John Cumming (clergyman)

He was born in Fintray in Aberdeenshire the eldest son of John Cumming (d.1835) and his wife, Anne Mutch of Foveran.{{Cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Hew |url=http://archive.org/details/fastiecclesiaesc00scot |title=Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae : the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation |last2=Macdonald |first2=D. F. (Donald Farquhar) |last3=Macdonald |first3=Finlay A. J. |date=1915 |publisher=Edinburgh : Oliver and Boyd |others=National Library of Scotland |pages=468}} His mother died in 1827 giving birth to his youngest brother, Hercules Cumming. She is buried in St Nicholas Churchyard in Aberdeen.http://calms.abdn.ac.uk/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo==%27MS%203761%2F8%27){{Dead link|date=March 2022}}

He attended Aberdeen Grammar School and then studied divinity at King's College in Aberdeen.{{Cite book |url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |title=Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783–2002: Part 1 (A–J) |author=C D Waterston |author2=A Macmillan Shearer |website=Royal Society of Edinburgh |isbn=090219884X |date=July 2006 |access-date=18 September 2015 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf |url-status=dead}}

In 1832, Cumming was appointed to the Crown Court Church (the Scottish National Church) in Covent Garden, London, a Church of Scotland congregation that catered for Scots living in London.{{Cite web |title=Print number 1920,0420.119 |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?assetId=1613021818&objectId=3648956&partId=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328153405/https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1920-0420-119 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=British Museum}} At the time, the congregation had approximately 80 members, but Cumming was able to grow his congregation to around 900, and he regularly preached to congregations of 500–600 on Sundays.

Cumming was a controversial figure in his day, George Eliot being the most prominent figure to criticize him for his anti-Catholicism, obsession with the End Times, and perceived intellectual dishonesty.{{Cite journal |last1=Ellison |first1=Robert H. |last2=Engelhardt |first2=Carol Marie |date=2003 |title=Prophecy and Anti-Popery in Victorian London: John Cumming Reconsidered |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25058629 |journal=Victorian Literature and Culture |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=373–389 |doi=10.1017/S1060150303000196 |jstor=25058629 |s2cid=154800933 |issn=1060-1503}}

In 1853 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposer was Sir John Archibald Murray.

Cumming retired in 1879. In total, he published approximately 180 books during his lifetime.

He died on 5 July 1881 in Chiswick near London and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.

In 1833 he married Elizabeth Nicholson (d.1879), daughter of James Nicholson of London, in a ceremony by Rev Dr Gordon at a house at 5 Annandale Street in Edinburgh. They had several children: Lettice Anne (b.1834); John (b.1835); Fanny (b.1837); Louisa Finch (b.1838); Nicholson (b.1840)' Elizabeth (b.1842); Martin Luther Cumming (1843–1911); James (b.1844); Hugh McNeil (b.1845); Francis (1842–1908); Edward Bishop Elliott Cumming (b.1848 died aged 6 months).

Elizabeth died in 1879.

File:John Cumming Vanity Fair 13 April 1872.jpg, 13 April 1872]]

Cumming was one of the most virulently anti-Catholic preachers of his day. Several of his books attacked Catholicism, including The Romish Church a Dumb Church (Arthur Hall, 1853) and Ritualism, the Highway to Rome (James Nisbet & Co., 1867). He gave public lectures denouncing Cardinals Nicholas Wiseman and John Henry Newman. The Times also frequently printed letters from Cumming in which he pointed to perceived misdeeds on the part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cumming also took a deep interest in Christian eschatology, adhering to the Historicist school of Christian eschatology. He believed that historical events such as the French Revolution and the Great Famine of Ireland had fulfilled prophecies contained in the biblical Books of Daniel and Revelation. He preached that the sixth vial of judgment (discussed in Revelation 16) had been poured out in 1820. Cumming therefore taught that Judgment Day would occur some time between 1848 and 1867.

• [https://books.google.com/books?id=qdwHAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Speech ... at the annual meeting of the Reformation society, 2d of May, 1839]
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=K-cDAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming A short statement of the origin and nature of the present divisions in the Church of Scotland], 1840.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=UEIAAAAAMAAJ&q=john+cumming A preservative against popery, Volume I], 1848.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=M35LAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming God in history, or, Facts illustrative of the presence & providence of God in the Affairs of Men], 1852.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=zZMyAQAAMAAJ&q=editions:7-A7YshL2N8C Book of Genesis: Volume 1 of Sabbath Morning Readings on the Old Testament] (1864)
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=5ijXdUD-SfcC&q=john+cumming Apocalyptic Sketches: Lectures on the Book of Revelation], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=mZcCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Sabbath evening readings on the New Testament], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=lDMRAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Voices of the Night], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=LMFGAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming Lectures on Romanism: being illustrations and refutations of the errors of Romanism and Tractarianism], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=hZdLAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming Prophetic studies: Lectures on the book of Daniel], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=Oa4sAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Sabbath morning readings on the Old Testament: Book of Exodus], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=bHBHAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming The church before the flood], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=muQTAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Benedictions: or, The blessed life], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=W-QTAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming The tent and the altar: or, Sketches from patriarchial life], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=_d8TAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Foreshadows: Lectures on our Lord's miracles], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=fdsOAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming The comforter, or, Thoughts on the influence of the Holy Spirit], 1854.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=GmajTq7N5SoC&q=john+cumming Voices of the dead], 1854
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=DyvQBU3m9Z8C&q=john+cumming The end: or, The proximate signs of the close of this dispensation], 1855.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=RUIXAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming The daily life: or, Precepts and prescriptions for Christian living], 1855.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=-lgXAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Signs of the times: or, Present, past, and future], 1855.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=pekTAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Twelve urgent questions: personal, practical, and pointed], 1855.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=Rf0rAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Infant salvation: or, all saved that die in infancy], 1855.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=TMBGAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming Foreshadows: Lecture's on Our Lord's Parables], 1856.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=l3FHAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming The last of the patriarchs: or, Lessons chiefly from the life of Josep], 1856.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=OoIAAAAAMAAJ&q=john+cumming Cumming's minor works], 1856.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=7SMXAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Apocalyptic sketches: Lectures on the seven churches of Asia Minor], 1858.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=DsEPAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming Voices of the Day], 1858.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=lpcCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Sabbath morning readings on the Old Testament. The first and second books of Samuel], 1859.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=ipgCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Sabbath evening readings on the New Testament. Colossians and Thessalonians], 1859
• [https://archive.org/details/cu31924029438029 The Hammersmith Protestant Discussion :Being an Authenticated Report of the Controversial Discussion Between the Rev. John Cumming and Daniel French on the Differences Between Protestantism and Popery; Held at Hammersmith, during the months of April and May, 1839] London: A. Hall, 1860.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=l5cCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Sabbath morning readings on the Old Testament. The book of Daniel], 1860.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=BJEPAAAAIAAJ&q=john+cumming The great tribulation: or, Things coming on the earth, Volume 1], 1860.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=_JgCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Sabbath evening readings on the New Testament. Hebrews], 1861.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=mJcCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Readings on the prophets. Isaiah], 1862.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=F4cEAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Moses Right and Bishop Colenso Wrong], 1863.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=M3EXAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming Great tribulation: or, things coming on the earth], 1863.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=amk7AAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming The great consummation: the millennial rest; or, The world as it will be], 1863.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=OdABAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Driftwood, seaweed, and fallen leaves, Volume II], 1863.
• The Destiny of Nations as Indicated in Prophecy. London: Hurst & Blackett, 1864.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=6DwXAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming The great preparation; or Redemption draweth nigh], 1864.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=JBsXAAAAYAAJ&q=john+cumming The last warning cry: with reasons for the hope that is in me], 1867.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=4bsCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming Is Christianity from God? Or, A manual of Christian evidence], 1871.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=o_MCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming "Our Father", a manual of short family prayers], 1871.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=hbgCAAAAQAAJ&q=john+cumming When shall these things be? Or, Signs of the last times], 1878.

{{Commons category|John Cumming (clergyman)}}

• [http://www.victorianweb.org/religion/sermons/rhe12.html Biography]

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Category:1807 births

Category:1881 deaths

Category:19th-century apocalypticists

Category:Critics of the Catholic Church

Category:Clergy from Aberdeenshire

Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

Category:Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery

Category:19th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland

Category:19th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers