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THE HERESIES OF WESTCOTT AND HORT

byRichard P. Myers

For 270 years, the 1611 A.V. reigned supreme in the English-speaking world.

Then, in 1881, that supremacy was challenged by the publication of the English RevisedVersion (ERV). The leading lights for this new version of the Bible were two Church ofEngland clergymen named Brook Foss Westcott (1825-1901) and Fenton John AnthonyHort (1828-1892). They were both Greek teachers at Cambridge University, theologicalliberals and operated on the exact opposite principles as the King James Bibletranslators. Their bible was different than the 1611 A.V. in literally thousands of places.So, who were these two men? To answer this question, we will look at their beliefs.

Hatred of The Textus Receptus

Hort (1851)age 23, said, I had no idea till the last few weeks of the importance

of texts, having read so little Greek Testament, and dragged on with the villainousTextus Receptusthink of that vile Textus Receptus leaning entirely on late MSS(manuscripts); it is a blessing there are such early ones.

Westcottage 29, said: I feel most keenly the disgrace of circulating what I feelto be falsified copies of Holy Scripture.

(Authors Note (A.N.): The Textus Receptus is the basis upon which our 1611A.V. is based. It was used exclusively by the King James translators. At a very youngage, both Westcott and Hort set out to overthrow the textual foundation of our Bible.One can almost hear them say: The Vaticanus have I loved, the Textus Receptus haveI hated.)

About the Bible

WestcottI reject the word infallibility of Holy Scripture overwhelmingly.HortEvangelicals (fundamentalists of our day) seem to me perverted rather

than untrue. There are, I fear, still more serious differences between us on the subjectof authority, and especially the authority of the Bible.

(A.N. In other words, they denied the inspiration of the Scriptures.)

About Baptism

Hort We maintain Baptismal Regeneration as the most important ofdoctrinesThe pure Romish view seems to be nearer, and more likely to lead to thetruth than the Evangelical. Baptism assures us that we are children of God

(A.N. They believed that baptism saved a person. Along this same line is aquote by Dr. Billy Graham in Time Magazine for October 27, 1961. It read, I still havesome personal problems in the matter of infant baptism, but all of my children with theexception of the youngest were baptized as infants. I do believe that something

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happens at the baptism of an infant, particularly if the parents are ChristiansI believethat a miracle can happen in these children so that they are regenerated, that is, madeChristian through infant baptism. If you want to call that baptismal regeneration, thatsall right with me. It may be no coincidence that Dr. Graham promotes the new so-called Bibles.)

About Roman Catholicism

WescottI wish I could see to what forgotten truth Mariolatry bears witness. Hort I am very far from pretending to understand completely the renewed

vitality of mariolatry.

(A.N. The present pope of Rome has dedicated himself to the Virgin Mary.This is the same Roman Catholic Church that martyred millions of our Baptist forbears.)

About Evolution

WestcottNo one now, I suppose, holds that the first 3 chapters of Genesis, forexample, gives a literal history.I could never understand how any one reading themwith open eyes could think they did.

HortBut the book which has most engaged me is Darwin. Whatever may bethought of it, it is a book that one is proud to be contemporary with.My feeling isstrong that the theory (of evolution) is unanswerable.

(A.N. These quotes speak for themselves. The two men were evolutionists.)

About People And Places And Miracles

WestcottDavid is not a chronological but a spiritual person.WestcottHeaven is a state and not a place.HortI am inclined to think that no such state as Eden ever existed. WestcottI never read an account of a miracle but I seem instinctively to feel its

improbability, and discover some want of evidence in the account of it.(A.N. They did not believe that David was a real person, that Heaven and Eden

are, and were, real places, and that miracles were real happenings. In this writersconsidered opinion, it is highly unlikely that God would use men of these beliefs topreserve for us His perfect, inerrant, infallible Word.)

The above quotes can be found in the book Which Bible, p. 277-282, edited byDavid Otis Fuller. The quotes originated in the biographies of both men written by theirsons, both named Arthur. There are many more quotes that are very revealing aboutthese men, but lack of space does not permit them. Enough has been given, however,for the reader to see what they believed.

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The two men produced what is called the Westcott and Hort Critical Text. It istermed critical because it radically criticized and changed the Textus Receptus. Theactual Westcott and Hort Critical Text is no longer being published, but it has beenperpetuated today in the Nestle-Aland (both of these men were German rationalists)

Greek Text and the American Bible Societys Greek Text, both of which are twinbrothers to the Westcott and Hort Text. No modern day translating committee uses theTextus Receptus they all use these new critical texts. That is the reason the modern-day so-called Bibles are different from our beloved 1611 A.V.

It may be that not all present-day Bible translators are as modernistic and radicalas Westcott and Hort, although many are, maybe even the majority of them; but they alluse the radical texts. Therefore, they cannot be trusted.

From all the above, one can see that the modern versions are founded uponapostasy and theological liberalism. Consequently, they need to be rejected by Gods

Bible believing people (touch not the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6:17). Beware of falseprophetsa good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forthgood fruit (Matt. 7:15-20).