Flamingians. See Mennonites.
Flank, bos, ke'sel, the loin of an animal (.Job xiv, 27, where fatness is noted as a sign of self-pampering) ; elsewhere in the plur. for the internal muscles of the loins near the kidneys, to which the fat adheres, Gr. ;//i)0( (Lev. iii, 4, 10, 15 ; iv, 9 ; vii, 4) ; hence the vis- cera in general, metaphorically for the inmost feelings C" loins," Psa. xxxviii, 8). See Reins.
Flash OF Lightning (Ezek. i, 14). See Light- ning.
Flatt, a name borne by several theological writers of (Icrmany. I. Johann Jakof., born at Balingen in 1724, studied theology at Tubingen, and became tutor in that university in 1749. He was successivelj^ ap- pointed deacon of Leonberg in 1753, of Tiibingen in 1757, of St. Leonard's Church at Stuttgard in 1759, pastor in the latter cit}'' in 1781, court preacher in ■"783, counsellor of the Consistorv in 1784, and abbot
of Herrenalb in 1791. He died Sept. 16, 1792. His principal works are : Mcletematap)hilosophico-theoli:giea ad materias gravissimas (jle imputatione peccati Adumit- ici : — De vicaria Christi satisfactione : — De humunce Christi naturce omniprwsentia [Tiib. 1759]): — Untersu- chimg. V. d. Simde wider d. Ileiligen Geist (Lpz. 1770).
II. Johann Friedrich, son of the foregoing, was born at Tiibingen Feb. 20, 1759, became professor of theology in tlie university of his native city in 1798, and died Nov. 24, 1821. His principal writings are: Versuche t/ieolog.-kritisch-philosophiscken Inhalts (Lpz. 1785) : — Beitrage z. Beslimmung, etc. d. Causalitdt (Lpz. 1788) : — Briefe ii. d. moralischen Erkenntnissgrunde tier Religion (Tub. 1789) : — Vorlesiingen ii,. christlicke Moral, herausgeg. v. Steudel (Tiib. 1823) -.—Opuscula Academ- iea, herausgeg. v. Siisskind (Tiib. 1826) : — Mog:izinf//r christlicke Dogmntlk u. Moral (Tub. 1796-1810). Hoff"- mann and Kling have also published his Vorlesiingen ii. d. Brief a. d. Rijmer (Tubing. 1825): — a. d. Koiinther (1827) :— «. d. Gal iter nnd Epheser (1828) -.—a. d, Phi- Upper, Kolosser, Thessalonicher u. Philemon (1829) : — a. d. Timotheus u. Titus (1831). — Doering, Gelehrte The- ologen Deutschlands, i, 408.
III. Karl Christian, brother of the preceding, was born at Stuttgard in 1772. He became in 1812 high counsellor of the Consistory and prebendary of Stuttgard, counsellor of the universit}' in 1813, prelate in 1822, and general superintendent at Ulm in 1828. He resigned his office in 1842, and died in 1843. He wrote, in connection with Storr, Lehrbuch d. christi. Dogmatik (2d ed., 1813, 2 vols. ; transl. by Schmucker, Storr and Flatt's Biblical Theology, Andover, 2d ed., 1836) ; and published, in connection with Ewald, the Zeitschrift z. Ndhrung christlichen Shins (1815-1819, 3 vols.). — Pierer, Universal-Lexikon, s. v.
Flattich, Johann Friedrich, a German theolo- gian and educator, was bom in 1713 at Bejdiingen, near Ludwigsburg. After studj'ing theology at Tii- bingen, he became in succession preacher of the gar- rison of Hohenasberg (1742), pastor of Metterzimmcrn (1747), and pastor at Munchingen (1760). At the lat- ter place he died in 1797. Flattich wrote a number of works and essays on education, as Ilausregeln, Vom Ehestimd, Unterschiedliche Gedanken, Von der Aiifer- zlehung der Kinder. Most of his works are collected in Ledderhose, Leben und Schriften des J. F. Flattich (3d edit. Heidelberg, 1856). He also enjoyed the rep- utation of being one of the most successful educators in Southern Germany, and was on intimate terms with many of the prominent men of that period. See Pal- mer, in Herzog, Real-Encyklnp. xix, 493; Volter, in Schmid, EncyMop. fiir das Erzichungs-und Unterrichts- tvesen, ii, 382. (A. J. S.)
Flavel, John, a nonconformist divine and writer of practical works, was born in Worcestershire, Eng- land, in 1027. He was in earlj' life religiously edu- cated ly his ftither, and completed his public educa- tion at Oxford. Having devoted himself to the Gos- pel ministrj', he was settled at Deptford in 1650 as curate to Mr.Walplate, and on his death succeeded to the rectorv. In 1655 he accepted a unanimous and pressing call to remove to Dartmouth, where he re- ceived a much smaller stipend, but had a larger field of usefulness. In 1662 he was ejected from his living for nonconformity; he did not, however, forsake his flock, but seized every opportunity of ministering to their spiritual necessities. His colleague d^'ing soon after, the whole care devolved on him. On the exe- cution of the Oxford Act he was compelled to remove five miles from Dartmouth, to Slapton, where he was out of the reach of legal disturbance, and where many of his former flock, in spite of the severity of the laws, resorted to him, and he at times stole into the town to visit them. Once, while preaching in a wood, he was just entering on his discourse, when the soldiers sud- denly rushed in and dispersed the conventicle. Sev
FLAVIANUS
590
FLAX
eral of the fugitives were apprehended and fined ; but the remainder, rallying after the elFects of their first surprise had subsided, convej-ed Mr. Flavel to a more retired spot, where he resumed Iiis sermon. In 1687, when James II dispensed with tlie penal laws, Mr. Flavel came fortli from obscurity, and renewed his self-sacrificing labors. He took a lively interest in the proposed union between the Presbyterian and In- dependent churches, which was eff"ected in 1691, and, like many a good man in those daj's, fondlj' anticipa- ted from that consummation a season of ecclesiastical peace and concord which never arrived. He died in 1691, leaving behind him the name of a most faithful minister. Flavel's writings are valued more for their pungent and practical earnestness than for any other qualities. His miole Works were published in Lon- don in 1820 (6 vols. 8vo). The American Tract Soci- ety publishes, in cheap form, his Fountain of Life, Method of Grace, Christ l-noclinj at the Door, On keep- ing the Heart, and Touchstone of Sincerih/. — Jamieson, Religious Biography, s. v. ; Jones, Christian Biograjjhy, s. V. ; Bogue and Bennett, History of Dissenters, i, 310.