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| F. Pieper (1914) |
What is a sect? The Christian Ambassador [Evangelical Church (Reformed)] reproaches the Lutheran Herald [New York Ministerium (Lutheran)]:
"While we are pleased with the kind notice, we must also express our regret that the [Lutheran] Herald could not give us a deserved recognition without expressing its disdain or contempt for that which does not fit its mold. He does this with the word ‘sect’ which Lutherans, when referring to other denominations, never use other than in a contemptuous sense. We think, however, that in view of the serious disunity of Lutheranism in this country, it does not look good for a Lutheran to call other denominations by the opprobrious name of ‘sect’."
To this the [Lutheran] Herald replies:
"The sober judgment of the Christian Ambassador has run away with its sensitivity. There was certainly not the least thing in that note of the Herald that could cause the Ambassador to smell contempt or disdain. We applied the word ‘sect’ to the Evangelical fellowship according to conventional theological usage. The words 'church' and 'sect' are fixed terms and are usually applied by Lutherans according to their meaning [according to what meaning? L. u. W.]. We would never call, for example, the Roman Church a sect, although it is much less 'according to our mold' than the Evangelical fellowship."
Why then does the Herald [Lutheran] not want to call the Roman Church a sect? Luther and the Lutheran teachers often speak of the "sect of the pope," "the Roman sect," etc. A sect is a fellowship of people who have accepted doctrines contrary to Scripture in one or more articles of the Christian faith and, on the basis of this false doctrine, keep themselves separate from Christians who abide in all parts by the Word of God, and thus cause or maintain division and trouble in the Christian church. This is true both of the Roman and the various Reformed church fellowships. F. P.
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