Brooke Foss Westcott

Brooke Foss Westcott was born in 1825, and died in 1903 at the age of Seventy-eight (78). B.F. Westcott is often grouped together with his friend and pupil F.J.A. Hort and both are pretty much equal in their influence in the History of the Bible.

B.F. Westcott worked on the committee of the Revised Version of the Bible. The Revised Version, was commissioned only to supposedly correct any errors in the King James Bible. The committee was ordered not to change manuscripts, or to use any manuscripts not used in the King James Bible, and also that any and all revisions made had to be incredibly limited. This was the plan . . . though misguided by the thought that there were errors in the King James Bible, they were decent in wanting to keep to the manuscripts that had been proven to be true and reliable. However, Westcott, and Hort, did not have convictions that the Bible was the Word of God, and were deceived into believing and teaching that the manuscripts used to put together the King James Bible of 1611, should be discarded. Because of this, Westcott (and Hort), subtly introduced other manuscripts and caused the committee to slowly completely depart from the Manuscripts they were told to strictly use. They did so subltly because if it was realized what was being done, they would have most likely been kicked off the committee. Westcott succeeded in doing just what he wanted, and the end result was that when the Revised Bible was completed, it was no longer a "more correct" King James Bible, but a completely different Bible, with Different manuscripts and corruptions galore. Researching, it becomes evident that these corruptions were in line with the unbiblical beliefs of Westcott (and Hort).

Now, normally the character of a person is not good to focus on. However, when it comes to spiritual things, which the History of the Bible is dealing with the Bible which is a spiritual thing, the integrity, character, and beliefs of a person are integral in determining whether a person is godly or not. A natural, carnal man who is unsaved and does not believe in the Word of God, can neither understand nor properly handle those things which are spiritual. In this case: the Bible itself.

In order to gain a perspective of the beliefs of Westcott, we look at the book The Life and Letters of Brooke Foss Westcott (which is really hard to come by, might I add), written by his son Arthur. Now, there are many who might uplift B.F. Westcott as a mighty man of God who was used to bring about the Truth of the Word of God and "teach" others how really to look at the Word of God. Others however, are starting to realize his beliefs, and are starting to denounce the lie that this person was even a believer in Christ Jesus!

Below are some topics, which Westcott himself shows his beliefs from the book mentioned above.

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Salvation . . . "by Baptism"

My dearest Mary--I quite forget whether we have ever talked upon the subject alluded to in my last note--Baptismal Regeneration--but I think we have, for it is one of the few points on which I have clear views, and which is, I am sure, more misunderstood and misrepresented than any other. Do not we see that God generally employs means? I will not say exclusively, that He has appointed an outward Church as the receptacle of His promises, and outward rites for admission into it, and thus for being placed in a relation with Him by which we may receive His further grace; for till we are so connected by admission into His outward Church, we have no right to think that He will convey to us the benefits of His spiritual Church, when we have neglected the primary means which He provides. It does not, of course, follow that the outward and spiritual churches are co-extensive, that all who have been placed in relation with God by Baptism, and so made heirs of heaven conditionally, will avail themselves of that relation to fulfill those conditions--and here lies the ambiguity: because a child is born again into the Church of God, as he has been born into the world before, people seem to conclude that he must discharge all the duties of his new station, which in temporal matters we know he does not. By birth he may, if he will, truly life here; by baptism he may if he will, truly live forever. I do not say that Baptism is absolutely necessary, though from the word of the Scriptures I can see no exception, but I do not think we have a right to exclaim against the idea of the commencement of a spiritual life, conditionally from Baptism, any more than we have to deny the commencement of a moral life from birth.¹(Emphasis Mine)

Now, in this letter alone there are several unbiblical beliefs. Westcott says first that God employs means . . . which is true. However, what is not true is why Westcott says it. Westcott believes that in order for one to gain the benefits of the Spiritual Church . . . Salvation, one must be a member of the "outward Church." This is hand-in-hand with what these two Popes have said:

We declare, say, define, and pronounce that it is absolutely necessary for the salvation of every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff (Boniface VIII, Unam Sanctum AD 1302)

We profess that there is no salvation outside the Church. . . . For the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth. With reference to those words Augustine says: `If any man be outside the Church he will be excluded from the number of sons, and will not have God for Father since he has not the Church for mother. (Leo XII Encyclical Ubi Primum)

This means, that if you are not a member of the Roman Catholic Church, you are not saved. This is a heresy and replaces Salvation by grace through Faith in Jesus Christ, with Salvation by works (being a member of a church).

As I before mentioned, there are more problems with the belief of Westcott in the above letter to his future wife. In addition to the above, Westcott also believed that once belonging to the "outward Church" Baptism is the commencement of the Spiritual life. Westcott believed that one had to be baptized within the Catholic Church, in order for one to receive the benefits of eternal life itself, just as sure as when one is born physically, they begin to live. This isn't Biblical, for Salvation comes first, then baptism, in all references in the Word of God (save for John's Baptism, which was to prepare for Salvation by Christ Jesus only, and even then, those baptized in John's Baptism, had to be baptized again once they became Saved: Acts 19:3-5).

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Heaven . . . "Not a Real Place"

No doubt the language of the Rubric is unguarded, but it saves us from the error of connecting the Presence of Christ's glorified humanity with place; "heaven is a state and not a place."²

Yet the unseen is the largest part of life. Heaven lies about us now in infancy alone; and by swift, silent pauses for thought, for recollection, for aspiration, we cannot only keep fresh the influence of that diviner atmosphere, but breathe it more habitually.³

Westcott shows here that he didn't believe in a literal heaven. Well, a "place" called heaven anyway. Westcott here shows that instead of heaven being a place, it is a state of mind. He says that heaven is the state of mind an infant is in, careless and innocent. He says we can get "heaven" in those short moments we can just relax and silently pause for thought and recollection. Westcott even worse says that it is an error to believe heaven to be a literal place.

Then where is Christ Jesus enthroned? Where are the angels who presently and always sing praises to His Name? Jesus truly is said in the Word of God to be in the hearts of those who believe on His Precious Name, but what about the angels? Is all of heaven inside us? Are all the heavenly hosts dwelling inside us? Even in those who believe not the Glorious Gospel of Christ? To Westcott, the answer is yes. To Westcott, the Bible lies when it speaks of heaven as being a real place. Westcott's heaven is sadly only a state of mind.

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The Lord's Return . . .

As far as I can remember, I said very shortly what I hold to be the "Lord's coming" in my little book on the Historic Faith. I hold very strongly that the Fall of Jerusalem was the coming which first fulfilled the Lord's words; and, as there have been other comings, I cannot doubt that He is "coming" to us now.⁴

Westcott sadly also believed that the Lord our Saviour, is not returning in the Physical. Westcott believed that Jesus's return was spiritual, and that Jesus has been returning to us all along, many times, and to this day! This is a sad and hopeless belief, whereas the Biblical belief of Jesus' True Return in the Physical, coming to gather us up with Him, gives us great hope!

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Creation, Moses, David . . . "Figurative"

No one now, I suppose, holds that the first three chapters of Genesis, for example, give a literal history--I could never understand how anyone reading them with open eyes could think they did--yet they disclose to us a Gospel. So it is probably elsewhere. Are we not going through a trial in regard to the use of popular language on literary subjects like that through which we went, not without sad losses in regard to the use of popular language on physical subjects? If you feel now that it was, to speak humanly, necessary that the Lord should speak of the "sun rising," as it was no less necessary that he would use the names "Moses" and "David" as His contemporaries used them. There was no critical question at issue. (Poetry is, I think, a thousand times more true than History; this is a private parenthesis for myself alone.)⁵

Westcott didn't believe Creation was literal. Of course, because of the high compromise this world--even Christians--have in believing man's words over God's Word, this is rampant. Why can't Creation be literal? Because man says it can't? When do we choose man to be a liar and God to be true? Do we pick and choose what in the Word of God, is true? If man is correct with Creation being impossible as stated in Genesis 1-3, then man must know enough and be correct to state that Jesus was not born of a virgin! That is what the world says. We can't have it both ways, we either choose to believe the world, or God. Westcott chose to believe the world. Westcott sadly didn't believe either that Moses and David were real people, but that they were only "popular language." And that Jesus only used them because people thought them to be authentic and could relate!

Westcott says that Jesus used the words just the same as He said the sun rose in the sky. Yes, cosmically speaking the Sun does not rise, but the Earth rotates on its axis around the sun. However, motion is Relative. Someone can walk to you, but I can say the person is walking away from me. Which is it? To, or Away? With the Sun over our heads, it is not speaking "figuratively" to say the sun rises and falls. Relative to our position on the Earth, with our heads pointed toward the sun, the sun Rises over our heads, and sets in the Horizon. It isn't speaking "figuratively" but rather "relatively." Therefore Jesus our Lord did not lie, nor tell a "fairy tale" when He mentions the Sun Rising. Relative to the sun, the Earth moves. However, according to relative motion, we can still correctly say that relative to the earth the Sun moves across the sky.

Westcott's belief here, resembles that of the Greek Philosophers (such as Philo and Origen) who say that the Bible is more Figurative than Literal. We also note something that should worry us, that Westcott says in a personal parenthesis, that he truly believes Poetry to be more true than History!)

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Miracles . . . "Never read an account"

I never read an account of a miracle but I seem instinctively to feel its improbability, and discover somewhat of evidence in the account of it.⁶

Sadly, in addition to not believing in a literal Creation as recorded in the Word of God, Westcott also did not believe that what he read of Jesus, of the Prophets, of the Apostles, and the wondrous miracles they did by the Power of God, were true miracles . . . Truly this believe spread to a disbelief that Jesus even rose from the dead, and therefore apparently Christianity has no foundation to Westcott.

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The End of the Matter . . .

The end of the matter, after seeing the above quotes, we can know that unfortunately Brooke Foss Westcott was not just a lost soul, an unbeliever who did not believe on the name of the Lord Jesus for Salvation (rather he moreso looked to baptism as his means of salvation), but Westcott was honestly against the Truth found in the Word of God. This is very unfortunate, for Westcott, and for those he has affected through his influence in History. There are many more quotes which can be quoted, many more heresies which can be reproved by the light of the Word of God (John 3:20), yet I feel it important that you also research the Truth. However, the above quotes are enough to show the Truth of Westcott's unbiblical beliefs.

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