Originally posted by HomeBound:
Sure, he are some quotes from these guys.
Did not believe in the miracles of the Bible Aug. 11th, 1847 - Westcott: "I never read an account of a miracle (in Scripture?) but I seem instinctively to feel its improbability, and discover some want of evidence in the account of it." (Life, Vol.I, p.52).
First, you added the words "in Scripture". Second, Westcott is only mentioning his natural tendency to find miracles difficult to believe - he is not saying he doesn't believe in them, just that they are difficult for him (at this time, when he was 22 years old). Third, 12 years later he preached a series of sermons and published a book entitled "Characteristics of the Gospel Miracles" in which he affirms all the miracles in scripture, and their importance in revealing attributes of Christ.
Did not believe in the infallibility of the scriptures. - Westcott to Hort in 1860: "1 reject the word infallibility of Holy Scripture overwhelming." Hort to Lightfoot in 1860: "If you make a decided conviction of the absolute infallibility of the N. T., I fear I could not join you, even if you were willing to forget your fears about the origin of the Gospels." (Life, Vol.I, p.207).
Your reference is for the first quote only, what is the reference for the second quote? The first quote is butchered and context shows the exact opposite. The whole quote is: "All I hold is, that the more I learn, the more I am convinced that fresh doubts
come from my own ignorance, and that at present I find the presumption in favour of the
absolute truth--I reject the word infallibility--of Holy Scripture
overwhelming. Of course I feel difficulties which at present I cannot solve, and which I never hope to solve."
Here Westcott affirms that any doubts that arise in his mind are not because scripture is wrong, but because of his own imperfection. Rather, he finds the presumption in favour of "absolute truth" of scripture to be overwhelming, but he still doesn't perfectly understand it all yet. In other words, although he disliked the term "infallibility" for some reason, he still accepted the absolute truth of scripture, but wasn't an arrogant know-it-all about it.
Westcott and Hort were clearly Anti-protestant (pro-Catholic sympathizers) Hort: "I think I mentioned to you before Campbell's book on the Atonement, which is invaluable as far as it goes; but unluckily he know nothing except Protestant theology." (Life, Vol.I, p.322).
I don't yet have Hort's "Life and Letters", so I can't examine this quote in context. Given the fact that most quotes are ripped out of context, I suspect this one is as well. But it should still be noted that: 1. nothing in this quote says Hort was pro-Catholic/anti-Protestant, he only expresses his disappointment that Campbell doesn't know Catholic theology. I have some Mormon friends, who I witness to occassionally. There are a few books that I like that are good in and of themselves, but the authors are weak or unknowledgeable about Mormon theology - when witnessing to Mormons, I prefer to use books that are written by authors that actually know Mormon theology and thus have points that make Mormons think instead of just laugh at. 2. Westcott and Hort, being Anglicans, are sort of "in between" Catholics and Protestants. To Catholics, Anglicans have a strong Protestant flavour. To most Protestants, Anglicans have a strong Catholic flavour. Being Anglicans, Westcott and Hort disagreed with both to some extent.
Believed in the worship of Mary - Hort: "I am very far from pretending to understand completely the ever renewed vitality of Mariolatry. ...I have been persuaded for many years that Mary-worship and Jesus-worship' have very much in common in their causes and their results." (Westcott compelled his wife Sarah Louisa to take the name Mary in addition to her given name.)
Again, I am skeptical that this quote is in context. First, no one who worships Mary is going to call it "Mariolatry", which is a combination of "Mary" and "idolatry". Second, even you included the portion of the qoute where Hort says he doesn't undertand why Mariolatry has "ever renewed vitality". Third, Mary-worship and Jesus-worship DOES have much in common - that's why we Baptists object to it!
Believed in the sacraments (sacrifices) 1848 July 6th - Hort: "One of the things, I think, which shows the falsity of the Evangelical notion of this subject (baptism), is that it is so trim and precise...no deep spiritual truths of the Reason are thus logically harmonious and systematic...the pure Romish view seems to me nearer, and more likely to lead to, the truth than the Evangelical...the fanaticism of the bibliolaters, among whom reading so many 'chapters' seems exactly to correspond to the Romish superstition of telling so many dozen beads on a rosary...still we dare not forsake the Sacraments, or God will forsake us...I am inclined to think that no such state as 'Eden' (I mean the popular notion) ever existed, and that Adam's fall in no degree differed from the fall of each of his descendants" (Life, Vol.I, pp.76-78).
Yes, Anglicans believe in sacraments. Westcott and Hort were Anglicans. As were the KJV translators.
Brian
