New-York tribune., 1875-10-09
THE sECTARIAN QUESTION.
LETTER FROM ELIHU BURRITT.

SIR: There seems to be relnlrkapie ah" "'
mos, universal misapprehenson OF the term sec'o as
applied to the educational question between
and Catholics In this country And. as Protestant OF
vary decideJ convictions / would respectfully and
deerentaly suggest "a few thoughts and facts ior the
consideration OF candid men OF the same mind ibeoVe
the Protestant faith and are strong enough 10 rem
der SAFE well as just to admit certain faets So
col ana concurrent which is not necessary 10 dispute
or 10 ignore.
First Of Ia the fact that all the professed or nom
nal Christians In the world divided into two rgidiy
distinct bodies Protestant and Catholic. the
latter embracing the Roman and Greek Churches
Surely this fact must be evident and ah'sited
by all who consider the subject Then. neither
Protestants nor Catholics or ought to be- called
sect They the two great divisions OF the Christian
Church. opposed each other front to front and Hank 70
flank in every cause question OF difference inc
whole Of Professionalism is as compactiy opposed TO
Catholicism a., II it had been subdv ided into var
branches, il IL had boon from the beglnhg one
concentrated body. under single indvisble name
rs Lutheran Calvin. Therefore. neither OF these TWO
great bodies branches Of tho Christian world can be
called sec in the sense common use gives to that term
nor can any form OF eause OF antagonsm between
them be called sect1ydn. but dirisionoL We cannot
nry put the Catholics the footing one OF the
many sects the Protestant division We cannot cfset
them AGAINST the Mehodsts, Bsptiss, Presbyterans,
Congrc gltion3lists EpscOpaiians. TO repeat inc
m
to center aud flank to flank to the whole Protestant ne'
whatever flags names ITS diversified sections may
bear.
Perhaps the relative positions Of these two great di-
visions the Christian world NAV DO best Illustrated Dy
parallel in tho political history OF this country one
hundred years ago, there were about three HiinOs Oh
British subjects on this part Of the continent settled III
tairtcca different sections called c0lOhltS cch WIN ls
own distinctive name. For some time they had been
complaining bitterly and justly Of the uStrpatonS,e-
actions ami tyranny of the Mother Country NJ l"st
they made common against her. ana amer seven
years with her power they shook on hcr yoke ana
became free ana independent naiion. NOW the Whole
American people this struggle were arihycd ~ com
ptly against the whole of Great Britain ~ they had
all formed but one colony, though I'm every bat
tie after Bunker Ill., thirteen colonies fought III The
ranks and carried their ags and names into the CONFLICT
The Mother Country recognized no individual s"cs or
colonies in the war; did they regard themselves as
such in the contest The antaSonsm was even mutual
and unbrokCn, all along tha line.
Now this parallel holds good by several striking analo-
gs between the present and past relations of Prot~sants
and Catholics. Thirteen sccts virtually include all the
subdivisions OF the Protestant world that have well
rccocnlzrd status and effective organization hll these
are - .onpacty and unanimously opposed to the whole
Catholic Church as the thirteen American colonies were
to TIE Mother Country in the Revolution. Their denomi
national flags mean TO other difference In the an
tagons between the great divisions than the regi
mental flags of different colonies did la the Revolutionary
War
A DIVISIONAL ANTAGONIST
think dispassionate minds must recognize the fair
moss of This analogy. II so they must admit THAT any
antaeonisn difference between Protestant5 and Cutho-
Les in this country in any other il not secta'fdn any
more than the Revolutionary War; but dr's,o6, III the
broadcs ia which that term or can he applied TO
the populations of Chrisicndom. But there is another
analogy equally truthful and fair which il may be well
consider at this point of view of history made and TO
bo made.
When the I3 American Colonies separated from the
Hoshcr County they did not much rrpud!are and re-
icc the British Constitution "a the violations the uo'lrpa
tiOns and coruptous and cXcIpsccncas which IL con-
dcinned but which reacti0nary aud corrupt Ministries
ami ParlqmentS endeayord to fost upon it, or compel
II to sanction The Colonies mainly rro'ssted against
hese cxcrscenccs and usurpa.iOz3 When they tn
set upa Government OF their own they retained and
doptcd the very and marrow of the British Const
tuition, it, representative principle itS whole code OF
common lawsn word, all its best elements and quail
ties. which have made both countries what they are
Are not these things sol
Well when Protestant England and Germany scpa-
rated from the great Mother Church, which had con
tanned in itself al the Christian faith doctrine and wor
ship that had existed in the world for thousand years,
they did rcpudntc and reject ifs whole constitution
and body OF belief. They protested against TIE
cyrre.rencrs cOrruptions usurpatious, and tyran-
Consultation through the Dark and Twilight Ages. All
tina, WAS and vital in it hcy retained and hold to-
lIv They made its doctrine of the Trinity the very
basis oi the Protestant faith They adopted its fuil
belief and teaching in regard to the divinity Of Christ,
the viruc of His sacrifice the being and mission of the
Holy S2ir-in word, they accepted and hold to-day all
that is contained in the Apostles Creed OF the Catholic
Church They accepted the Gospels and Jpi5tes which ii
had preserved for iccn hundred years just as they
iouId them. They have never doubted is choice and
decision in regard he writings that should compose
the New Testament. They have never complained that
certain Gospels or Ep;ses which ought - have been
admitted were rejected They have never charged or
eyidcn.~ suspected that Catholic monks. in making
thousands of manuscript copies of the Gospels and
Epatlcs omitted, changed, or incrpoatcd pas
sagts or dcylted from The original text in any way.
Thcy accpt" sunday the Christian Sabbath. which
the Catholic Church had eaabshedal over ChristenGou,
and many other institutions, customs, and teachings Of
that C.uec Are not these things so, ana IL IL unsafe or
imdlscrect 10 admit their trufh?
We may carry the parallel little fsrthgr and safely.
Perverted md corrupted ~ the British Government
at the American Revolution. it The only in
the world Mat contained the foundation principles Of
cur own to-Cayl More than this Did not the British
Constitution generate and direct the political Vitality
which produced tine American reyoluan and its result
Did not the cOloniss Bunker Hill stand inside of the
British Constitution. and erect their breastW0rkS and
eartlworks and their banners in it, defense Wen Is it
not equally and evident that the Catholic Church
had In its constitution enough OF the vitality OF truth to
evolve in like manner, the Reformation Did not that
movement come from within it We're not IIu.s, Vic
lyie, Luthcr, Latimer and Ridley. ccrgymen OF the
Catholic Church and did they get the light that led them
from any outside organization influenced Unloub
edly the Reformation long delayed for lack of the
power of the press. II slow WORK for Wlclyc 10
enligen the with his manncsipt copies of the
New Testament. But when another Catholic invented
the printing press and Of tine best education OF