head; and the holy Scriptures the Word of God. Papists tell us of another Head and Rule; the Pope and Tradition, and judgement of the Church. Protestants deny these Additionals, and hold to Christianity and Scripture only; Our Religion, being nothing but Christianity, we have no Controversie about: Their Papall Religion, superadded, is that which is Controverted: They affirm 1. the Right. 2. the Antiquity of it: We deny both: The Right we disprove from Scripture, though it belongs to them to prove it. The Antiquity is it that is now to be referred. Protestancy being the Denyall of Popery, it is we that Really have the Negative, and the Papists that have the Affirmative. The