Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange on the lack of Formal Unity among Protestants

  

Formal unity is lacking in other churches.

 

A. AMONG THE PROTESTANTS, unity is completely lacking, for in Protestantism, there is no firm principle of unity. By contrast, its fundamental principle is the spirit of private judgement, which, excluding authority to subjectivism and individualism. In fact, Protestantism is clearly divided in the profession of faith, in rue, and in worship. (a) In the profession of faith, there has been a succession from one variation to the next from the first pseudo-reformers up to this very day. Lutherans, Calvinists, and Anglicans brought forth divisions among themselves, dividing into many sects, not only concerned with accidental matters but, indeed, with essentials as well (e.g., regarding the Trinity of persons in God, Christ’s divinity, and the satisfaction he made for our sins). (b) Similarly, unity of rule is rejected by Protestants. Their sects are independent and, indeed, members of one and the same sect, if they belong to different kingdoms, obey different heads. Often among Protestants we find the admission of the principle “Cuius regio, eius religio”—the religion of a realm follows that of its ruler. Episcopalian Anglicans believe that authority resides in validly consecrated bishops, whereas others believe it resides in the presbyters. (c) In worship, there is no agreement on the sacraments. Some hold that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are sacraments, whereas others hold that only baptism is, and others make use of no sacraments at all. The divisions forever grow, without any hope for union. And since there are so many different Gospels preached, Protestants gradually come to give up every form of religion, as is clear in liberal Protestantism, whose number increases by the day. And for their part, they not only reject Christ’s divinity but also his teaching authority. {{293}} Therefore, they [i.e., such very liberal Protestants] cannot be legitimately called Christians. (Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, On Divine Revelation: The Teaching of the Catholic Faith, 2 vols. [trans. Matthew K. Minerd; Steubenville, Ohio: Emmaus Academic, 2022], 2:416-17)