The Dean Burgon Society Deserves Its Name
TEN REASONS WHY

Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph.D.
President, The Dean Burgon Society

Dean John William Burgon
(1813-1888)

DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
FOREWORD
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A DEFENDING SOCIETY
CHAPTER II  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY
CHAPTER III  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN ADAMANT SOCIETY
CHAPTER IV  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A NEGLECTED SOCIETY
CHAPTER V  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A BELIEVING SOCIETY
CHAPTER VI  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN UNDAUNTED SOCIETY
CHAPTER VII  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A RELEVANT SOCIETY
CHAPTER VIII  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A GROWING SOCIETY
CHAPTER IX  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN OBEDIENT SOCIETY
CHAPTER X  AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A NEEDED SOCIETY
CONCLUDING REMARKS
 

DEDICATION

• To the many Dean Burgon members, some of whom have been a part of the Dean Burgon Society since its beginning in November, 1978.

• To the DBS Executive Committee members and the DBS Advisory Council members who have helped in speaking, recruiting, writing, and giving to this cause.

• And to the many, who, though they are not DBS members, share in our position "IN DEFENSE OF TRADITIONAL BIBLE TEXTS."

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This is to acknowledge the valuable assistance of Yvonne Sanborn Waite, Daniel Waite, and Miss Barbara Egan for their careful proofreading of the manuscript and helpful suggestions.

FOREWORD

• This book began as a message that was first given at the Calvary Baptist Church, in Warren, Maine, when Dr. Don Champeon was the Pastor. The occasion was the 12th Annual Dean Burgon Society Conference. The date was Thursday, May 31, 1990. It is available, as delivered, either in audio cassette (#1850/5 for a gift of $4.00+S&H) or in video cassette (#1850/VC2 for a gift of $15.00+S&H). The message has been available as a 67-page report since that time. This book is the result of scanning that report of the 1990 message and putting it into the present format with a few additions, subtractions, and changes as needed.

• The present edition gives ten sound reasons why our Dean Burgon Society deserves its name. These reasons are formed by an acrostic of the ten letters of Dean Burgon’s name. The reasons are just as true today, in the year 2001, as they were in 1990. As Dean Burgon, the Dean Burgon Society is (1) defending, (2) educational, (3) adamant, (4) neglected, (5) believing, (6) undaunted, (7) relevant, (8) growing, (9) obedient, and (10) needed.

• For many years now, almost from its very beginning in 1978, the Dean Burgon Society has been vilified, misunderstood, criticized, and even slandered for taking to itself the honored name of Dean John William Burgon (1813-1888). I believe the reason for these attacks stems from ignorance--ignorance either of the position of Dean Burgon or of the Dean Burgon Society, or both. It is hoped that this book will help to dispel such ignorance. It is also hoped that all who read it will agree with these ten reasons which show that the Dean Burgon Society truly deserves its name!

Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph.D.
President, The Dean Burgon Society
March 15, 2001

Proverbs 22:1
"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, . . ."

Ecclesiastes 7:1
A good name is better than precious ointment; . . ."

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

A. The History Of Our Name 1

B. Two Areas Of Difference 1

1. Specific Work And Ministry 1

2. Doctrinal Basis 1

C. An Acrostic 2

CHAPTER I

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A DEFENDING SOCIETY 3

A. Dean Burgon Was A DEFENDING Individual 3

1. Burgon DEFENDED The Old Testament Masoretic Hebrew Text 3

a. Burgon Thought "Tinkering the Hebrew Text" Was "Incredible Folly" 3

b. Burgon Took The Old Testament "Simply on The Authority of The Divine Master" 3

2. Burgon DEFENDED The New Testament Textus Receptus Greek Text 3

a. Summary Of Dean Burgon's Views On The Textus Receptus 3

b. Examples Of Dean Burgon's Views On The Textus Receptus 3

(1) Burgon Esteemed the "Received Text" To Be "Quite Good Enough For All Ordinary Purposes" 4

(2) Burgon Believed The Textus Receptus to Be "An Excellent Text as it Stands,"And That The Use of it Will Never Lead Critical Students of Scripture Seriously Astray" 4

(3) Burgon Estimated The Textus Receptus To Be The True Text "In Nine Cases Out of Ten" 4

(4) Burgon Listed Fourteen Requirements For Any Revision of The Textus Receptus Proving Why In His Day Such a Revision Was Impossible 4

(5) Burgon Believed That For An "Authoritative Revision of The Greek Text" They Were "Not Yet Mature" In His Day 5

(6) Burgon Demanded At Least Six Prerequisites Before Any Authoritative Revision of The Textus Receptus Could Be Successfully Completed 6

(a) Prerequisite #1: We Need at Least "500 More Copies" of The New Testament "Diligently Collated" 6

(b) Prerequisite #2: We Need at Least "100" "Ancient Lectionaries" "Very Exactly Collated" 6

(c) Prerequisite #3: We Need, "Above All," The Church "Fathers" to Yield "Their Precious Secrets" by "Ransacking" Them, "Indexing" Them, And "Diligently Inspecting" Them 7

(d) Prerequisite #4: We Need the "Most Impor- tant of The Ancient Versions" to Be "Edited Afresh" And Let Their "Languages" Be "Really Mastered by Englishmen" 7

(e) Prerequisite #5: We Need "Whatever Unpublished Works of The Ancient Greek Fathers" to Be "Printed" 7

(f) Prerequisite #6: We Need "For The First Time" The "Science of Textual Criticism" to Be Prosecuted "In a Scholarlike Manner" 7

c. Proof That Neither The "Nestle-Aland Greek Text--26th or 27th Edition" Nor The So-called "Majority Greek Text of Hodges & Farstad" Followed Burgon's Six Pre- requisites And Are Therefore Not What Burgon Would Call "Authoritative Revisions" of The Textus Receptus 7

(1) The "Nestle-Aland Greek Text--26th or 27th Edition" Refused to Follow Burgon's Six Pre- requisites and Therefore Is Not What Burgon Would Call an "Authoritative Revision" of the Textus Receptus 8

(2) The So-called "Majority Greek Text" of Hodges & Farstad Also Refused to Follow Burgon's Six Prerequisites and Therefore Is NOT What Burgon Would Call An "Authoritative Revision" of The Textus Receptus 9

3. Burgon DEFENDED The King James Bible 10

a. Burgon Believed The "Men of 1611" Produced "A Work of Real Genius" 10

b. Burgon Stated That The King James Bible Translators "Understood Their Craft" and That "The Spirit of Their God, Was Mightily upon Them" 10

c. Burgon Considered the King James Bible to Be "The Noblest Literary Work in the Anglo-Saxon Language" 10

d. Burgon Would Not "Entertain for a Moment" The Project of Any "Rival Translation" to the King James Bible 11

e. Burgon Thought Any Revision of the King James Bible Should Be in a Way like "Marginal Notes" or a Similar Way 11

f. Burgon Thought of Any Revision of the King James Bible as Only a "Companion in the Study" for "Private Edification" 11

g. Burgon Was Against Any "Future Revision" of the English New Testament until an "Authoritative Revision of the Greek Text" Had Been Completed 11

4. Burgon DEFENDED the Plenary, Verbal Inspiration and Inerrancy of the Sixty-six Books of the Bible 11

a. Burgon Held That the Very "Words" of the Bible Were "Inspired," and "Every Syllable" as Well 12

b. Burgon Also Believed in Plenary, Verbal Inspiration of "Every Book" of the Bible 12

c. Burgon Denied Any "Inspiration" of Any Kind to the "Apocryphal Books" 12

d. Burgon Believed That Verbal Inspiration of the Bible Extended down to the "Very Letters" 12

e. Burgon Repeated His Firm Belief in the Verbal "Inspiration" of "Every 'Jot' and Every 'Tittle'" of the Bible 12

f. Burgon Also Believed in the Inerrancy of The Bible Since "No Error or Blot of Any Kind" Could "Possibly Exist Within its Pages" 13

g. Burgon Believed That When You "Read the Bible" You must Believe "That You Are Reading an Inspired Book" Which Is "Inspired in Every Part" 13

h. Burgon Did Not Believe Preachers Could "Expound a Text" Unless They Believed "The Words" to Be "Inspired" 13

5. Burgon DEFENDED Against Heresy in His Anglican Church 13

a. Burgon Was a "Watch-dog" Who "Barked Furiously" When Even "The Smallest Danger Threatened the Church or the Faith" 13

b. Burgon "Hit His Opponents Rather Hard" Because the "Words of Inspiration" Were "Seriously Imperilled" 14

c. Burgon Thwarted the "Liberal Party" at Oxford University on "More than One Occasion" by His "unflinching Conservatism" 14

d. Burgon Preached a Sermon Against the "Disestablishment of Religion in Oxford" Which Was Removing Belief in the "Thirty-nine Articles of Faith" 14

e. Burgon Wrote a Lengthy Criticism of "Essays and Reviews" Six of Whose Authors Were "Ministers of the Church of England" Who Were "Making Light of Their Sacred Profession" 15

f. Burgon Agreed with an Infidel's Description of the Apostasy Contained in the "Essays and Reviews" Which He Refuted 15

g. Burgon "Handled" the Writers of "Essays and Reviews" Just as "Freely" as They Handled "Divine Truth" 15

h. Burgon Identified the Authors of "Essays and Reviews" as Being Guilty of "Blasphemy," "Irreligion," and "Infidelity" 16

i. Burgon Believed "Essays and Reviews" Sapped the "Foundation of Faith" 16

j. Burgon Did Not Think "Punctilious Courtesy" Should Be Practiced in Denouncing Those Who Handle the Things of God in an "Outrageous Manner" 16

k. Burgon Exposed His Church's Clergymen Who Denied the "Fact of Our Lord's Resurrection" as "The Worst Enemies of Christ" 16

l. Burgon Urged His Fellow Anglican Clergymen Who Were Heretics to "Recall Their Words" or "Resign Their Stations" 17

6. Burgon DEFENDED Against the Heresy of Romanism and "Romanizing Practices" Within His Church 17

a. Burgon "Abhorred" "Romanism" 17

b. Burgon "Condemned Entirely" the Roman Catholic Error of "Prayer for the Dead" 17

c. Burgon Was Opposed to Either "Ritualism" or "Romanizing Practices" in His Church 17

d. Burgon Protested Strongly Against a "Florid Ritual" Which Made "Communion" Similar to the "Roman Mass" 18

e. Burgon Opposed "Romanising and Ritualising Tendencies" in His Church as Well as "Rationalism" Which Was "Undermining The Faith" 18

f. Burgon Was So Much Against "Romanizing" of His Church That He Preached Two Sermons Against it in 1873 18

g. Burgon Repudiated the Two Resolutions Made by the Oxford Diocesan Conference Which Furthered the "Romanising Movement Within the Church of England" 18

h. Burgon Preached Against the "Ritualists" and Various "Romish Doctrines" Which He Called "Mediaevalism in the Church of England" 19

7. Burgon Defended Against the Errors of the English Revised Version of 1881 and the Underlying Greek Text 19

a. Burgon Believed the ERV's "Revision of the Sacred Text" Was "Untrustworthy from Beginning to End" 19

b. Burgon Felt He Had "Crushed the Revised Version" of 1881 So it Would "Never Lift up its Head Again" 20

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is A DEFENDING Society 20

1. The DBS Motto Is "in DEFENSE of Traditional Bible" 20

2. As Dean Burgon, the DBS DEFENDS the "Masoretic Hebrew Text" 20

3. As Dean Burgon, the DBS DEFENDS The "Textus Receptus" 20

4. As Dean Burgon, The DBS DEFENDS the King James  Bible 20

5. As Dean Burgon, The DBS DEFENDS the Plenary, Verbal Inspiration and Inerrancy Of All Sixty-Six Books Of The Bible 21

6. As Dean Burgon, The DBS DEFENDS Against the Heresy of Romanism 21

7. As Dean Burgon, The DBS DEFENDS Against Westcott and Hort's Greek Text 21

8. As Dean Burgon, the DBS DEFENDS Against the English Revised Version of 1881 22

CHAPTER II

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY 23

A. Dean Burgon Was An EDUCATIONAL Individual 23

1. Burgon EDUCATED By Writing His Many Books On The Traditional Text 23

2. Burgon EDUCATED By Training Men For The Ministry 23

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is An EDUCATIONAL Society 23

1. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Its DBS News 23

2. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Its Printed Pamphlets 23

3. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Its Annual Meetings On Audio and Video Cassettes 24

4. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Its "Articles of Faith" 24

5. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Making Over 1,000 Titles Available In Defense Of the King James Bible And Its Underlying Texts 24

CHAPTER III

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN ADAMANT SOCIETY 25

A. Dean Burgon Was An ADAMANT Individual 25

1. Burgon Was ADAMANT In His Refusal to Compromise In General 25

a. Burgon Refused to Compromise In General by Sticking to His Colours 25

b. Burgon Refused to Compromise In General by Delivering Himself with Courage 25

c. Burgon Refused to Compromise In General by His "Indomitable Force of Will" 25

d. Burgon Refused to Compromise In General by His Obvious "Sincerity" 25

2. Burgon Was ADAMANT In His Refusal to Compromise On The Word Of God 26

a. Burgon Refused To Compromise On The Word Of God By "Maintaining the Integrity of the Written Word of God" 26

b. Burgon Refused To Compromise On The Word Of God By His "Burning Zeal" For It 26

c. Burgon Refused To Compromise On The Word Of God By Maintaining "A Burning Zeal for the Word of God" as a "Champion in a Cause" 26

d. Burgon Refused To Compromise on the Word of God by His "Reverence" For It 26

e. Burgon Refused To Compromise on the Word of God by "Treasuring" it as "Infinitely Precious" 26

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is An ADAMANT Society 26

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is ADAMANT In Its Refusal To Compromise In General 26

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is ADAMANT In Its Stand On the Texts and Translations Of The Bible 27

CHAPTER IV

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A NEGLECTED SOCIETY 30

A. Dean Burgon Was A NEGLECTED Individual 30

1. Burgon Was NEGLECTED By Not Being On The English Revised Version (ERV) Of 1881 30

2. Burgon Was NEGLECTED By His Being Attacked Or Laughed At 30

3. Burgon Was NEGLECTED By NOT Being Elevated To Anglican Bishop, Only To Dean 30

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is A NEGLECTED Society 30

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEGLECTED By Being Little Known 30

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEGLECTED By Being Attacked, Set Aside, and Laughed at 31

CHAPTER V

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A BELIEVING SOCIETY 32

A. Dean Burgon Was A BELIEVING Individual 32

1. Burgon Was A BELIEVING Individual By Holding To The Plenary, Verbal Inspiration Of The Bible 32

2. Burgon Was A BELIEVING Individual By Urging The Reading Of The Bible From Genesis To Revelation 32

3. Burgon Was a BELIEVING Individual By Holding To The Creation Of The World In Six Literal Days 32

4. Burgon Was A BELIEVING Individual By Trusting In The "Blood" Of Christ For Salvation 33

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is A BELIEVING Society 33

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING In The Plenary, Verbal Inspiration Of The Bible 33

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING In The Reading Of And The Power Of The Bible 33

3. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING By Holding To The Creation Of The World In Six Literal Days 33

4. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING In The "Blood" Of Christ To Save 34

CHAPTER VI

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN UNDAUNTED SOCIETY 35

A. Dean Burgon Was An UNDAUNTED Individual 35

1. Burgon Was UNDAUNTED In His Efforts To Defeat The "English Revised Version" 35

2. Burgon Was UNDAUNTED In His Efforts To Defeat Westcott And Hort's Greek Text 35

3. Burgon Was UNDAUNTED In His Efforts To Defend The Very Words Of God 35

4. Burgon Was UNDAUNTED In His Efforts In Study And Written Ministry 36

5. Burgon Was UNDAUNTED In The Face Of Criticism And Misunderstanding 36

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is An UNDAUNTED Society 36

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is UNDAUNTED In Its Efforts To Defeat The English Revised Version And Similar False Versions 37

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is UNDAUNTED In Its Efforts To Defeat Westcott And Hort's Greek Text 37

3. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is UNDAUNTED In Its Efforts To Defend The Very Words Of God 37

4. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is UNDAUNTED In Its Efforts To Study And Maintain A Written Ministry 37

5. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is UNDAUNTED In Its Efforts In The Face of Criticism And Misunderstanding 38

CHAPTER VII

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A RELEVANT SOCIETY 39

A. Dean Burgon Was RELEVANT As An Individual 39

1. Burgon Was RELEVANT In Defending Bible Truth Against Error And Heresy 39

2. Burgon Was RELEVANT In Defending The King James Bible Against An Inferior Version 39

3. Burgon Was RELEVANT In Defending The Masoretic Hebrew Text That Underlies The King James Bible 39

4. Burgon Was RELEVANT In Defending The Traditional & Received Greek Text 39

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is A RELEVANT Society 39

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is RELEVANT In Defending Bible Truth Against Error And Heresy 40

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is RELEVANT In Defending The King James Bible Against Inferior Versions 40

3. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is RELEVANT In Defending The Masoretic Hebrew Text 40

4. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is RELEVANT In Defending The Traditional And Received Greek Text 40

CHAPTER VIII

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A GROWING SOCIETY 42

A. Dean Burgon Was A GROWING Individual 42

1. Burgon Was GROWING In The Knowledge Of The Scripture 42

2. Burgon Was GROWING In The Understanding Of The Scripture 42

3. Burgon Was GROWING In Encouraging Others To Follow Him In His Use Of Scripture 42

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is A GROWING Society 43

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is GROWING In The Knowledge Of The Scripture 43

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is GROWING In The Understanding Of The Scripture 43

3. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is GROWING In Their Encouraging Of Others To Follow Their Position 43

CHAPTER IX

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS AN OBEDIENT SOCIETY 44

A. Dean Burgon Was An OBEDIENT Individual 44

1. Burgon Was OBEDIENT In Exposing Error 44

a. Burgon Was Like A "Splendid Watch Dog" 44

b. Burgon Admitted He Defended Strenuously When the "Words of Inspiration Are Seriously Imperilled" 44

c. Burgon "Thwarted," by His "Conservatism," the "Liberal Party" at Oxford More than Once 44

d. Burgon Labeled "Disbelief in the Bible as the Word of God" as the "Fundamental Error" 45

e. Burgon Wanted to "Defend" the Bible "Without Compromise" 45

f. Burgon Was "Jealous" For the "Honour of the Lord" 45

g. Burgon Exposed the Heresies of "Six Ministers of the Church of England" in Their "Essays and Reviews" 45

(1) The "Essays and Reviews" Denied the Fundamentals of the Faith 45

(2) Burgon Treated the "Six Clergymen" as "Immoral Characters" 45

(3) Burgon Did not Expect "Blasphemy" from "Ministers of the Gospel" 46

(4) Burgon Denounced "Uncompromisingly" this "Volume" Which Was to "Sap The Foundation of Faith" 46

(5) Burgon Gave an Example of Their Method of Believing Doctrine "Only Ideologically True" Yet "Historically False" 46

(6) Burgon Held up to "Ridicule" and "Unqualified Reprobation" Those Ministers Who Put Forth Such "Blasphemous Folly" 47

(7) Burgon Called on the Heretical "Essayists and Reviewers" to "Resign Their Stations" in the Church 47

2. Burgon Was OBEDIENT In Defending The Bible 47

a. Burgon Thought You Should Believe "The Whole of Holy Scripture" or "Disbelieve the Whole" 47

b. Burgon Had Some Suggestions for Bible Reading and Bible Study for His Students Entering the Ministry 48

(1) the Bible Should Be His Students' Only Textbook for Three Years 48

(2) His Students Should Read the "Whole Bible Consecutively Through" 48

(3) His Students Should Spend the "Quietest Half-hour in the Whole Day" for Bible Reading 48

(4) Bible Reading Should Be "Strictly Consecutive" 48

(5) No Book or Chapter Should Be "Skipped" 48

c. Burgon Gave Repeated Testimony to His Belief in and Defense of the Bible's Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Perfection 48

(1) Burgon Believed the Bible Is a "Direct Message from the Presence-chamber of the Lord of Heaven and Earth" 49

(2) Burgon Held "Verbal Inspiration" to Be a Fact, Not Merely a "Theory" 49

(3) Burgon Believed Even the Very "Letters" of the Bible Were "Inspired" 50

(4) Burgon Believed the Entire Bible to Be from God Himself and Vitally Important 50

(a) Burgon Believed That Every "Word" Is Important 50

(b) Burgon Believed Literally the Genesis Creation 50

(c) Burgon Believed Every Single "Letter" of the Bible Is the "Voice of Him That Sitteth upon the Throne" 50

(d) Burgon Repeated Again His Confidence in the Very "Words" of God as If "God Spoke to Us Therein with Human Lips" 50

(e) Burgon Held the Bible to Be "The Very Utterance of the Holy Spirit" 51

(f) Burgon Believed a Person Should "Read" the Bible Believing it Is an "Inspired Book" 51

(g) Burgon Didn't Believe You Could "Expound a Text" Unless You Believe its "Words" Are "Inspired" 51

(h) Burgon Had a Burden and Passed it on to His Ministerial Students to "Preserve" the "Whole Deposit of the Heaven-descended Teaching" 52

(i) Burgon Believed the Bible to Be a "Celestial Armoury Which Contains a "Weapon" Against Every "Foe" 52

3. Burgon Was OBEDIENT In Declaring Bible Truths 52

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is An OBEDIENT Society 53

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is OBEDIENT In Exposing Error And Heresy 53

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is OBEDIENT In Defending The Bible 53

3. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is OBEDIENT In Declaring Bible Truths 53

CHAPTER X

AS DEAN BURGON, THE DEAN BURGON SOCIETY IS A NEEDED SOCIETY 54

A. Dean Burgon Was A NEEDED Individual 54

1. Burgon Was NEEDED To Write Books And Materials 54

2. Burgon Was NEEDED To Combat False Teaching 54

3. Burgon Was NEEDED To Combat A False Basis Of Determining The Greek Text 54

4. Burgon Was NEEDED To Get Out His Distinctive Message 54

B. As DEAN BURGON, The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is A NEEDED Society 55

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEEDED To Write Books And Materials 55

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEEDED To Combat False Teaching 55

3. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEEDED To Combat A False Basis Of Determining The Greek Text 55

4. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEEDED To Get Out Our Distinctive Message 55

CONCLUDING REMARKS 56

Index of Words and Phrases 57

About the Author 67

Order Blank #1 69

Order Blank #2 71

Order Blank #3 73

The Defined King James Bibles 75

Dean Burgon Society Membership Form 76

10 Reasons Why The Dean Burgon Society Deserves Its Name

By Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph.D. President, The Dean Burgon Society

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

A. The History Of Our Name. The Dean Burgon Society, has borne its name since its founding, November 3-4, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over the course of years, some critics of our position have questioned the propriety of this designation. Though not seeking it, controversy dogged the steps of both Dean Burgon and the Dean Burgon Society. On the bottom of the first page of our Dean Burgon News, we print the following:

"The Dean Burgon Society, Inc. proudly takes its name in honor of Rev. John William Burgon (1813--1888), the Dean of Chichester in England, whose tireless and accurate scholarship and contribution in the area of New Testament Textual Criticism; whose defense of the Traditional Greek New Testament Text against its many enemies; and whose firm belief in the verbal inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, we believe, have all been unsurpassed either before or since his time!"

B. Two Areas of Difference. It might be well at the outset to mention at least two areas in which the Dean Burgon Society differs from Dean Burgon.

1. Specific Work and Ministry. Our specific work and ministry is not identical to that of Dean Burgon. Our emphasis is outlined in our "Purpose and Object" found on pages 8-9 of our "Articles of Faith, Operation, & Organization." There are 13 specific objectives enumerated which guide the DBS in its work and ministry. Though we appreciate his guidelines on New Testament textual criticism and his excellent opposition to the Westcott and Hort-type Greek text, we as a Society have no intention of entering into the details of textual criticism as did Dean Burgon.

2. Doctrinal Basis. Our doctrinal basis is not identical to that of Dean Burgon. Our name does not imply we are Anglican in theology. Our "Articles of Faith" (pp. 2-6) spell out clearly our doctrinal position. In some areas, we are opposed to the tenets of the Church of England. One example of this would be in the area of "Salvation" (p. 5).

C. An Acrostic. I would suggest "Ten Reasons Why the DBS Deserves its Name." These ten reasons form an acrostic after the ten letters of the name, "D-E-A-N---B-U-R-G-O-N."

 1. "D"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is a Defending Society.
 2. "E"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is an Educational Society.
 3. "A"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is an Adamant Society.
 4. "N"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is a Neglected Society.

 5. "B"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is a Believing Society.
 6. "U"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is an Undaunted Society.
 7. "R"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is a Relevant Society.
 8. "G"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is a Growing Society.
 9. "O"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is an Obedient Society.
10."N"--As Dean Burgon, The DBS is a Needed Society.

In the pages that follow, I would like to compare, in these ten respects, both Dean Burgon and the Dean Burgon Society. In some cases, I will give quotations from Dean Burgon's own words or the words of his biographer.

CHAPTER I

A. Dean Burgon Was A DEFENDING Individual.

a. Burgon Thought "Tinkering the Hebrew Text" Was "Incredible Folly." Burgon wrote:

"Pray let us have the Revised Old Testament [of the E.R.V. of 1881] by itself. It ought to contain a great deal well deserving of study, . . . above all if they have not been guilty of the "Incredible folly of tinkering the Hebrew Text." [John William Burgon--Late Dean of Chichester--A Biography, Two Volumes, (Hereafter called "Biography" by Dr. Edward Meyrick Goulburn, Vol. II, p. 241; available as #1619, 801 pages, two volumes, for a GIFT of $40.00+S&H].

b. Burgon Took The Old Testament "Simply on the Authority of the Divine Master." His biographer wrote:

"As to the authenticity of the supernatural narratives of the Old Testament, Burgon calls attention to the fact that the most marvellous of these, and those which have most proved stumbling-blocks, are witnessed to by our Lord and His Apostles; and that therefore we, as Christians, have no need to trouble ourselves with any independent consideration of the difficulties involved in them; we take them simply on the authority of the Divine Master, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived, and Who is sponsor for them." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 374.]

2. Burgon DEFENDED the New Testament Textus Receptus Greek Text.

First, let me give a brief summary of Burgon's views on the Textus Receptus, and then follow this with some examples of Burgon's views on the Textus Receptus.

a. Summary Of Dean Burgon's Views On The Textus Receptus. It is important to see Dean Burgon's complete comments relative to the New Testament Textus Receptus Greek Text. Here are some of Dean Burgon’s statements about the Textus Receptus.

(1) The Textus Receptus as it now stands is "quite good enough for all ordinary purposes." It is "an excellent text as it stands" and the use of it "will never lead critical students of the Scripture seriously astray."

(2) The Textus Receptus is the "true" text in an estimated "nine cases out of ten [90%]." If Edward Miller's citation of Burgon's notes in his Textual Commentary on Matthew 1-14, [#1756 for a gift of $7.00+S&H] can be taken as a general trend, had Burgon completed his work, following his own guidelines, this 90% "true" figure for the Textus Receptus would have to be revised upward. The figure would be either 99.9% or 99.6% in favor of the Textus Receptus for Matthew 1-14, rather than merely an estimate of 90%! Here’s how I arrive at these two figures:

(a) The Textus Receptus 99.6% Accurate. Though Edward Miller made many changes of his own, there were only 39 changes Miller made which were attributed to Dean Burgon's notes. There are 140,521 Greek words in the Textus Receptus Greek New Testament [Cf. Missing in Modern Bibles by Dr. Jack Moorman, p. 41; available as #1726 for a GIFT of $8.00. There are 8,765 Greek words in the Textus Receptus for Matthew 1-14 [Cf. Missing in Modern Bibles, p. 38]. If only 39 words are changed, this is 39 out of 8,765 words, or only 0.4% changes. This means that there is 99.6% agreement in Miller’s work with the Textus Receptus where he quotes Dean Burgon. If this were the same percentage for the entire 140,521 Greek words in the Textus Receptus, it would only mean 0.4% x 140,521 or only a total of 562 words that would be changed in the New Testament. These 39 changes break down as follows: Name spelling only = 5; change in word order only = 2; spelling only = 15; verb prefix only = 4; article only = 2; and different words = 11.

(b) The Textus Receptus 99.9% Accurate. If the "different words" are the only major changes to be noted, this would be 11 words out of a possible 8,765 or only 0.12%. This means there is 99.9% agreement in Miller's work with the Textus Receptus where he quotes Dean Burgon. If this were the same percentage for the entire 140,521 Greek words in the Textus Receptus, it would only mean 0.12% x 140,521 or only a total of 169 words that would be "different words" in the New Testament. This is indeed a very, very small number of words, whether 0.4% (562 out of 140,521 words) or 0.12% (169 out of 140,521 words). Dean Burgon’s percentage of agreement with the Textus Receptus would be very, very high, whether you take 99.6% (139,959 out of 140,521 words) or 99.9% (140,352 out of 140,521 words). So what is all the problem?

(3) The Textus Receptus revision in the "many lesser details" could not be undertaken during Burgon's lifetime because his requirements for the task could not be fulfilled during that time frame.

(4) The Textus Receptus revision in the "many lesser details" must be preceded by at least six major, monumental efforts, most of which have not been fulfilled even in the year 2001 when this book has been written.

(5) The Dean Burgon Society's Position on the Textus Receptus in View of the Foregoing Is This: Dean Burgon's requirements were fulfilled neither in the Westcott-Hort Greek text, nor in the Nestle-Aland 26th or 27th edition Greek text, nor in the Hodges-Farstad so-called "Majority Greek Text." Therefore, the Dean Burgon Society is holding firmly to the Textus Receptus that underlies the King James Bible until all of Dean Burgon's prerequisites for revision have been fully met! We do so without apology and without fear of logical contradiction!

b. Examples Of Dean Burgon's Views On The Textus Receptus.

(1) Burgon Esteemed The "Received Text" to Be "Quite Good Enough for All Ordinary Purposes. He wrote:

". . . essentially the Received Text is full 1550 years old,--(yes, and a vast deal older,)--I esteem it quite good enough for all ordinary purposes. . . ." [Burgon, REVISION REVISED, p. 392; available as #611, 591 pages for a GIFT of $25.00+S&H]

(2) Burgon Believed The Textus Receptus To Be "An Excellent Text as it Stands, and That the Use of it Will Never Lead Critical Students of Scripture Seriously Astray." He wrote:

"Obtained from a variety of sources [that is, the Textus Receptus or the Traditional Greek Text] this text proves to be essentially the same in all. That it requires revision in respect of many of its lesser details is undeniable; but it is at least as certain that it is an excellent text as it stands and that the use of it will never lead critical students of scripture seriously astray,--which is what no one will venture to predicate concerning any single critical edition of the N.T. which has been published since the days of Griesbach, by the disciples of Griesbach’s school." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 269].

(3) Burgon Estimated The Textus Receptus to Be the True Text "In Nine Cases out of Ten." He wrote:

"At least, I will convince every fair person that the truth is what I say it is--viz. that in nine cases out of ten the commonly Received Text is the true one." [Goulburn, BIOGRAPHY, Vol. II, p. 278]

For further analysis of this, see section #2, a, (2) above, on page 4.

(4) Burgon Listed Fourteen requirements for any revision of the Textus Receptus Proving Why In His Day Such A Revision Was Impossible: He wrote:

"Having regard to the Greek text exclusively, we also (strange to relate) had singled out exactly eight from the members of the New Testament company--[1] divines of un-doubted orthodoxy, who for their [2] splendid scholarship and [3] proficiency in the best learning, [4] might (as we humbly think), [5] under certain safeguards, have been [6] safely entrusted even with the responsibility of revising the Sacred Text, [7] under the guidance of Prebendary Scrivener (who among living Englishmen is facile princeps in these pursuits) it is scarcely anticipated that, [8] when unanimous, such Divines [9] would ever have materially erred. But then, of course [10] a previous [11] lifelong familiarity with the science of textual criticism, [12] or at least leisure for prosecuting it now, for ten or twenty years, [13] with absolutely undivided attention--would be the indispensable requisite for the success of such an undertaking; [14] and this, undeniably, is a qualification rather to be desiderated [that is, "desired"] than looked for at the hands of English divines of note, in our present day." [Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. 108-9].

(5) Burgon Believed That For an "Authoritative Revision of the Greek Text" They Were "Not Yet Mature" in His Day. He wrote:

". . . an authoritative revision of the Greek text will have to precede any future revision of the English of the New Testament. Equally certain is it that for such an undertaking, we are not yet mature; either in Biblical learning or Hellenistic scholarship." [Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. 124].

(6) Burgon Demanded at Least Six Prerequisites Before Any Authoritative Revision of the Textus Receptus Could Be Successfully Completed. Burgon was writing on page 124 of his book, Revision Revised, as quoted in paragraph "(5)" above. After stating that "for such an undertaking we are not yet mature: either in Biblical learning or Hellenistic scholarship," Burgon went on to tell why they were "not yet mature" in his day [1883]. It was for the same reasons, we are not yet mature in our day either. These six prerequisites rule out the Nestle-Aland Greek Text (ether the 26th or 27th editions). They also rule out the so-called "Majority Greek Text" of Hodges and Farstad, published by Nelson as we will show later as well as the "Majority Greek Text" of Robinson and Pierpont!

(a) Prerequisite #1: We Need at Least "500 More Copies" of the New Testament "Diligently Collated." Burgon wrote:

"Let 500 more copies. of the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles be diligently collated." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 125].

This has not yet been done!

(b) Prerequisite #2: We Need at Least "100" "Ancient Lectionaries" "Very Exactly Collated." Burgon wrote:

"Let at least 100 of the ancient Lectionaries be very exactly collated also." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p.12 5].

This has not yet been done!

(c) Prerequisite #3: We Need, "Above All," the Church "Fathers" to Yield "Their Precious Secrets" by "Ransacking" Them, "Indexing" Them, and "Diligently Inspecting" Them. Burgon wrote:

"Above all, let the Fathers, be called upon to give up their precious secrets. Let their writings be ransacked and indexed, and (where needful) let the MSS. of their works be diligently inspected in order that we may know what actually is the evidence they afford." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 125].

This has not yet been done!

(d) Prerequisite #4: We Need the "Most Important of the Ancient Versions" to Be "Edited Afresh" and Let Their "'Languages" Be "Really Mastered by Englishmen." Burgon Wrote:

"Let the most important of the Ancient Versions be edited afresh, and let the languages in which these are written be for the first time really mastered by Englishmen." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 125].

This has not yet been done!

(e) Prerequisite #5: We Need "Whatever Unpublished Works of the Ancient Greek Fathers' to be "Printed." Burgon wrote:

"Nay, let whatever unpublished works of the Ancient Greek Fathers are anywhere known to exist,--(and not a few precious remains of theirs are lying hid in great national libraries, both at home and abroad,)--let these be printed. The men could easily be found: the money, far more easily . . . ." [Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. 125-26].

This has not yet been done!

(f) Prerequisite #6: We Need "For the First Time" the "Science of Textual Criticism" to Be Prosecuted "In a Scholarlike Manner." Burgon wrote:

"Yes, and in the meantime--(let it in all faithfulness be added)--the science of textual criticism will have to be prosecuted for the first time in a scholarlike manner. Fundamental principles.--sufficiently axiomatic to ensure general acceptance,--will have to be laid down for man’s guidance. . . ." [Burgon, Revision Revised p.227].

This has not yet been done!

(1) The "Nestle-Aland Greek Text--26th or 27th Edition Refused To Follow Burgon's Six Prerequisites and Therefore Is Not What Burgon Would Call an "Authoritative Revision" of the Textus Receptus. If you examine closely the Nestle-Aland Greek Text--26th or 27th edition--in the Preface, you will find out a number of things. Using Kurt Aland’s 1967 totals for extant Greek manuscript evidence, the edition explains what evidence was used in making up its Greek text. In the first place, there are about 20 Ancient Versions. This figure is derived from the research of Dr. Jack Moorman in his Early Manuscripts and the Authorized Version--a Closer Look! [ #1825 for a gift of $15.00+S&H], pp. 28-48. The total number of Church Fathers who wrote extensively during the first six centuries was 300, as Burgon has estimated. Here is the evidence used by Nestle-Aland.

The Nestle-Aland Greek Text--26th Edition

1. Papyrus Fragments-- 81 out of 81 = 100% of the evidence

2. Uncials-- 246 out of 267 = 92% of the evidence

3. Cursives-- 202 out of 2764 = 7% of the evidence

4. Lectionaries-- 5 out of 2143 = 0.23% of the evidence

Total MSS: 534 out of 5,255 = 10% of the MSS evidence

5. Ancient Versions-- 3 out of 20 = 15% of the evidence

6. Church Fathers-- 72 out of 300 = 24% of the evidence

Grand Total: **609 Out of 5,575 = 11% of ALL evidence**

In the above statistics you will notice that Dean Burgon’s prerequisite #1 was not followed. Prerequisite #2 was not followed. Prerequisite #3 was not followed. Prerequisite #4 was not followed. Prerequisite #5 was not followed. Prerequisite #6 was not followed. In fact, Nestle-Aland consistenly follows the false principles of Westcott and Hort. Because of this, they group all the so-called Byzantine texts as just one witness. They reject entirely Dean Burgon's methodology in textual criticism. The use of a mere 10% of the manuscript evidence is also decidedly against Burgon's sound principles. Nothing short of 100% of the evidence must be used for any major revision of the Textus Receptus that underlies the King James Bible! The same is true of their handling of the non-manuscript evidence of Ancient Versions and Church Fathers. 23% of that evidence is also woefully defective. Dean Burgon would demand 100% of the evidence to be used.

(2) The So-called "Majority Greek Text" of Hodges & Farstad Also Refused to Follow Burgon's Six Prerequisites and Therefore Is Not What Burgon Would Call an "Authoritative Revision" of the Textus Receptus. If you examine closely the so-called Majority Greek Text of Hodges and Farstad, in the Preface, you will find out the following things. Using Kurt Aland's 1967 totals for extant Greek manuscript evidence, the edition makes use of the following evidence. As I said earlier, there are about 20 Ancient Versions according to the research of Dr. Jack Moorman in his Early Manuscripts and the Authorized Version--a Closer Look! [ #1825 for a gift of $15.00+S&H], pages 28-48. The total number of Church Fathers who wrote extensively during the first six centuries was 300, as Burgon has estimated. Here is the evidence used by Hodges and Farstad.

1. Papyrus Fragments-- 8 out of 81 = 10% of the evidence

2. Uncials-= 4 out of 267 = 1% of the evidence

3. Cursives- 414 out of 2764 = 15% of the evidence

4. Lectionaries-- 0 out of 2143 = 0% of the evidence

Total MSS: 426 out of 5,255 = 8% of the MSS evidence

5. Ancient Versions-- 0 out of 20 = 0% of the evidence

6. Church Fathers-- 0 out of 300 = 0% of the evidence

Total Non-MSS: 0 out of 320 = 0% of the non-MSS evidence*

Grand Total: **426 out of 5,575 = 7% of ALL evidence**

In the above statistics you will notice that Dean Burgon’s prerequisite #1 was not followed. Prerequisite #2 was not followed. Prerequisite #3 was not followed. Prerequisite #4 was not followed. Prerequisite #5 was not followed. Prerequisite #6 was not followed. In fact, the so-called Majority Greek Text of Hodges & Farstad follows the false principles of Westcott and Hort when they refer to "intrinsic and transcriptional probabilities" [Preface, p. xxii]. The same is true when they make use of the "genealogical method" [Preface, p. xii] for John 7:53--8:11 and for the book of Revelation. The editors refused to follow completely Dean Burgon's methodology in textual criticism. The use of a mere 8% of the manuscript evidence is also decidedly against Burgon's sound principles. Nothing short of 100% of the evidence must be used for any major revision of the Textus Receptus that underlies the King James Bible! The same is true of their handling of the non-manuscript evidence of Ancient Versions and Church Fathers. 0% of that evidence is preposterous! Dean Burgon would demand 100% of this evidence to be used.

What right does this so-called "Majority Text" and what right does the "Majority Text Society" have in claiming they are following Dean John William Burgon in such a document as this so-called "Majority Greek Text"? To all such people who are under the false impression that this text, is fulfilling the plan, program, and wishes of Dean John William Burgon, let them look again at his six prerequisites on pages 6-7 above. Then let them study the above table which shows their use of only 7% of ALL the evidence rather than 100% of the present evidence which would fulfill every one of the six prerequisites! Some of those who have this false impression are: (1) Terence Brown (formerly with the Trinitarian Bible Society [TBS] in London; (2) Andrew Brown (formerly with TBS in London); (3) Theodore Letis; (4) Wilbur Pickering; (5) The Majority Text Society, and others. To those who yet have questions about this matter, I would recommend that they order and read two pamphlets: (1) "Seven Defects in the So-called 'Majority Greek Text'" ( #1448, for a GIFT of 2/$1.50+&H) and "Why Reject the ‘Majority Text.’" ( #1727, for a GIFT of 2/$1.50+S&H).

a. Burgon Believed the "Men of 1611" Produced "A Work of Real Genius. He wrote:

". . . the plain fact being that the men of 1611--above all that William Tyndale 77 years before them--produced a work of real genius; seizing with generous warmth the meaning and intention of the sacred writers, and perpetually varying the phrase, as they felt or fancied that Evangelists and Apostles would have varied it, had they had to express themselves in English: . . ." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 167].

b. Burgon Stated That the King James Bible Translators "Understood Their Craft" and That "The Spirit of Their God Was Mightily upon Them." He wrote:

"Verily, those men understood their craft! 'There were giants in those days. As little would they submit to be bound by the new cords of the Philistines as by their green withes. Upon occasion, they could shake themselves free from either. And why? For the selfsame reason: viz. ‘Because the Spirit of their God was mightily upon them.’" [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 196].

c. Burgon Considered the King James Bible to Be "The Noblest Literary Work in the Anglo-Saxon Language. He wrote:

"It may be confidently assumed that no revision of our Authorized Version however judiciously executed, will ever occupy the place in public esteem which is actually enjoyed by the work of the translators of 1611,--the noblest literary work in the Anglo-Saxon language." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 113].

d. Burgon Would Not "Entertain for a Moment" the Project of Any "Rival Translation" to the King James Bible. Burgon wrote:

"But certainly only as a handmaid is it to be desired. As something intended to supersede our present English Bible we are thoroughly convinced that the project of a rival translation is not to be entertained for a moment. For ourselves, we deprecate [disappove of] it entirely." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 114].

e. Burgon Thought Any Revision of the King James Bible Should Be in a Way Like "Marginal Notes" or a Similar Way. He wrote:

"The method of such a performance, whether by marginal notes or in some other way, we forbear to determine." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 114].

f. Burgon Thought of Any Revision of the King James Bible as Only a "Companion in the Study" for "Private Edification." He wrote:

"To be brief,--As a companion in the study and for private edification: as a book of reference for critical purposes, especially in respect of difficult and controverted passages:--we hold that a revised edition of the Authorized Version of our English Bible, (if executed with consummate ability and learning,) would at any time be a work of inestimable value." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 113-114].

g. Burgon Was Against Any "Future Revision" of the English New Testament until an "Authoritative Revision of the Greek Text Had Been Completed. He wrote:

"Enough has been offered by this time to prove that an authoritative revision of the Greek Text will have to precede any future revision of the English of the New Testament." [Burgon, Revision Revised, p. 124].

4. Burgon Defended the Plenary, Verbal Inspiration and Inerrancy of All Sixty-six Books of the Bible. Before looking at this section of quotations from Dean Burgon, it must be made clear that when he uses the word, "Bible," or "Holy Scripture," he is referring to the Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek books, chapters, verses, words, letters, syllables, jots, and tittles that God breathed out by inspiration and the various human writers wrote down as they were led by the Holy Spirit. Unless he makes it clear by the context, he does not refer to any translation of that "Bible," whether English, Spanish, French, German, or any other language. You should not be confused on this point. Dean Burgon has been misunderstood and misquoted in this very crucial point. Remember, unless otherwise defined, each time Dean Burgon uses the word, "Bible" or "Holy Scripture," he is referring to the original languages of Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek.

a. Burgon Held That the Very "Words" of the Bible Were "Inspired," and "Every Syllable as Well. He wrote:

"But if, instead of the 'theory of verbal inspiration,' I am asked whether I believe the words of the Bible to be inspired,--I answer, to be sure I do,--every one of them: and every syllable likewise. Do not you?--Where,--(if it be a fair question,)--Where do you, in your wisdom stop? The book, you allow is inspired. How about the chapters? How bout the verses? Do you stop at the verses, and not go on to the words?" [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 75].

b. Burgon also believed in plenary, verbal inspiration of "every book" of the Bible. He wrote:

"The Bible (be persuaded) is the very utterance of the Eternal;--as much God's Word, as if high Heaven were open, and we heard God speaking to us with human voice. Every book of it is inspired alike; and is inspired entirely." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 76]

c. Burgon Denied Any "Inspiration" of Any Kind to the "Apocryphal Books." He wrote:

"Inspiration is not a difference of degree, but of kind. The Apocryphal Books are not one atom more inspired than Bacon's Essays." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 76].

d. Burgon Believed That Verbal Inspiration of the Bible Extended down to the "Very Letters." He wrote:

"But the Bible, from the Alpha to the Omega of it, is filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit of God: the books of it, and the sentences of it, and the words of it, and the syllables of it, aye and the very letters of it." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 76]

e. Burgon Repeated His Firm Belief in the Verbal "Inspiration" of "Every 'Jot' and Every ‘Tittle’" of the Bible. He wrote:

"Some here present may remember my repeated and unequivocal assertion that Holy Scripture is inspired from the Alpha to the Omega of it:--not some parts more, some parts less, but all equally, and all to overflowing;--that we hold it bo be, not generally inspired but particularly; that we see not how with logical consistency we can avoid believing the words as well as the sentences of it; the syllables as well as the words; the letters as well as the syllables; every ‘jot’ and every ‘tittle’ of it( to use our Lord’s expression,) to be Divinely inspired: . . ." [Burgon, Inspiration and Inter- pretation, p. 94]

f. Burgon Also Believed in the Inerrancy of the Bible since "No Error or Blot of Any Kind Could Possibly Exist Within its Pages." He wrote:

"--and further, that until the contrary has been proved, we shall maintain that no misapprehension or misstatement, no error or blot of any kind, can possibly exist within its pages:--that we hold the Bible to be as much the Word of God, as if God spoke to us therein with human lips;--and that, as the very utterance of the Holy Ghost, we cannot but think that it must be absolute, faultless, unerring, supreme." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 94].

g. Burgon Believed That When You "Read the Bible" You must Believe "That You Are Reading an Inspired Book" Which Is Inspired in Every Part. He wrote, speaking of students at Oxford University who were studying for the ministry:

"And while you read the Bible, read it believing that you are reading an inspired book:--not a book inspired in parts only, but a book inspired in every part:--not a book unequally inspired, but all inspired equally:--not a book generally inspired,--substance indeed given by the Spirit, the words left to the option of the writers; but the words of it as well as the matter of it all--all given by God: As it is written,-- ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."' [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 114]

h. Burgon Did Not Believe Preachers Could "Ex- Pound a Text" Unless They Believed "The Words to Be "Inspired." He wrote:

"How can you [that is, the ministerial students at Oxford University] pretend to expound a text unless you hold the words of that text to be inspired? What inferences can you venture to draw from words, the Divinity of which you dare not affirm?" [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 117]

5. Burgon Defended Against Heresy in His Angli- can Church. Apostasy and heresy were present in Dean Burgon's day, even as it is in our own day. Burgon was not a man to be content to sit in silence while apostasy and heresy were permitted within the clergy of his own Church. He felt the heretics should leave the ministry! He did his best to expose them on every occasion possible.

a. Burgon Was a "Watch-dog" Who "Barked Furiously" When Even "The Smallest Danger Threatened the Church or the Faith. Burgon's biographer, Goulburn, wrote:

"'What a splendid watch-dog he is!' said one in the author's hearing, after perusing and throwing on the table one of the Burgonian Philippics;--‘how loud and furiously he barks when the smallest danger threatens the Church or the Faith which is entrusted to the Church’s keeping!’ Yes! It is the business of a watch-dog to bark furiously, and even to fly at the throat of pilferers and thieves; and of all pilferers and thieves there are none who more rouse the indignation of honest God-fearing men, than those who would rob the Church of her faith, and the Christian of his hope, by the gradual depredations of rationalism." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 67].

b. Burgon "Hit His Opponents Rather Hard" Because the "Words of Inspiration" Were "Seriously Imperilled." He wrote:

"If, therefore, any do complain that I have sometimes hit my opponents rather hard, I take leave to point out that ‘to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the sun’: ‘a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embracing,': a time for speaking smoothly, and a time for speaking sharply. And when the words of inspiration are seriously imperilled, as now they are, it is scarcely possible for one who is determined effectually to preserve the Deposit in its integrity, to hit either too straight or too hard." [Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. vii-viii .]

c. Burgon Thwarted the "Liberal Party" at Oxford University on "More than One Occasion" by His "Unflinching Conservatism." Goulburn, Dean Burgon’s biographer, wrote:

"It is to be wished that it were equally creditable to the government of the day, who seem to have been terrified out of a most suitable appointment by a few disparaging words in Parliament, inspired no doubt by the so-called liberal party in the University [that is, Oxford], who had been thwarted on more than one occasion by Burgon's stedfast and unflinching conservatism and by his efforts to preserve the connexion of the University with the Church. This party was for revolutionising Oxford; he for reforming it indeed, where it needed reform (had not the new Theological School been established very mainly by his influence?), but always on the old lines." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 136.]

d. Burgon Preached a Sermon Against the "Dis-establishment of Religion" in Oxford Which Was Removing Belief in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Faith. Goulburn wrote:

"'Your University Tests Bill,' . . . 'is but one of a series of assaults destined to effect an entire separation between the University [that is, Oxford] and the Church.' . . . 'its effect would be nothing less than the de-Christianizing of the Colleges of Oxford.' . . . the Tests which it abolished were the subscription to the Thirty-Nine Articles, and the avowal thereby of membership in the Church of England, which hitherto every one, on presenting himself for a degree, had been most properly required to make. This subscription was now required no longer, except in the case of degrees in the Faculty of Divinity." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, pp. 178-79].

The above quotations about the "University Tests Bill" were taken from Burgon's sermon on "The Disestablishment of Religion in Oxford, the Betrayal of a Sacred Trust, preached before the University of Oxford; Nov. 21st, 1880 , . . ." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 178].

e. Burgon Wrote a Lengthy Criticism of "Essays and Reviews" Six of Whose Authors Were "Ministers of the Church of England Who Were Making Light of Their Sacred Profession." He wrote:

"Secondly,--'Essays and Reviews' attracted notice because six of its authors were ministers of the Church of England. Here were six clergymen openly making light of their sacred profession, and apparently worse than regardless of their ordination vows." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. xi].

f. Burgon Agreed with an Infidel's Description of the Apostasy Contained in the "Essays and Reviews" Which He Refuted. He wrote:

"As an infidel, but certainly in this instance most truthful as well as able Reviewer, remarked concerning the work in question,--'In their ordinary, if not plain sense, there has been discarded the Word of God, the creation, the fall, the redemption, justification, regeneration, and salvation, miracles, inspiration, prophecy, heaven and hell, eternal punishment and a day of judgment, creeds, liturgies, and articles, the truth of Jewish history and Gospel narrative, a sense of doubt thrown over even the incarnation, the resurrection, and ascension, the Divinity of the Second Person, and the Personality of the Third.’" [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. xi]

This was the nature and the degree of apostasy that Burgon refuted clearly in the beginning pages of his book, Inspiration and Interpretation. Remember that six of the seven authors of these Essays and Reviews were members of his own Church of England. This did not stop him from exposing their theological errors!

g. Burgon "Handled" the Writers of "Essays and Reviews" Just as "Freely" as They "Handled "Divine Truth. He wrote:

"When critics are clamorous for the 'free handling' of Divine Truth, they must not be surprised to find themselves freely handled too. If free discussion is to be the order then let there be free discussion of 'Essays and Reviews,' as well as of the Bible. Six Clergymen of the Church of England who enter upon a crusade against the Faith of the Church of England must not be astonished if they are looked upon in the light of immoral characters and treated as such. Accordingly, I have handled them as freely as they have handled the Prophets, Apostles, and Evangelists of Christ." [Burgon, Inspira- tion and Interpretation, p. xxvi].

h. Burgon Identified the Authors of "Essays and Reviews" as Being Guilty of "Blasphemy," "Irreligion," and "Infidelity." He wrote:

"Some respectable persons, I doubt not, will think my treatment of them [that is, the authors of "Essays and Reviews"] harsh and uncharitable. I invite them to consider that we do not expect blasphemy from Ministers of the Gospel,--irreligion from teachers of youth,--infidelity from the Professor's chair: nor are we called upon to tolerate it either." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. xxiv].

i. Burgon Believed "Essays and Reviews" Sapped the "Foundation of Faith." He wrote:

"[Referring to Essays and Reviews] . . . a volume, the confessed tendency of which is to sap the foundation of Faith and to introduce irreligion with a flood-tide." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. xxiv]

j. Burgon Did Not Think "Punctilious Courtesy" Should Be Practiced in Denouncing Those Who Handle the Things of God in an Outrageous Manner." He wrote:

"[Burgon was going] mercilessly to uncover their baseness, and uncompromisingly to denounce it. If I may declare my mind freely, punctilious courtesy in dealing with such opinions, becomes a species of treason against Him after whose Name we are called, and whom we profess to serve. Seven men may combine to handle the things of God, it seems, in the most outrageous manner; while themselves are to be the objects of consideration, tenderness, respect! I cannot see their title to any consideration at all." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. xxiv].

k. Burgon Exposed His Church's Clergymen Who Denied the "Fact of Our Lord's Resurrection" as the Worst Enemies of Christ. He wrote:

"Will men try to persuade us that the idea of our Lord's resurrection is a more secure basis for the Church's Faith than the fact of our Lord's resurrection? . . . Not only will I not treat men with tenderness who put forth such blasphemous folly, . . . but I will hold them up to ridicule, to the very utmost of my power. Nay, I would make them objects of unqualified reprobation to all, if I could as they deserve, for they are the worst enemies of the Gospel of Christ." [in his footnote, Burgon stated: "I have softened the expression originally employed in this place, out of deference to the opinions of some wise and good men. But I do not think that St. John, (the Evangelist and Apostle of Dogma,) would have thought my language too strong: nor St. Paul either."] [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, pp. 248-49].

l. Burgon Urged His Fellow Anglican Clergymen Who Were Heretics to "Recall Their Words" or "Resign Their Stations." He wrote:

[Speaking of the writers of the Essays and Reviews] "They must first withdraw from the cause which they have betrayed, cease to profess the teaching which they have disbelieved, resign their commission in a Church to whose doctrine and discipline they openly proclaim themselves to be opposed. . . . they cannot imagine, for a moment, that, as honest men, they can remain where they are! They must either recall their words or resign their stations." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. xxviii.]

6. Burgon Defended Against the Heresy of Romanism and "Romanizing Practices" Within His Church. Some uninformed writers have set forth the absurd and inaccurate information to the effect that Burgon was in favor of Romanizing tendencies within his Anglican Church and that he agreed with the Oxford Movement of Pusey and Newman. Nothing could be further from the truth as these quotations will show very clearly!

a. Burgon "Abhorred" "Romanism." He wrote:

"I see further that if I had a parish in London, I should stand almost alone.--Romanism I abhor." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. I, p. 186].

b. Burgon "Condemned Entirely" the Roman Catholic Error of "Prayer for the Dead." He wrote:

"Prayer for the dead in the sense of a prayer that their ultimate doom, for weal or for woe, may be reversed--or even mitigated--is a 'fond conceit,' finding countenance neither in Scripture nor in antiquity. I condemn it entirely." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 246].

c. Burgon Was Opposed to Either "Ritualism" or "Romanising Practices" in His Church. Here's a quote from a letter of August 23, 1889, to Burgon's biographer, Goulburn:

"You ask me about Burgon in Convocation . . . . He brought with him strongly his dislike to that 'thing called ritualism.' I remember one occasion, on which he pointed with a distinctness which could not be mistaken, to our encouraging Romanising practices." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, 77 194.]

d. Burgon Protested Strongly Against a "Florid Ritual" Which Made "Communion" Similar to the "Roman Mass." Burgon's biographer, Goulburn, wrote:

"But his letter to the Archbishop was only the precursor of a much lengthier and more substantial protest, which later in this same year Burgon made against the introduction into the Church of England of a florid ritual, utterly unauthorised, as he thought, by the Book of Common Prayer, or rather condemned by it, when fairly and reasonably interpreted, and the tendency and effect of which was to assimilate the service of the holy communion as closely as possible to the Roman mass." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 189].

e. Burgon Opposed "Romanising and Ritualising Tendencies" in His Church as Well as "Rationalism Which Was Undermining the Faith." Goulburn wrote:

"The close of this year gave Burgon occasion to declare himself as much opposed to the Romanising and ritualising tendencies in the Church as he had hitherto showed himself to be to the rationalism which was slowly on all sides undermining the faith, and dero- gating from the honour and perfection of God’s Holy Word." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 84.]

f. Burgon Was So Much Against "Romanizing" of His Church That He Preached Two Sermons Against it in 1873. Goulburn wrote:

"On Wednesday and Thursday, the 1st and 2nd of October, in the year 1873, was held the Oxford Diocesan Conference, the proceedings of which elicited from Burgon two sermons, preached on the 12th and 19th of the month, and published by him with a word of Preface dated on the 28th." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 84].

A footnote gives more information on the two sermons. They were entitled: "The Oxford Diocesan Conference; and Romanizing [sic] Within the Church of England: two Sermons preached by John W. Burgon, B.D., Vicar of St. Mary the Virgin’s, Fellow of Oriel College, and Gresham Lecturer in Divinity." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 84].

g. Burgon Repudiated the Two Resolutions Made by the Oxford Diocesan Conference Which Furthered the Romanising Movement Within the Church of England." Goulburn summed up Burgon’s repudiation of the Conference:

"Burgon explains that to both these resolutions he personally entertained the strongest repugnance: but he discerns underlying both of them (and there is no doubt he was right in his discernment) the 'growing impatience of the faithful laity at the Romanising movement within the Church of England, which is even now making its way in many quarters unrestrained, and even unrebuked’ [p. 12]; in the second sermon, ‘taking up a position directly hostile to many of my personal friends’ [preface, p. 5]; he launches out with his usual plain speaking and intrepidity against the Romanising practices and tenets which were being introduced and inculcated; against the representing tradition as an unwritten word, of co-ordinate authority with the written [p. 18]; against saint worship and Mariolatry [p. 19]; against enforced habitual auricular confession [pp. 77] against transubstantiation, and all the observances and ceremonial in connexion with the Holy Communion which are grouped round transubstantiation, such as vestments, the eastward position, fasting, communion, and non-communicatingattendance, as well as the phraseologies unknown to our own Book of Common Prayer, such as high mass and low mass [pp. 22, 23]. . . ." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 85].

h. Burgon Preached Against the "Ritualists" and Various "Romish Doctrines" Which He Called "Mediaevalism in the Church of England." Goulburn wrote:

"Burgon preached before the University [of Oxford] his sermon on 'Nehemiah, a Pattern to Builders' . . . The burning question was the revival of mediaevalism in the Church of England by the ritualists, their distortion of the proportions of the Faith by exclusively dwelling upon the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist 'as if it were the sum and substance of all Divinity,' and their industrious advocacy of the 'Romish doctrine of confession.' As the 'lighted candles and incense and birettas, and the use of the chasuble,’--Burgon 'cannot away with them;--'the masculine vigour which the severe study of Scripture imparts to a well trained mind must produce a recoil from all such trumpetry, an utter revulsion of mind.’ It was the old, old story which he had heard so often before,--that the Bible, studied as a whole furnishes the sufficient refutation of all religious error, whether ritualistic or rationalistic." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, pp. 160-161]

7. Burgon Defended Against the Errors of the English Revised Version of 1881 and the Underlying Greek Text. He wrote an entire book entitled Revision Revised, one third of which pointed out the many, many errors of the English Revised Version of 1881 itself, and two thirds of which repudiated both the Greek Text and the theory behind the Text that underlay it. Just two quotes will suffice for our purposes here.

a. Burgon Believed the ERV's "Revision of the Sacred Text" Was "Untrustworthy from Beginning to End." He wrote:

"My one object has been to defeat the mischievous attempt which was made in 1881 to thrust-upon this Church and realm a revision of the Sacred Text, which--recommended though it be by eminent names--I am thoroughly convinced, and am able to prove, is untrustworthy from beginning to end. The reason is plain. It has been constructed throughout on an utterly erroneous hypothesis." [Burgon, Revision Revised, pp. v-vi].

b. Burgon Felt He Had "Crushed the Revised Version" of 1881 So it Would "Never Lift up its Head Again." He wrote:

"‘One thing, however,' he continued after a short pause, 'is a consolatory reflexion, that I have been enabled to crush the Revised Version of the New Testament, so that I believe it will never lift up its head again.’" [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 291]

1. The Dean Burgon Society Motto Is "In Defense of Traditional Bible Texts." The very motto which appears on our Dean Burgon Society seal shows that we are definitely a Defending Society.

2. As Dean Burgon, the Dean Burgon Society Defends the "Masoretic Hebrew Text." The Dean Burgon Society "Articles of Faith, Operation & Organization" state clearly:

"We believe that the texts which are the closest to the original autographs of the Bible are the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text for the Old Testament, . . ." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. 2]

3. As Dean Burgon, the Dean Burgon Society Defends the "Textus Receptus." The DBS "Articles of Faith" state:

"We believe that the texts which are the closest to the original autographs of the Bible are the . . Traditional Greek Text for the New Testament underlying the King James Version (as found in ‘The Greek Text Underlying The English Authorized Version of 1611' as published by the Trinitarian Bible Society in 1976)." [DBS Articles of Faith, pp. 2-3].

4. As Dean Burgon, the DBS Defends the King James Bible. The DBS "Articles of Faith states:

"We believe that the King James Version or Authorized Version of the English Bible is a true, faithful, and accurate translation of these two providentially preserved texts, which in our time has no equal among all of the other English Translations. The translators did such a fine job in their translation task that we can without apology hold up the Authorized Version of 1611 and say, 'This is the Word of God!' while at the same time realizing that, in some verses, we must go back to the underlying original language Texts for complete clarity, and also compare Scripture with Scripture." "We believe that all the verses in the King James Version belong in the Old and the New Testaments because they represent words we believe were in the original texts, although there might be other renderings from the original languages which could also be acceptable to us today. For an exhaustive study of any of the words or verses in the Bible, we urge the student to return directly to the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Received Greek Text rather than to any other translation for help." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. 3].

5. As Dean Burgon, the DBS Defends the Plenary, Verbal Inspiration and Inerrancy of All Sixty-six Books of the Bible. The DBS "Articles of Faith" state:

"We believe in the plenary verbal divine inspiration of the sixty-six canonical books of the Old and the New Testaments (from Genesis to Revelation) in the original languages and their consequent infallibility and inerrancy in all matters of which they speak (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). The books known as the Apocrypha, however, are not the Inspired Word of God in any sense whatsoever." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. ]

6. As Dean Burgon, the DBS Defends Against the Heresy of Romanism. The DBS Articles of Faith do not have any specific statement concerning "Romanism" as such, but throughout these "Articles," the heresy of Romanism is precluded. [Cf. DBS Articles of Faith, pp. 2-6].

7. As Dean Burgon, the DBS Defends Against Westcott and Hort's Greek Text. The Dean Burgon Society's Articles of Faith lists 13 "objects." Object #4 states:

"4. To defend the Traditional Received Greek Text which underlies the King James Version (as found in ‘The Greek Text Underlying The English Authorized Version of 1611' as published by the Trinitarian Bible Society in 1976." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. 7].

This rules out "Westcott and Hort's" Greek text. Object #6 states:

"6. To expose and publicize the defects, deficiencies, errors, and mistakes both in the texts used and in the translation process and results of any and all modern translations of the Bible, whether in English, or in other languages, which are not based on the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and Traditional Received Greek Text which underlie the King James Version." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. 71].

Again, this rules out the "Westcott and Hort's" Greek Text. Object #7 states in part:

". . . Further, it shall be our purpose to keep abreast of future bibliographic offerings in order to criticize and warn against those deviating from the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Received Text which underlie the King James Version." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. 7].

This also discards "Westcott and Hort's" Greek text.

8. As Dean Burgon, the DBS Defends Against the English Revised Version of 1881. Object #6 speaks to this:

"6. To expose and publicize the defects, deficiencies, errors, and mistakes both in the texts used and in the translation process and results of any and all modern translations of the Bible, whether in English, or in other languages, which are not based on the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and Traditional Received Greek Texts which Underlie the King James Version." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. 7].

Object #5 states:

"5. To defend the Traditional English Translation of the Bible--the King James Version (or Authorized Version)--as a true, faithful, and accurate translation from the underlying original Texts which have been providentially preserved for us, which Translation has no equal in our time among all of the other English translations." [DBS Articles of Faith, p. 7]

This certainly includes the English Revised Version (ERV) as being inferior to the King James Bible.

CHAPTER II

1. Burgon EDUCATED By Writing His Many Books On The Traditional Text. Dean Burgon's books on the Traditional Greek Text which have been re-printed by the Dean Burgon Society are five in number: (1) The Revision Revised (#611 for a GIFT of $25.00 +S&H); (2) Inspiration and Interpretation (#1220 for a GIFT of $25.00+S&H); (3) The Last Twelve Verses of Mark (#1139 for a GIFT of $15.00+S&H); (4) The Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels (#1159 for a GIFT of $16.00+S&H); and (5) Causes of Corruption of the Holy Gospels (#1160 for a GIFT of $15.00+S&H). These are powerful EDUCATIONAL tools which should be owned and read by everyone!

2. Burgon EDUCATED By Training Men For The Ministry. Burgon was greatly used in his day in the preparation and training of what we call today, "preacher boys," in his own denomination. He held a post at Oxford University for many years as well as being an active Pastor. The last half of his book, Inspiration and Interpretation, is a series of lectures about the Word of God to young men at Oxford who were studying for the ministry.

B. As DEAN BURGON. The DEAN BURGON SOCIETY Is An EDUCATIONAL Society.

1. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Its DBS News. Since its founding in 1978, the Dean Burgon Society has published from time to time the Dean Burgon News. This is an educational venture, going to many individuals, pastors, and school libraries.

2. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES by its Printed Pamphlets. Through the years of its existence, the DBS has published the following pamphlets and/or booklets: (1) The Articles of Faith, Operation & Organization (#958, 16 pp.); (2) Bible Preservation (#1389, 8 pp.); (3) Defects in the So-called "Majority" Greek Text (#1448, 16 pp.); (4) Defects in the New King James Version (#1465, 28 pp.); (5) The K.J.V. 1611 Compared to the Present K.J.V. (#1495, 12 pp.); (6) Defects in the New American Standard Version (#1518, 38 pp.); (7) How We Got Our Bible (#1562, 38 pp.); (8) Why Reject the "Majority Text" (#1727, 16 pp.); (9) Awana Churches--Keep Using the 'Old King James’ (#1738, 40 pp.); (10) Awana’s Errors in Leaving Their King James Bible Stand (#1823, 24 pp.); and (11) Defects in the New International Version (#2054, 38 pp.). These are all available from the Dean Burgon Society for the asking. Gifts would be appreciated.

3. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Its Annual Meetings On Audio And Video Cassettes and Message Book. Each year, during our Dean Burgon Society annual meetings, the messages are recorded on both audio and video cassettes, and are made available to anyone who wants to hear and/or see them. Most of these messages are then compiled into an annual DBS Message Book. This is certainly an EDUCATIONAL ministry. We do get requests for the tapes, videos, and Message Book each year so that people can learn from the DBS messages.

4. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Its "Articles of Faith." The Dean Burgon Society's ARTICLES OF FAITH, OPERATION & ORGANIZATION is an educational pamphlet in and of itself. It gives information about the DBS such as: (1) Our Name; (2) Our Articles of Faith on (a) The Bible; (b) The Trinity; (c) The Person Of Christ; (d) The Birth of Christ; (e) The Death of Christ; (f) The Resurrection Of Christ; (g) Salvation; (h) Heaven and Hell; (i) Spiritual Unity; (j) Purity of the Church; (k) Separation; (1) Creation; (3) Our Purpose and Object, including 13 different Objects; (4) Our Membership; (5) Our Officers and Administration, including (a) Titled Officers; (b) Executive Committee Officers; (6) Our Finances; (7) Our Parliamentary Authority; (8) Our Meetings; (9) Our Prayer and Praise; (10) Our Tax-Exempt Provisions and the Dissolution of the Society; and (11) Our Amendments. This is Educational throughout.

5. The Dean Burgon Society EDUCATES By Making Over 1,000 Titles Available In Defense of the King James Bible And Its Underlying Texts. As of this writing, there are a total of over 1,000 titles available through the Dean Burgon Society and/or the Bible for Today defending both the King James Bible and its underlying Hebrew and Greek Texts. These consist of books (both old reprints, and current volumes), articles, pamphlets, tracts, audio cassettes, and video cassettes. Certainly this is EDUCATIONAL.

CHAPTER III

a. Burgon Refused to Compromise In General By Sticking to His Colours. Goulburn quoted from Dean Burgon's letter to a young fellow student. He wrote:

"Anyhow, our course is clear. Through good and ill report to stick to our colours, praying for sweet tempers and strong hearts (if need be): advancing nothing one does not feel sure of: and when once advanced, dying rather than recalling . I am inclined to think with you, that a fiery trial is at hand." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. I, p. 148].

b. Burgon Refused To Compromise In General By Delivering Himself with Courage. Goulburn wrote of Burgon:

"For his trumpet gave no uncertain sound, and on all great questions as they arose,--and there were many,--he delivered himself with courage, as one who was convinced himself and strove to convince others." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 405]

c. Burgon Refused To Compromise In General By His "INDOMITABLE FORCE OF WILL." Goulburn wrote:

". . . the character [of Burgon] itself was one of great originality, with a vivid colour, and an indomitable force of will all its own. This force of will which gave him a tenacity of purpose in carrying into effect everything he undertook, by its very unyieldedness failed entirely to carry others with it. Compromise was a word unknown to him . . . and therefore he stood and acted alone and never had (as indeed he never cared to have) a following among his equals." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. I, p. xii).

d. Burgon Refused To Compromise In General By His Obvious "Sincerity." Goulburn wrote:

"There could never be a doubt of Dean Burgon's sincerity. It was written in his very looks, as it found expression in his words, in his writings, [and] his actions." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, 403].

2. Burgon was ADAMANT In His Refusal to Compromise on the Word of God.

a. Burgon Refused To Compromise On The Word Of God By "Maintaining the Integrity of the Written Word of God." Burgon's biographer, Goulburn, wrote:

"Burgon was in this country the leading religious teacher of his time, who brought all the resources of genius and profound theological learning to rebut the encroachments of rationalism by maintaining inviolate the integrity of the written Word of God as the Church has received it . . ." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. I, p. 1]

b. Burgon Refused to Compromise On The Word Of God By His "Burning Zeal" For It. Goulburn wrote:

"Burgon exhibited in his reply a crowning specimen of that burning zeal for God’s Truth, and that splendid uncompromising intrepidity and outspokenness, which characterized all his controversial efforts." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 272]

c. Burgon Refused To Compromise On The Word Of God By Maintaining "A Burning Zeal for the Word of God" as a Champion in a Cause. Goulburn quoted from the Pastor who delivered Burgon's funeral sermon. He wrote:

"It was his burning zeal for the Word of God which stirred him to come forward as a champion in a cause which he thought was being betrayed by those who should have been its guardians." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 405].

d. Burgon Refused To Compromise On The Word Of God By His "Reverence" For It. Goulburn wrote:

"No part of his character was more remarkable than his reverence for the Word of God." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 403]

e. Burgon Refused To Compromise On The Word Of God By "Treasuring" it as "Infinitely Precious." Goulburn wrote:

"Every jot and tittle of the Scriptures was infinitely precious to him. He treasured them not as the word of man, but the Word of God, given by a real, immediate inspiration, and communicated to His servants, Prophets, Evangelists, Apostles, each in his own good time." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 406]

1. As Dean Burgon, the DBS Is Adamant in Its Refusal To Compromise In General. The Dean Burgon Society has showed that it is ADAMANT in its general doctrinal tenacity. There are not very many organizations at take all of the firm stands in doctrine: (1) The eternal Sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ (Article II, C, p. 4); (2) The power of Christ's redeeming Blood (Article II, E, p. 5); (3) The Biblical separation from both apostasy and from "disorderly" brethren (Article ii, k, p. 6); and (4) the direct creation by God of the universe and of man in six literal solar days (Article ii, l, p. 6). It would be difficult to find very many organizations that are clear on all four of these above doctrinal distinctives--especially since each of them is under severe attack in our days! The DBS is ADAMANT in the defense of each one of them!

2. As Dean Burgon, the DBS Is ADAMANT In Its Stand On The Texts and Translations Of The Bible. Though the above paragraph sets the Dean Burgon Society off as a separatist and Fundamentalist Society without ties either to the apostasy or to neo-evangelical compromises, it is basically a one-issue society! As such, it takes an ADAMANT stance on the following things:

(1) We believe the Bible is infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks. This is unlimited inerrancy (Article II, A, p. 2).

(2) We believe the original language texts which have been providentially preserved and the closest to the original autographs of the Bible are the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text for the Old Testament and the Traditional Greek Text for the New Testament which texts were the texts used as the source for the King James Bible (Article II, A, pp. 2-3).

(3) We believe the King James Bible is a true and accurate translation of these two providentially preserved texts which has no equal among all of the other English translations (Article II, A, p. 3).

(4) We believe the King James Bible is such a fine translation we can without apology hold it up and say "This is the Word of God" in English! (Article II, A, p. 3).

(5) We believe all the verses in the King James Bible belong there because they represent words that were in the original Texts (Article II, A, p. 3).

(6) We believe that for an exhaustive study of any of the words or verses in the Bible, we urge the student to return directly to the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Received Greek Text rather than to any other translation for help (Article II, A, p. 3).

(7) We believe Dean Burgon's books and others of a similar nature should be reprinted and circulated (Article III, B, 1, pp. 6-7).

(8) We believe the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text of the Old Testament that underlies the King James Bible must be defended (Article III, B, 3, p. 7).

(9) We believe the Traditional Received Greek Text of the New Testament which underlies the King James Bible must be defended (Article III, B, 4, p. 7).

(10) We believe the Traditional English Translation of the Bible--the King James Version (or Authorized Version) must be defended as a true, faithful, and accurate translation from the underlying original Texts which have been providentially preserved for us, which Translation has no equal in our time among all of the other English "Translations" (Article III, B, 5, p. 7).

(11) We believe we must expose and publicize the defects, deficiencies, errors, and mistakes both in the Texts used and in the Translation process and results of any and all modern translations of the Bible, whether in English, or in other languages, which are NOT based on the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and Traditional Received Greek Text which underlie the King James Bible (Article III, B, 6, p. 7).

(12) We believe we should especially analyze the so-called "Majority Greek Text" of Zane Hodges and reply thereto (Article III, B, 7, p. 7).

(13) We believe we should criticize and warn against any future bibliographic offerings deviating from the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Received Greek Text which underlie the King James Bible. (Article III, B, 7, p. 7).

(14) We believe we should revive interest in the firsthand study of the Hebrew and Greek Text of the Bible by the three general means indicated in the "Articles of Faith" (Article III, B, 8, p. 8).

(15) We believe we should acquire, print, sell, and distribute other sound books by the scholars who lived around the time of Dean John William Burgon who defended the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text, the Traditional Received Greek Text, and the King James Bible, giving sound reasons why these Texts and this Version should be accepted as the best (Article III, B, 9, p. 8).

(16) We believe we should acquire, sell, and distribute English Scriptures in the King James Version, and translations in other languages which are based solely and exclusively on the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Received Greek Texts which underlie the King James Bible(Article III, B, 10, p. 8).

(17) We believe we should encourage articles, research, books, and other materials devoted to the study of the history, canon, text, authority, inspiration, and translation of the Bible (Article III, B, 11, p. 8).

(18) We believe we should inform believers about the danger of using and recommending Bibles which, while claiming to be the King James Bible, actually make changes in the text (Article III, B, 12, pp. 8-9).

(19) We believe we should encourage the most careful scrutiny of Bibles published in languages other than English which deviate from the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Received Greek Text which underlie the King James Bible (Article III, B, 12, p. 9).

(20) We believe we should organize, write, edit, publish, and circulate widely a "Newsletter" which will concentrate on the various objectives of the Society listed in its "Articles of Faith" and those additional objectives which might be determined from time to time (Article III, B, 13, p. 9).

CHAPTER IV

A. Dean Burgon Was A NEGLECTED Individual.

1. Burgon was NEGLECTED By His Not Being On The English Revised Version (ERV) Of 1881. Though eminently qualified, Dean Burgon was not chosen by his Anglican Church to sit on the revision committee when the English Revised Version (ERV) was made. Dr. Scrivener was about the only conservative on that committee who knew well the intricacies of textual criticism. Burgon would have made an excellent member of that team. He was not selected, however, but was NEGLECTED! Perhaps this was due to Burgon's strong and fearless faith and belief in the inerrancy of every Word of God together with his battle with members of his own church who were leaning toward apostasy.

2. Burgon was NEGLECTED By His Being Attacked Or Laughed At. In many of the contemporary books, including his own biography, Burgon was attacked or laughed at in some way or another. Present day writers either neglect him entirely, or else seem to imply that his writings were sharp and much too belligerent. I have read five books of his on textual criticism, and find his words most appropriate for the occasion. He had a serious mission of the defense of the imperilled words and even letters of Scripture, so he laid out his arguments in straightforward, hard-hitting terms, appropriate for his subject matter.

3. Burgon was NEGLECTED By Not Being Elevated To Anglican Bishop, Only To Dean. In Burgon's day, as in our own, there was much political influence brought to bear on Anglican appointments to the office of Bishop. In fact, church politics existed then, as now, in virtually all of the churches. Burgon was "passed over" for important promotions because of his exposure of apostasy within his own church as well as his courageous stand for the Traditional Text of the New Testament in opposition to the spurious Greek text of Westcott and Hort.

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEGLECTED By Being Little Known. We are not in all the news magazines, either secular or Christian. Probably very few of those in the media even know of our existence since 1978. That's all right. We try the best we can to make our cause known. We'll be content to let the Lord make our cause known as, and when, He sees fit. We have had ads in the Sword of the Lord from time to time which had some very good response. We might have some more, as the Lord gives us the funds. We are advertised on several radio stations both for thirty minutes each week and five minutes per day. We have some schools and colleges who subscribe for their libraries to our Dean Burgon News--even some that are neo-evangelical and even liberal. This is surprising, is it not? They don't take our position, yet they want to know what it is! But by and large, DBS is NEGLECTED by being little known.

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is NEGLECTED By Being Attacked, Set Aside, and Laughed at. The DBS is attacked by the Westcott and Hort group of Christians (even by Fundamentalists) since we are the so-called "Textus Receptus Text" group of Christians. All such attacks are answered by truth and facts. We go right on our way, standing for the truth as it is in the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text, the Traditional Received Greek Text, and the Traditional English King James Bible. We are not deterred by any attack.

CHAPTER V

1. Burgon was A BELIEVING Individual By Holding To The Plenary, Verbal Inspiration of The Bible. Throughout his book on Inspiration and Interpretation (available as #1220 for a GIFT of $25.00+S&H), Dean Burgon spelled out in great detail his unshakable belief in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Bible. In fact, he believed every letter of the Bible was inspired. Such strong belief was entirely absent from Westcott and Hort, his contemporaries.

2. Burgon was A BELIEVING Individual By Urging The Reading Of The Bible From Genesis To Revelation. Certainly a man would not advocate reading through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation as Dean Burgon did unless he really BELIEVED in it. He knew firsthand the power of the Bible, the Word of God. This is found also in Inspiration and Interpretation.

3. Burgon was A BELIEVING Individual By Holding To The Creation Of The World In Six Literal Days. Goulburn, his biographer, wrote:

"I insist on taking everything in this Chapter of Genesis quite literally. I cannot even suffer it to be called a poem or a psalm. It is neither. . . . But Genesis I is very severe, very unadorned prose. It purports to be, and undoubtedly it is, history in the strictest sense; revealed history, and therefore true history. It claims to be and it certainly is the history of six ordinary days." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 248]

Dean Burgon had no doubts about the literal nature of creation. His biographer wrote:

"The Book of Genesis, like the Acts of the Apostles, was a favourite Book with him. The simple but most stately and majestic record of Creation, to the acceptance of which in its literal and obvious sense--the sense in which a child would accept it,--he clung (as we shall see) to the last moment of his life." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 16].

Dean Burgon had no patience whatever with the "Darwinian Theory" of evolution. Goulburn wrote:

"Natural Science In Their Relation To The Christian Faith;--in which a qualified assent was given to the doctrine of evolution. Burgon's reply to him, showing both his affectionate feeling to his friends of Auld Lang Syne, and his abhorrence of the Darwinian Theory will be found among the letters appended to this year." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 2201.

4. Burgon was A BELIEVING Individual By Trusting In The "Blood" of Christ For Salvation. Goulburn stated:

". . . in looking back upon it, my past life yields nothing that is satisfactory to me, and that I have no hope but in the blood and grace of our Divine Lord." [Goulburn, Biography, Vol. II, p. 291].

1. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING In The Plenary, Verbal Inspiration Of The Bible. The Articles of Faith of the DBS state clearly:

"We believe in the plenary, verbal, divine inspiration of the sixty-six canonical books of the Old and the New Testament (from Genesis to Revelation) in the original languages, and in their consequent infallibility and inerrancy in all matters of which they speak (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)." [DBS Articles of Faith, Section II, paragraph A, p. 2].

2. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING In The Reading of and The Power Of The Bible. The Articles of Faith of the DBS mention:

"The translators [of the King James Bible] did such a fine job in their translation task that we can without apology hold up the Authorized Version of 1611 and say ‘This is the Word of God!’ while at the same time realizing that, in some verses, we must go back to the underlying original language texts for complete clarity, and also compare Scripture with Scripture." [DBS Articles of Faith, Section 11, paragraph A, p. 3]

3. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING By Holding To The Creation Of The World In Six Literal Days. The Articles of Faith of the DBS state:

"L. Creation. We believe in the Biblical account of the creation of the entire universe, angels, and man; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God in six literal solar days without any evolutionary process, either naturalistic or theistic; . . ." [DBS Articles of Faith, Section II, paragraph L, p. 6].

4. As Dean Burgon, The DBS Is BELIEVING In The "Blood" Of Christ To Save. The Articles of Faith of the DBS state:

"E. The Death of Christ. We believe in Christ's substitutionary, propitiatory, expiatory, vicarious death, and in the atoning power of His redeeming blood. 'Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things . . . but with the precious blood of Christ . . .’ (1 Peter 1:18-21)." [DBS Articles of Faith, Section II, paragraph E, p. 5].

CHAPTER VI

1. Burgon was UNDAUNTED In His Efforts To Defeat The "English Revised Version." As soon as the English Revised Version (ERV) appeared upon the scene in England in 1881, Dean Burgon wrote three articles on the faults and failures of it. All three articles later appeared in his book, The Revision Revised, published in 1883 which is available as #611 for a GIFT of $25.00+S&H. It is 640 pages in length. It is a masterpiece which defends the King James Bible and demolishes the English Revised Version of 1881.

2. Burgon was UNDAUNTED In His Efforts To Defeat Westcott and Hort’s Greek Text. Two of the sections in Burgon's Revision Revised dealt with the Westcott and Hort Greek text of the New Testament. One took up the deficiencies of the theory behind the Greek text. The other dismantled the Greek text itself, showing how it was wholly inadequate. In fact, he said it was the worst Greek text ever to see the light of day!

3. Burgon was UNDAUNTED In His Efforts To Defend The Very Words Of God. Burgon's defense of the very Words of God is no more evident than in his book, Inspiration and Interpretation (#1220 for a GIFT of $25.00+S&H). Bear in mind what I mentioned on page 11:

"Before looking at this section of quotations from Dean Burgon, it must be made clear that when he uses the word, "Bible," or "Holy Scripture," he is referring to the Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek books, chapters, verses, words, letters, syllables, jots, and tittles that God breathed out by inspiration and the various human writers wrote down as they were led by the Holy Spirit. Unless he makes it clear by the context, he does not refer to any translation of that "Bible," whether English, Spanish, French, German, or any other language. You should not be confused on this point. Dean Burgon has been misunderstood and misquoted in this very crucial point. Remember, unless otherwise defined, each time Dean Burgon uses the word, "Bible" or "Holy Scripture," he is referring to the original languages of Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek."

Listen to what Dean Burgon wrote:

"But if, instead of the 'theory of verbal inspiration,' I am asked whether I believe the words of the Bible to be inspired,--I answer, To be sure I do,--every one of them: and every syllable likewise: Do not you?--Where,--do you, in your wisdom, stop? The book, you allow is inspired. How about the chapters? How about the verses? Do you stop at the verses, and not go on to the words?" [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 751.

Hear him again:

"The Bible (be persuaded) Is the very utterance of the Eternal:--as much God's Word as if high heaven were open and heard God speaking to us with human voice. Every book of it, is inspired alike; and is inspired entirely. . . . But the Bible, from the Alpha to the Omega of it, is filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit of God: the books of it, and the sentences of it, and the words of it, and the syllables of it.--aye, and the very letters of it." [Burgon, Inspiration and Interpretation, p. 6].

These two quotations, together with the many more in his book, show clearly Burgon's defense of the very Words of God, yea, even to the very syllables and letters of those words!

4. Burgon was UNDAUNTED In Study And Written Ministry.