The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-13
THE SECTARIAN QUESTION.
LETTER FROM E1IHu BuRRITT,
Misapprehension Of the Term "Sectar-
ian"--the Catholic and Protestant
Divisions Of the Christian Faith--A
Concession Due to Catholics.
To the Editor of The ". Y Tribune.

and almost universal misapprehension of
the term SectdridR, as applied to the edu-
cational question between Protestants and
Catholics in this country And, as Pro-
tcstant Of very decided convictions,I would
respectfully and deferentially suggest few
thoughts and facts for the consideration of
candid men of the same kind. | believe
tho Protestant faith and cause are strong
enough to render it safe, as we'll as Just, to
admit certain facts, historical and concur
rent, which it is not necessary to dispute
or to ignore.
First of these is the fact that all the pro-
fessed or nominal Christians in the world |
are divided into two rigidly distinct bodies,
Protestant and Catholic, the latter en-
bracing the Roman and Greek churches !
Surely this fact must be evident and ad- |
mitted by all who consider the subject, |
Then, neither Professionals nor Catholics |
are, or ought to be, called sect They
are the two great divisions of the Christian
church, opposed to each other front to
front and flank to flank in every cause or
question of difference. The whole of
Professionalism is as compactly opposed to
Catholicism as if it had never been sub
divided into various branches, or as if it
had been from the beginning one concen-
trated body, under one single, indivisible
name, as Lutheran or Calvin. Therefore,
neither Of these two great bodies or
branches Of the Christian world can be
called sect in the sense common use
gives to that term, nor can any form or
cause Of antagonism between them be
called sectdridn, but OCCASIONAL. We
cannot fairly put the Catholics on the same
footing as one of the many sects of the
Protestant division. We cannot offset
them against the Methodists, Baptists,
PresbyterlaDs, Congregationalists, or Epis-
copalians, To repeat the military figure,
we must place or recognize them center to
center and flank to flank to the whole Pro-
testant line, whatever flags or names its
diversified sections may bear.
Perhaps the relative positions of these
two great divisions Of the Christian world
may be best illustrated by parallel in
the political history of this country. One
hundred years ago. there were about three
millions Of British subjects on this part of
the continent, settled in thirteen different
sections, called colonies, each with its own
distinctive name For some time they
had been complaining bitterly and justly
of the usurpations, cxactions, and tyranny
mother country. At last they made COM
mon cause against her, and after seven
years war with her power, they shook off
her yoke and became free and indepen-
dent nation. Now the whole American
people in this struggle were arrayed as
compactly against the whole of Great
Britain as if they had all formed but one
state or colony, though in every battle,
after Bunker Hill, thirteen colonies fought
in the ranks and carried their flags and
names into the conflict. The mother
country recognized no individual sects or
colonies in the war, nor did they regard
themselves as such in the contest. The
antagonism was even, mutual, and un-
broken, all along the line.
Now, this parallel holds good by several
striking analogIes between the present
and past relations of Protestants and Cath.
olics. Thirteen sects virtually include al
the sub divisions Of the Protestant world
that have a we'll recognized status and
effective organization. All these are a:
compactly and unanimously opposed t
the whole Catholic church as the thirteen
American colonies were to the Mother
country in the Revolution. Their denomi
national flags mean no other difference in
the antagonism between the two great
divisions than the regimental flags of diff
ferent colonies did in the Revolutionary
War.
DIVISIONAL ANTAGONIST. ESs ssa 4
think dispassionate minds must recog
nizo the fairness Of this analogy. If so
they must admit that any antagonism o
difference between Professionals and Catho
lies in this country, or in any other. is not
SectdridR any more than the Revolution
Ma h,,k ,Ii,.,stn,,1I -, ho hroalne
sense in which that term is or can be ap
piled to the populations of Chrstendon,
But there is another analogy equally truth
full and fair, which it may be we'll to con
slider at this point of view of history, mad
and to be made.
When the Is American Colonies sept
rated from the Mother Country they di
not so much repudiate and reject the Brit
ish Constitution as the violations, the us
urpations, and corruptions and excresence
which it condemned, but which reactionar
aud corrupt Ministries and Parliments er
deavored to foist upon it, or compel it I
to sanction. The Colonies mainly prOteS
ed against these exeresceDces and usurp;
tons. When they came to set up COY
ernment of their own they retained an
adopted the very bone and marrow of til
British constitution, its representativ
principle, its whole code of common laws
in word all its best elements and quail
ties which have made both countries wha
they are. Are not these things so?
Well,when Protestant England and Gel
many separated from the great Mothe
Church, which had contained in itself a
the Christian faith, doctrine, and worshi
that had existed in the world for a thol
sand years, they did not repudiate and r
ject its whole constitution and body of bt
lief. They protested against the excre.
cences, corruptions, usurpations, and ty
annies which had grown up into or upc
that Constitution through the Dark an
Twilight Ages. All that was true and v
tai in it they retained and hold to-da
They made its doctrine of the Trinity Il
very basis of the Protestant faith. The
adopted its full belief and teaching in +
gard to the divinity Of Christ the virtue
His sacrifice, the being and mission of Il
Holy Spirit-in word, they accepted al
hold to-day all that is contained in Il
Apostles Greed of the Catholic churc
They accepted the Gospels and Epistlt
which it had preserved for fifteen hundrt
years just as they found them. They ha
never doubted its choice and decision
regard to the writings that should compo
the New Testament. They have new
complained that certain Gospels or Epi
ties which ought to have been admittt
were rejected. They have never charg
e or evidently suspected that Catholic mon
in making thousands of manuscript copi
OF the Gospels and Epistles, ever omitte
changed or interpolated passages, or dew
ted from the original text in any wa