# Of The Evil Succession Of The Roman Church, Consisting Only In The Succession Of The Persons, And Not Of The Doctrine.

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Here is to be considered the great error of the
Romanists, when they without regarding the true
succession of the doctrine build on, and parade the
succession of the persons, who either from the beginning
of the world, or from the time of the apostles
have existed throughout, as they pretend up to
the present time; surely a very insignificant matter![47](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-6/#Footnote_47)

44

For, if they reckon from the beginning of the
world, we have shown, that Cain, who was a murderer,
has had his successors as well as Abel, who
was slain for the sake of his faith[48](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-6/#Footnote_48) and godliness.

And also, if they reckon from the time of the
apostles, we have demonstrated that at that time
already there were many apostates, yea, adversaries
of the Christian religion and the true worship of
God; and that more have followed, according to the
prophecies and predictions which the holy apostles
uttered and left to posterity.

Hence it follows, that neither the antiquity, nor
the long or great succession of persons, can assure
the truth of any religion or church, since the evil is
as ancient as the good, and the erring spirits and
evil doers have had, and still have, as great a succession
as the true believers and good; unless the
antiquity, and the succession of persons be accompanied
with the divine truth and piety possessed by
the upright ancients in the beginning.



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#FNanchor_47)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

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