The Westcott-Hort Text
Mr. Hort was the most outspoken of the two (Westcott-Hort)
and we have much more of his material in writing than we
have of Mr. Westcott's. He joined the "Company of the
Apostles" in 1851 and was subsequently responsible for
the writing of an oath which bound the members to a
conspiracy of silence. Two other 'societies' were later
started in which Mr. Hort had a major part (if he was
not the originator of them); The Ghostlie Guild, and the
'Bogie Club'.
Fenton John Anthony Hort
As with Mr. Wescott, Let's take a look at Mr. Hort and
read his own words:
Letters from Fenton John Anthony Hort
Written November 16, 1849 to Rev. F.D. Maurice
concerning Atonement:
"The fact is, I do not see how God's justice can be
satisfied without every man's suffering in his own
person the full penalty for his sins"
Written October 15, 1850 to Mr. Brooke Foss
Westcott:
"The beginning of an individual is precisely as
inconceivable as the beginning of a species...It
certainly startles me to find you saying that you have
seen no facts which support such as view as
Darwin's...But it seems to me the most probable manner
of development, and the reflexions suggested by his book
drove me to the conclusion that some kind of development
must be supposed"
October 21, 1858 -- to Rev. Dr. Rowland Williams -- On
the Authority of Scripture
"Further I agree with them [authors of Essays and
Reviews] in condemning many leading specific doctrines
of the popular theology. . . The positive doctrines even
of the Evangelicals seem to me perverted rather than
untrue. There are, I fear still more serious differences
between us on the subject of authority and especially
the authority of the Bible . . . If this primary
objection were removed, and I could feel our differences
to be only of degree, I should still hesitate to take
part in the proposed scheme. It is surely likely to
bring on a crisis; and that I cannot think desirable on
any account. The errors and prejudices, which we agree
in wishing to remove, can surely be more wholesomely and
also more effectually reached
by individual efforts of an indirect kind than by
combined open assault.
At present very many orthodox but rational men are being
unawares acted upon by influences which will assuredly
bear good fruit in due time if is allowed to go on
quietly; but I fear that a premature crisis would
frighten back many into the merest traditionalism."
* (In other words, Mr. Hort has purposefully conspired
to pervert and subvert the bible)
April 3, 1860 -- to Rev. John Ellerton -- On Evolution
"But the book which has most engaged me is Darwin.
Whatever may be thought of it, it is a book that one is
proud to be contemporary with. I must work out and
examine the argument more in detail, but at present my
feeling is strong that the theory is unanswerable. If
so, it opens up a new period in -- I know not what not."
August 14, 1860 -- to B.F. Westcott -- On the Divinity
of Man
"It is of course true that we can only know God through
human forms, but then I think the whole Bible echoes the
language of Genesis 1:27 and so assures us that human
forms are divine forms."
August 16, 1860 -- to B.F. Westcott -- On
Substitutionary Atonement
"Perhaps we may be too hasty in assuming an absolute
necessity of absolutely proportional suffering. I
confess I have no repugnance to the primitive doctrine
of a ransom paid to Satan though neither am I prepared
to give full assent to it. But I can see no other
possible form in which the doctrine of a ransom is at
all tenable; anything is better than the notion of a
ransom paid to the Father."
October 15, 1860 -- to B.F. Westcott -- On
Substitutionary Atonement
"I entirely agree--correcting one word--with what you
there say on the Atonement, having for many years
believed that 'the absolute union of the Christian (or
rather, of man) with Christ Himself' is the spiritual
truth of which the popular doctrine of substitution is
an immoral and material counterfeit. But I doubt whether
that answers the question as to the nature of the
satisfaction. Certainly
nothing can be more unscriptural than the modern
limiting of Christ's bearing our sins and sufferings to
His death; but indeed that is only one aspect of an
almost universal heresy."
* Mr. Hort believes Isaiah 53 is heresy?
April 12, 1861 -- to B.F. Westcott -- On Heresy
"Also -- but this may be cowardice -- I have sort of a
craving our text should be cast upon the world before we
deal with matters likely to brand us with suspicion. I
mean a text issued by men already known for what will
undoubtedly be treated as dangerous heresy, will have
great difficulties in finding its way to regions which
it might otherwise reach, and whence it
would not be easily banished
by subsequent alarms."
* Again, Mr. Hort knew his and Westcott's writings were
erroneous, heretical and blasphemous, but he wanted to
promote them BEFORE THEY COULD BE BANISHED! In other
words, he wanted to spread them to as many places as
possible before anyone would "catch" them.
October 17, 1865 – to B.F. Westcott -- On Roman
Catholicism
"I have been persuaded for many years that Mary-worship
and ‘Jesus’-worship have very much in common in their
causes and results…we condemn all secondary human
mediators as injurious to the One, and shut our eyes to
the indestructible fact of existing human mediation
which is to be found everywhere. But this last error can
hardly be expelled till Protestants unlearn the crazy
horror of the idea of priesthood."
May 14, 1870 -- to Rev. J. Ll. Davies
"No rational being doubts the need of a revised Bible;
and the popular practical objections are worthless. Yet
I have an increasing feeling in favor of delay. Of
course, no revision can be final, and it would be absurd
to wait for perfection. But the criticism of both
Testaments in text and interpretation alike, appears to
me to be just now in that chaotic state (in Germany
hardly if at all less than in England), that the results
of immediate revision would be peculiarly
unsatisfactory.
I John 5:7 might be got rid of in a month; and if that
were done, I should prefer to wait a few years."
* This statement alone is enough to prove that there was
a DELIBERATE attempt to remove 1 John 5:7. Does the
version of the bible YOU USE do so?
There is ALWAYS an attack on 1 John 5:7-8 in
EVERY corrupt translation.
July 7, 1870 -- to a Friend -- On Bible Revision
"It is quite impossible to judge the value of what
appear to be trifling alterations merely by reading them
one after another. Taken together, they have often
important bearings which few would think of at first . .
. The difference between a picture say of Raffaelle and
a feeble copy of it is made up of a number of trivial
differences . . . We have successfully resisted being
warned off dangerous ground, where the needs of revision
required that it should not be shirked . . . It is, one
can hardly doubt, the beginning of a new period in
Church history. So far the angry objectors
have reason for their astonishment."
* It almost sounds as if Mr. Hort were scoffing, doesn't
it? "So far the angry objectors HAVE REASON for their
astonishment"? It appears from this letter alone that
CORRUPTION of the Word of God was the intent and purpose
of this "revision" the entire time. It is as if he and
Westcott knew they would do much damage to Christianity
in the future!
November 12, 1871 -- to the Bishop of Ely -- On
Substitutionary Atonement
"But it does not seem to me any disparagement to the
sufferings and death of the Cross to believe that they
were the acting out and the manifestation of an eternal
sacrifice, even as we believe that the sonship
proceeding from the miraculous birth of the Virgin Mary
was the acting out and manifestation of the eternal
sonship. -- So also the uniqueness of the great
Sacrifice seems to me not to consist in its being a
substitute which makes all other sacrifices useless and
unmeaning, but in its giving them the power and meaning
which of themselves they could not have... He (Mr.
Maurice) may have dwelt too exclusively on that idea of
sacrifice which is suggested by Hebrews x. 5 - 10, and
he may have failed to make clear that Sacrifice is not
the only way of conceiving Atonement..."
"(Rev. 3:15) might no doubt bear the Arian meaning,
the first thing created." (Hort, Revelation, p.36).
