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Pletoher THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG 389 Fuedner custom to rise at five o'clock Sabbath morning, and go through the neighborhood ringing a bell, that no one might be able to give as an excuse for non attendance at church that he was not aroused in time. He visited worldly entertainments, and with the fearlessness of John Knox preached to the astounded revelers upon the folly of forbidden pleasures. Great and blessed results followed such fidelity. In 1768 he was called to preside over Lady Huntingdon's College at Trevecca, Wales, and accepted, the call requiring only occasional visita tion, not continuous residence. The discussion over Calvinism and Arminianism among the Meth odists led him to resign in 1771. As a preacher, Fletcher directed his appeals to the conscience. He was well trained, and had a fine voice. As a man, he was characterized by saintly piety, rare devotion, and blamelessness of life. In the judgment of Southey, " no age ever produced a man of more fervent piety, or more perfect charity, and no church ever possessed a more apostolic minister," and Wesley characterized him as the holiest man he had ever met, or ever expected to meet " this side of eter nity." In theology, Fletcher was an Arminian of Arminians. Most of his writings are directed against Calvinism, were written to defend Wesley, and grew out of controversies with His Toplady and Rowland Hill. Some Theology of these works are still extensively and circulated, and are authoritative in Writings. the Methodist churches. However, controversial as his writings are, Fletcher was not a polemist, but always treated his opponents with fairness and courtesy, and in this presented a marked contrast to Toplady and to John Wesley. He was also a millenarian (cf. his letter to John Wesley, Nov. 29, 1755). He sympathized with Wesley's views concerning the revolt of the American colonies and wrote two tracts to show that " the right of taxing subjects, with or without their consent, is an inseparable appendage of supreme government," viz., A Vindication of Mr. Wesley's " Calm Address to Our American Colonies " (Lon don, 1776) and American Patriotism Farther Con fronted with Reason, Scripture, and the Constitution (Shrewsbury, 1776). These writings were read at court and opened the way to high preferment, which he refused to consider. His principal works were Checks to Antinomianism, called forth by the dispute in 1771, and The Portrait of St. Paul, or the True Model for Christians and Pastors, trans lated from a French manuscript after Fletcher's death, with a notice of the author (2 vols., Shrews bury, 1790). The first complete edition of his works appeared in London, 8 vols., 1803; there is a four-volume edition issued by the Methodist Book Concern in New York. D. S. SCHAFF. Brsr.roanerar:The principal biography is by J. Benson, 4th ed.. London. 1817. Other lives are by L, Tyerman, ib. 1882; F. W. Macdonald, ib. 1885; J. Marratt, ib. 1902;
DNB, six. 312-314. Consult also: A. Stevens, History . , . Methodism. 3 vole., New Fork, 1858-81: J. C.
RYIe. Christian Leaders of the Last Century, pp. 383-423. London, 1889; F J. Snell, Wesley and Methodism. Edin- burgh, 1900.FLETCHER, JOSEPH: English independent; b. at Cheater Dec. 3, 1784; d. at Stepney, London, June 8, 1843. He attended the grammar-school at Cheater, then studied at Hoxton, and at the University of Glasgow (M.A., 1807; D.D., 1830). He was pastor of the Congregational Church at Blackburn 1807-23, and at the same time (after 1816) tutor in theology at Blackburn College. In 1823 he became pastor at Stepney. He was chairman of the Congregational Union in 1837. Fletcher was a voluminous writer and a regular contributor to the newly established Eclectic Review. His works include: Spiritual Blessings (13lackburn, 1814; 6th ed., London, 1891); Principles and Institutions of the Roman Catholic Religion (London, 1817), which received generous praise; Personal Election and Divine Sovereignty (1825), also favorably received; and Poems (1846), in collaboration with hi9 sister, Mary Fletcher. His Select Works and Mem oirs (3 vole., 1846) were edited by his son, Joseph Fletcher of Hanley.
FLEURY, ABBEY OF: Formerly a celebrated Benedictine abbey at Fleury-aur-Lobe in the diocese of OrlEans and 20 m. e.a.e. of the city. It was founded by Abbot Leodebod of St. Anian, later bishop of Ormana, in the early part of the reign of Clovis II (638-657). The body of St. Benedict was brought here about 653, and this obtained many privileges for the abbey and made it a center of pilgrimage from all parts of Europe. The community was reformed by Odo of Cluny, and it became a famous seat of discipline and learning, which contributed not a little to the support of Dunstan's reforms in England. The school remained in great esteem until the sixteenth century, sometimes having as many as 5,000 pupils, and the library was exceedingly valuable until it was in part scattered by the zeal of the Huguenots (1561). Many of the manuscripts are now preserved in the municipal library of Orleans. Ultimately the monks associated themselves with the congregation of Saint Maur (q.v.).
BIHLIOaRAPHr: Chronicon Floriaunee, in A. lhrohesne, Hisforim Francarum script., iii. 355 eqq., Paris, 1840, abbreviated in M(iH., Script., ii (1829), 264 eq9via Christiana, viii. 1538; Cuieeard-Gaueheron, R.I. de Fieury-aur-Loire, in M~naoirea de is aociktk arch6olagique de t'Orl_a.nais, aiv (1875), bbl eqq.; AL, iv. lbb4-57.
FLEURY, CLAUDE: French historian and ecclesiastic; b. at Paris Dec. 6, 1640; d. there July 14, 1723. He was educated at the college of Clermont, studied law, and for nine years practised as an advocate at Paris, where in 1674 he published his Histoire du droit frangais. Following the bent of his contemplative nature, however, and influenced by such men as Boeauet, he took orders, and was appointed tutor to the princes of Conti (1672), the count of Vermandoia (1680), and the dukes of Burgoyne, Anjou, and Berry (1689). In 1683 he received the Cistercian abbey of Locdien in Rhodes, and was elected to the Academy in 1696 as the successor of La Bruy&e. He declined the proffered see of Montpellier, but in 1706 accepted from Louis XIV. the priory of NBtre Dame d'Argenteuil, where he remained until 1716, when he was recalled to court as the confessor of Louis XV. This position