SIR ROBERT
ANDERSON
Secret Service
Theologian
Letter To E.W.Bullinger
Dr. Bullinger had a large circle of friends. Two prominent
men who were very close to him were Sir Robert Anderson and Rev. Sholto
Douglas. Both shared his strong stand on Protestantism and interest in
prophetic studies; both had been among the original trustees of Things to Come.
They were also personal friends of his and frequently spent time with him on
weekends and holidays.
Sir Robert Anderson was born in Ireland in 1841.
His father was the Crown Solicitor for Dublin, his mother a member of the
peerage. Though Sir Robert was called to the Irish Bar in 1863 and the English
Bar in 1870, he never practised law, but rather became involved in public
service. He rose to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Police and head
of the Criminal Investigation Department in London and retired in 1901 after a
distinguished career.
Following his retirement, Sir Robert devoted
himself to writing and teaching, principally on Biblical subjects with
particular emphasis on prophecy. Anderson was a frequent speaker at the Mildmay
Conferences and the Prophecy Investigation Society; he also chaired and spoke
at Annual Meetings of the Trinitarian Bible Society. (Although not personally
active in the work of the Society, Anderson gave his time and lent his prestige
to their Annual Meetings out of respect for its secretary. As he said at one
Annual Meeting, "As a prefatory word, I may say that any dislike I feel to
being in the chair is overborne by the pleasure of standing beside my friend
Dr. Bullinger, and of doing anything, no matter how little, to help him
in the great work in which he is engaged." Sir Robert was one of the earliest
members of the National Club, a private social club in London founded by men
holding strongly Evangelical views, of which Dr. Bullinger was an honorary
member.
Of Sir Robert's literary efforts it was said:
The quality
in Sir Robert Anderson's books, as well as in his numerous other writings,
which appealed with special force to many people, was the strength and
certainty of his own (Bullinger's) beliefs and the clearness of their
expression.... 'Your writings are specially helpful to me', wrote a very old
friend... 'there is always in every chapter that which you must either accept
or reject. You must stop and think, and not pass on unheeding.'
Dr.
Bullinger said of one of Sir Robert's books:
I feel I have a fuller,
better and deeper knowledge of "my Lord and my God", and praise Him and bless
you for it?'
The two men did not always agree on Biblical matters, as
can be seen by the following letter:
Dear Bullinger,
I am deeply
touched by the graciousness and cordiality of your notice of "Forgotten
Truths". I know well how unreservedly you sympathise with very much there is in
it, and your praise of that element is not stinted.
But I am fully aware
that on certain matters respecting which you feel strongly I have gone counter
to you. But on whatever side is the truth -yours or mine - there is no doubt on
which side is the grace!
R.Anderson
Literature | Photos | Links | Home