What was the Church in 1400, 1300, 1200... 33 A.D.? Was it all witchcraft?
The Church from the beginning had hierarchy and succession. For example St. Irenaeus (d.202) in his Against Heresies wrote: “Those that wish to discern the truth may observe the apostolic tradition made manifest in every church throughout the world. We can enumerate those who were appointed bishops in the churches by the apostles, and their successors down to our own day, who never taught, and never knew, absurdities such as these men produce. For if the apostles had known hidden mysteries which they taught the perfect in private and in secret they would rather have committed them to those to whom the entrusted the churches. For they wished those men to be perfect and unblamable whom they left and their successors and to whom they handed over their office of authority....”
And what about the presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Did the Christian faithful have it wrong until Calvin, Luther, and company? St. Ignatius of Antioch (died for Christ in 110 A.D.) wrote of those who deny the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist: "Let us stand aloof from such heretics. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again."
That is the constant testimony of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church whose Creed has remained the same since the time of the Apostles.
Doesn't get much clearer than that...
They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. [+Ignatius, c. 105 A.D.]
Not only has the Church remaind true to the Apostolic faith handed to them by our Lord, but the heretics keep regenerating as well, like weed.