The Memoirs of Charles-Lewis, Baron de Pollnitz, Volume IV / Being the Observations He Made in His Late Travels from Prussia thro' Germany, Italy, France, Flanders, Holland, England, &C. in Letters to His Friend. Discovering Not Only the Present State of the Chief Cities and Towns; but the Characters of the Principal Persons at the Several Courts.

by Freiherr von Karl Ludwig Pöllnitz

My Lord, As I have already declar’d what I believe with regard to this Article, and have nothing to add to it, I proceed to the Reasons that oblige me to believe in the Holy Catholic Church.

XXV. By the Church I understand with St. Augustin all the Believers in general that are dispers’d throughout the World. There is only one Church, but ’tis divided into the Church Triumphant and the Church Militant. The former is compos’d of all the Saints, and all the Blessed that are in Paradise; and who after having triumph’d over the World, the Flesh and the Devil, are safe in the Enjoyment of eternal Happiness, and exempt from the Miseries of this Life. The other Church is the Assembly of all the Faithful who are still living: This Church is call’d the Church Militant, because of the continual Warfare which the Faithful have to maintain against their cruel Enemies the World, the Flesh, and the Devil: There are some, who, to these Two Churches, add a Third, which they call the Passive Church, because it consists of those who yet languish in the Pains of Purgatory, and are there to remain till they are thoroughly purified, that they may then be able to enter into

the Triumphant Church, and thereby form one and the same Church.

I exclude out of the Church Infidels, Heretics, Schismatics, and Persons excommunicate. Infidels are no Part of the Church, because they never enter’d into it, never understood it, and never partook of any of the Sacraments. Heretics and Schismatics are excluded from the Church, because they are separate from it: They are nevertheless under the Power of the Church, which has a Right to judge, punish, and excommunicate them. Finally, Excommunicated Persons are excluded from the Church, because the Church herself has judg’d them, and cut them off from her Body; and she never more admits them to her Communion without their Conversion.

As to the Marks and Properties of the Church, I believe, that they consist, in the first Place, in its Unity, Canticles Chap. vi. Ver. 9. My Dove, my Undefiled, is but one. She is conducted and govern’d by an Invisible Head, and by a Visible Head: The former is Jesus Christ, whom God the Father has appointed the Head of his whole Church. The Visible Head is he, who, as lawful Successor of St. Peter, possesses the See of the Church of Rome. I believe, that this Head is absolutely necessary, as having been establish’d by Jesus Christ himself, when he said to St. Peter, thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church, Matt. Chap. xvi. Ver. 18. St. Peter was the first to whom the Episcopal See was given, which he establish’d first at Antioch, but afterwards translated to Rome, where he kept his See, as Chief of all the Apostles; to the end that the Unity of one See might be secur’d to him by them all, and that the other Apostles might

never take it into their Heads to assume to themselves another. A Man that should offer to erect a See, in Prejudice of that which Jesus Christ hath established to be the Centre of Unity, would be deem’d as a Schismatic, and as a Heretic. In Fact, Jesus Christ, as God, gives Men a Share of his Dignities: He is the High-priest, and he honours Men with the Dignity of the Priesthood: ’Tis he that is the true Peter, and he communicates this Quality of Peter to another. Thus he makes his Servants Sharers of what is proper and particular to himself: He establish’d St. Peter to be the Pastor and Head of all Believers, and was willing that he should have the same Power as himself, to govern his Church.

The other Property of the Church is its Holiness. St. Peter assures us of this in his first Epistle, Chap. ii. Ver. 9. But ye are a chosen Generation, a holy Nation. ’Tis call’d holy, because ’tis consecrated to the Service of God: ’Tis a Custom to call every thing that is set apart for Divine Worship holy: This was a Custom, even under the Old Law, when the Priests Vestments, the Levites, and the Altars were call’d holy. A farther Proof of the Church’s Holiness is, that the Holy Spirit presides over it, and that he govern’d it by the Ministry of the Apostles. The Apostles were the first that receiv’d the Holy Ghost, and since their Time such has been God’s infinite Love to his Church, the Holy Spirit has ever remain’d with it. Therefore this very Church, which is govern’d by the Holy Spirit, cannot be mistaken in Matters of Faith, nor even in Point of Discipline.

XXVI. I believe the Communion of Saints.

I declare, and mean by these Words, that I partake in all the Sacraments, especially those of Baptism and the Eucharist: Baptism qualifies me for partaking of all the Sacraments, and the Eucharist demonstrates this Communion in a more particular manner: And indeed, tho’ all the Sacraments unite me to God, and make me Partaker of his Grace, which they convey to me, yet all these Attributes are more peculiar to the Eucharist.

I also acknowledge a Communion, of which Charity is the principal, and am united, as St. Ambrose calls it, by the Bands of Love and Society, with all that fear God.