Biography
Robert Cleaver Chapman was born on December 4, 1803, in Denmark, to a wealthy English family who were residents of that country. His father, Thomas Chapman, was a merchant in London, and his mother, a woman of Christian faith. They returned to England, where Robert grew up in a comfortable family. He was educated at a private school. As a young man, he was articled to a law firm in London and became a solicitor. He was a successful lawyer. He was a man of gentle manner and sound judgment. In 1823, at the age of nineteen, he was converted at a church meeting. He said that he turned to Christ as his Savior.
He was an active member of the Baptist church in London and he was drawn to the study of the Bible. In 1832, he was invited by Henry Craik, a Scottish friend who was a pastor in Bristol, to take charge of a Baptist church in Barnstaple, in Devon. He accepted the invitation and moved to the town, where he served as a pastor for the rest of his life. He gave up his legal practice and took no salary. He was among the first to join the early movement of the Brethren. He began to meet with other believers for the breaking of bread without clergy. He was a leader of the movement in the southwest of England.
He lived in a small house in Barnstaple, in a poor part of the town, in a simple way. He gave away most of his income, which came from his inheritance, to the poor and for the work of the Lord. He lived on a very small sum. His home was a place of welcome for the needy, and he gave hospitality to travelers. He was known for his generosity. He visited the sick and cared for the dying. He cared for the orphans and the neglected. His charity was great. He taught others to live by the principles of the New Testament.
He is remembered for his gentleness and his love. He was known as the Apostle of Love. He was a man who avoided quarrels. He was a friend of George Müller and Anthony Norris Groves and was well known in the Brethren movement. He took part in the early controversies of the Brethren and sought to keep the peace. In 1848, when the movement divided into the Open and the Exclusive Brethren, he did not side with John Nelson Darby and the Exclusives. He was a leader of the Open Brethren. He tried to heal the divisions. He wrote to Darby and asked for reconciliation. He said that we must love one another.
He wrote little. His chief writings were a collection of letters and a number of tracts and sermons. His book Choice Sayings, published after his death, collected his thoughts on the Christian life. His style was simple and affecting. He also wrote a hymn book. He was a man of great spiritual insight. He gave careful attention to the support of missionaries and was active in the encouragement of workers in many lands. He helped to support missions in Spain and in the Far East.
His weaknesses were few. He was somewhat reserved and was said to be austere in his habits. He was criticized by some for his lack of interest in the larger world. He was thought by some to be too lenient in the matter of church discipline. He also did not hold to a systematic theology. He lived a quiet life and was content to be in the background.
He died on June 12, 1902, in Barnstaple, at the age of ninety-eight. He had lived through almost the whole of the nineteenth century. He was remembered as one of the most Christlike of men. His life shows the power of a gentle spirit, which draws others by its love. He is a model of humble service.