| FLEMING, ROBERT, an eminent divine and
theological writer, was the son of the Rev. Robert Fleming, a clergyman,
first at Cambuslang, and afterwards at Rotterdam, and author of a well
known work, entitled "The Fulfilling of the Scriptures." The
subject of this memoir received his education partly in his native
country, and partly in the universities of Leyden and Utrecht. He first
officiated as a clergyman to the English congregation at Leyden, and
afterwards he succeeded to the church at Rotterdam, where his father died
in 1694. In the year 1698, he removed to London, to settle as pastor of
the Scottish congregation to Lothbury; not only at the earnest invitation
of the people, but by the desire of king William, with whom he had formed
an intimacy in Holland. This monarch used frequently to send for Fleming,
to consult with him upon Scottish affairs; an intercourse conducted, at
the desire of the divine, with the greatest secrecy.
Fleming, though a dissenter
from the church of Scotland, as now established was an admirer of her
fundamental and original institution. It was not inconsistent with this
profession, that he zealously upheld hereditary monarchy as principle in
government. Popery in the church, and tyranny in the state, were what he
most detested. In personal character, Fleming was a pious, mild, and
affable man. In learning, he stood very high, being conversant not only
with the fathers and councils, and the ecclesiastical and civil
historians, but with the Oriental languages, the Jewish Rabbi, and the
whole circle of polite authors ancient and modern. On account of
his amiable manners and extensive knowledge, he was held in great esteem
both by the foreign universities, and by the most learned persons
at home. The archbishop of Canterbury, and many other eminent dignitaries
of the English church, extended their friendship to him. By the dissenting
clergymen of the city, though connected with a different national church,
he was chosen one of the preachers of the merchants’ Tuesday lecture at
Salters’ hall. Lord Carmichael, the secretary of state for Scotland,
offered him the office of principal of the university of Glasgow, which he
declined, from conscientious scruples.
Fleming published various
works in divinity; but the most remarkable was a discourse, printed in
1701, on " the Rise and Fall of the Papacy." Like many other
sincerely pious men of that age, he was deeply afflicted by the position
in which the protestant religion stood in respect of the papacy,
threatened as Great Britain was, by the power of France, and the designs
of a catholic claimant of the throne. Proceeding upon the mysteries of the
Apocalypse and other data, he made some calculations of a very striking
nature, and which were strangely verified. On the subject of the pouring
out of the fourth vial, he says: - "There is ground to hope, that,
about the beginning of another such century, things may again alter for
the better, for I cannot but hope that some new mortification of the chief
supporters of antichrist will then happen; and perhaps the French monarchy
may begin to be considerably humbled about that time: that, whereas the
present French king takes for his motto, Nec pluribus impar, he may
at length, or rather his successors, and the monarchy itself, (at least
before the year 1794,) be forced to acknowledge, that, in respect to
neighbouring potentates, he is even singulis
impar.
"But as to the
expiration of this vial," he continues, "I do fear it will not
be until the year 1794. The reason of which conjecture is this – that I
find the pope got a new foundation of exultation when Justinian, upon his
conquest of Italy, left it in a great measure to the pope’s management,
being willing to eclipse his own authority to advance that of this haughty
prelate. Now, this being in the year 552, this, by the addition of 1260,
reaches down to the year 1811; which, according to prophetical account, is
the year 1794. And then I do suppose the fourth vial will end and the
fifth commence, by a new mortification of the papacy, after this vial has
lasted 148 years; which indeed is long in comparison with the former
vials; but if it be considered in relation to the fourth, fifth, and sixth
trumpets, it is but short, seeing the fourth lasted 190 years, the fifth
302, and the sixth 393."
It is important to observe,
that Fleming immediately subjoins, that he gave "his speculations of
what is future, no higher character than guesses." He adds:
"therefore, in the fourth and last place, we may justly suppose that
the French monarchy, after it has scorched others, will itself consume by
doing so; its fire and that which is the fuel that maintains it, resting
insensibly till towards the end of this century, as the Spanish monarchy
did before, towards the end of the sixteenth age."
In the month of January,
1793, when Louis XVI. was about to suffer on the scaffold, the apparent
predictions of Fleming came into notice in the British newspapers. Again,
in 1848, the attempt to liberate Italy, and the temporary flight of the
pope, attracted attention to Fleming’s very remarkable calculation as to
the time of the pouring out of the fifth vial. "This judgment,"
says he, "will probably begin about the year 1794, and expire about
the year 1848; . . . .for I do suppose that, seeing the pope received the
title of supreme bishop no sooner than the year 606, he cannot be supposed
to have any vial poured out upon his seat immediately (so as to ruin his
authority so signally as this judgment must be supposed to do) until the
year 1848, which is the date of the 1260 years in prophetical account,
when they are reckoned from the year 606."
The anxiety of this worthy
man respecting the fate of protestantism and the Hanover succession, at
length brought on a disease which obstructed his usefulness, and
threatened his life. Though he recovered from it, and lived some years,
his feeble constitution finally sank under his grief for the loss of some
dear friends, the death of some noble patriots, the divisions amongst
protestants, and the confederacy of France and Rome to bind Europe in
chains. He died May 24, 1716.
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