SECHU (se'ku), (Heb. 1*), say'kco, hill or watch tower), a village near Ramab (I Sam. xix :22), towards Gibeah. Conder doubtfully suggests Shuweikeh, for Suweikeh, es its site, which is three miles northwest of er-Ram or Ramab.
SECT (sat), (Gr. capecns, hah-ee'res-is, a choice), a religious party, as Sadducces (Acts v:17); Phari sees (xv:5); Nazarenes (xxiv:5; comp. xxvi :5; xxv iii:22).
This word is from a Latin word which has the same signification as the Greek word Ha'resis, though the sound is not so offensive to us. Among the Jews there were four sects, distinguished by their practices and opinions, yet united in com munion with each other, and with the body of their nation, viz., the PHARISEES, the SADDUCEES, the ESSENES, and the HERODIANS. (See the re spective articles.) (1) Christianity. Christianity was originally considered as a new sect of Judaism; hence Ter tullus, accusing Paul before Felix, says, that he was chief of the seditious sect of the Nazarenes (Acts xxiv :5) ; and the Jews of Rome said to the Apostle, when he arrived in this city, that, as to this sect, "everywhere it is spoken against" (Acts xxviii :22). Peter (2 Epist. :t-to) foretells that
false teachers should arise among them, "who privily shall bring in damnable heresies (or sects), even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." He adds that these people, being great lovers of them selves, are not afraid to introduce new sects; where the word sect is taken in the same sense as heresy.
(2) Sects of Philosophers. Among the Greeks, the philosophers were divided into different sects; as the Academics, the Stoics, the Peripatetics, the Cynics, the Epicureans, etc. The Jews, in imita tion of the Greeks, began to divide themselves into sects, about the time of the Maccabees ; and it seems as if the Corinthians had a mind to intro duce something like this into Christianity, when they boasted, I am a disciple of Peter, I of Paul, I of Apollos (i Cor. :12 ; iii :22, etc.). (Robin son's Calmet.)