"How do you know the Catholic Church is the only true church? History shows that it is the only Christian church that can be traced back to Christ." (A Catechism For Adults, by William J. Cogan, Q. 10, p. 54).
"Their ministers (Protestant churches, D.R.) cannot trace their succession from the Apostles." (My Catholic Faith, by Louis L. Morrow, p. 113).
"The Catholic Church is the only Church which traces her origin back to Christ: all other Churches were established by men." (Ibid., p. 152).
We do not need a continual succession back to the original church for that same church to exist
today. We need only to plant the word of God (the incorruptible seed of the kingdom--Luke 8:11;
Matt. 13:19; 1 Pet. 1:23) in the hearts of individuals. Those who believe and obey the word
constitute the church in any given locality. The Lord Himself adds to His church any who obey
the gospel (Acts 2:38,41,47).
If one wanted to grow Florida watermelons in Kentucky, he would not need to go to Florida and stretch a vine back to Kentucky, but would need only to obtain the seed and plant it in Kentucky. Likewise, in order to have the true church today, a historical succession is not necessary; one needs only to plant the same seed which produced the church in the first century.