The Life of the Author

He derived his pedigree from Lewis Owen of Kywn, near Dollegelle, Esq. who was lineally descended from a younger son of Kewelyn ap Gwrgan, prince of Glamorgan, lord of Cardifle; this being the last family of the five regal tribes of Wales. Henry Owen, the father of the Doctor, was for some time minister at Stadhani in Oxfordshire, and reckoned a strict puritan. John Owen was his second son, who was born at Stadham, 1616. Such was his proficiency in learning, that he was admitted to the university at about 12 years of age. He then pursued his studies with such diligence, that for several years he allowed himself but four hours sleep in a night. His whole aim and ambition was, as he himself afterwards confessed with shame and sorrow, to rise to some eminence in church or state, to each of which he was indifferent. When Laud imposed several superstitious rites on the university of Oxford, Mr. Owen had received so much light, that his conscience could not submit to them; and God had now made such gracious impressions on his heart as inspired him with a zeal for the purity of his worship, and reformation in the church. The change of his judgment soon discovered itself on thi3 occasion; whereupon his friends forsook him as one infected with puritanism, and he became so obnoxious to the Laudensian party that he was forced to leave the college. About this time he was exercised with many perplexing thoughts about his spiritual state, which, with his outward troubles, threw him into a deep melancholy, which lasted three mouths, and it was near five years before he attained to a settled peace. When the civil war commenced, he owned the parliament’s cause; which his uncle, who had supported him at college, being a zealous royalist, so vehemently resented, that he turned him at once out of his favour, and settled his estate upon another person. He then lived as chaplain with a person of honour, who, though a royalist, used him with great civility; but, he going at length into the king’s army, Mr. Owen went to London, where he was a perfect stranger. He went one Lord’s-day to Aldermanbury church, with a view to hear Mr. Calamy; but, alter waiting a long time, a country minister (of whom he never could hear anything any more) came into the pulpit, and preached on Matth. viii. 26.

which discourse was blest for the removing of his doubts, and laid the foundation of that solid peace and comfort which he afterwards enjoyed as long as he lived. His bodily health was now restored, and he wrote his book called ‘A Display ofJLrminianismf which made way for his advancement. The committee for ejecting scandalous ministers, presented him, on account of it, with the living of Fordham in Essex, where he continued a year and a half, to the great satisfaction of the parish and country round about. On a report that the sequestred incumbent was dead, the patron, who had no regard for Mr. Owen, presented the living to another; whereupon the people at Coggeshall, about five miles distant, invited him to be their minister, and the Earl of Warwick, the patron, readily gave him the living; where he preached to a more judicious and more numerous congregation, (seldom fewer than 2000) with great success. Hitherto he had been a Presbyterian; but upon further inquiry he was convinced that the Congregational plan was most agreeable to the New Testament; he accordingly formed a church upon it, which long flourished, and ‘subsists in good condition to this day. So great a man could not be concealed. He was sent for to preach before the parliament, which he did April 29, 1646, on Acts xvi. 2. and several times afterwards on special occasions, particularly the very day after the death of Charles I. His discourse was on Jer. xv. 19, 20. which deserves to be recorded as a perpetual monument of his integrity, wisdom, and modesty. Soon after, calling upon General Fairfax, (with whom he became acquainted at the siege of Colchester) he met with Cromwell, who laying his hands upon his shoulders, said to him, ‘Sir, you are the person I must be acquainted with;’ and from this time contracted an intimate friendship with him, which continued to his death. He iuformed him of his intended expedition into Ireland, and insisted upon his company there to reside in the college at Dublin. With great reluctance, and after much deliberation, Mr. Owen complied, and continued there about a year and a half, preaching and overseeing the affairs of the college. He then returned to Coggeshall, but was soon called to preach at Whitehall.

In September 1650, Cromwell required him to go with him into Scotland, and he being averse to go, procured an order of Parliament. He staid at Edinburgh about half a year; and once more returned to his people at Coggeshall, with whom he hoped to have spent the remainder of his days. But he was soon afterwards called by the House of Commons to the deanry of Christ-Church, Oxford,

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which, with the consent of his church, he accepted; and in the following year (when he was also diplomated D. D.) he was chosen vice-chancellor of the university, in which office he continued about five years. This honourable trust he managed with singular prudence. He took care to restrain the vicious, to encourage the pious, to prefer men of learning and industry, and under his administration the whole body of that university was visibly reduced to good order, and furnished with a number of excellent scholars, and persons of distinguished piety. He discovered great moderation both towards Presbyterians and Episcopalians, to the former of whom he gave several vacant livings at his disposal, and the latter he was ever ready to oblige. A large congregation of them, statedly celebrated divine service very near him, according to the liturgy of the church of England, but he never gave them the least disturbance, though he was of. ten urged to it. He was hospitable in his house, generous in his favours, and charitable to the poor, especially to poor scholars, some of whom he took into his own family, and maintained at his own charge, giving them academical education. He still redeemed time for his studies, preaching every other Lord’s day at St. Mary’s, and often at Stadham, and other adjacent places, and writing some excellent books. In 1657 he gave place to Dr. Conant as vice-chancellor, and in 1659 he was cast out of his deanry, not long after Richard’s being made protector. It has been said*, that he had a principal hand in deposing Richard, but this he himself and his friends solemnly denied. After the Doctor had quitted his public station, he retired to Stadham, where he possessed a good estate, and lived privately, till the persecution grew so hot that he was obliged to remove from place to place, and at length came to London, where he preached as he had

* Mr. Baxter says in his Life, ‘Dr. Owen and his assistants did the mainwork.’ In the memoirs of Dr. Owen this is contradicted, with some degree of asperity. Dr. Calamy as warmly maintains it, by relating what Dr. Manton had declared to several then living, viz. ‘That being invited to the meeting at Wallingford-house, standing in a passage, he ‘distinctly heard Dr. Owen say with vehemence, He must come down, and he shall come down.’ But this is no decisive evidence, as the Doctor might not then be speaking of the Protector; and it is confessed that Dr. Manton did not so understand him till after the event. Mr. Baxter, however, stands exculpated from any intention to propagate falsehood concerning Mr. Owen, by what Mr. Sylvester relates in his preface, That he wrote to Mrs. Owen in a most affectionate and respectful manner, to desire her to send him what she could in favour of the Doctor, that he might insert it, or expunge the above passage; but that his offer was rejected with contempt.’ opportunity, and continued writing. His animadversions on a popish book, called Fiat Lux (for which Sir E. Nichols procured him the bishop of London’s licence) recommended him to the esteem of the Lord Chancellor Hyde, who assured him, that ‘he had deserved the best of any English Protestant of late years, and that the church was bound to own and advance him;’ at the same time offering him preferment, if he would accept it: but expressed his surprise that so learned a man should embrace the novel opinion of Independency. The Doctor offered to prove that it was practised for several hundred years after Christ, against any bishop his lordship should please to appoint. They had further discourse about liberty of conscience, &c. But notwithstanding all the good service the Doctor had done the Church of England, he was persecuted from place to place, and once very narrowly escaped being seized by some troopers at Oxford, who came in pursuit of him to the house where he was, but rode off on being told by the mistress that he was gone early that morning, which she thought had been the case. When laid aside here, he had thoughts of going into New England, where he was invited to the government of their university, but he was stopped by particular orders from the king. He was afterwards invited to be professor of divinity in the United Provinces; but he felt such a love for his native country, that he could not quit it so long as there was any opportunity of being serviceable in it. During Charles’s indulgence, he wa3 assiduous in preaching, and set up a lecture, to which many persons of quality and eminent citizens resorted. The writings which he still continued to produce, drew upon him the admiration and respect of several persons of honour, who were much delighted in his conversation, particularly the Earl of Orrery, the Earl of Anglesea, Lord Willough. by of Parham, Lord Wharton, Lord Berkley, and Sir John Trevor. When he was at Turnbridge, the Duke of York sent for him, and several times discoursed with him concerning the Dissenters, &c. and after his return to London, he was sent for by King Charles himself, who discoursed with him two hours, assuring him of his favour and respect, telling him he might have access to him when he would. At the same time he assured the Doctor, he was for liberty of con- science, and was sensible of the wrong that had been done to the Dissenters; as a testimony of which he gave him one thousand guineas to distribute among those who had suffered the most. The Doctor had some friends also among the bishops, particularly Dr. Wilkins, bishop of Chester, and Dr. Barlow, bishop of Lincoln, formerly his tutor, who (when he applied to him on behalf of John Bunyan) promised to ‘deny him nothing that he could legally

do;’ though in this case he hardly fulfilled his word. This bishop once asked the Doctor, ‘What can you object to our liturgical worship which I cannot answer V The Doctor’s answer occasioned the bishop to make a pause; on which the Doctor said, ‘Don’t answer suddenly, but take time till our next meeting;’ which never happened. His great worth procured him the esteem of many strangers, who resorted to him from foreign parts; and many foreign divines having read his Latin works, learned English for the benefit of the rest. His correspondence with the learned abroad was great; and several travelled into England to see and converse with him. His many labours brought upon him frequent infirmities, whereby he Mas greatly taken off” from his public service, though not rendered useless, for he was continually writing, whenever he was able to sit up. At length he retired to Kensington. As he was once coining from thence to London, two informers seized upon his carriage; but he was discharged upon the interposition of Sir Edmond Godfrey, a justice of the peace, who happened to come by at that instant. The Doctor afterwards removed to an house of his own at Ealing, where he finished his course. He there employed his thoughts on the other world, as one who was drawing near it, which produced his i Meditations on the Glory of Christ,’ in which he breathed out the devotion of a soul continually growing in the temper of the heavenly state. Mr. Wood’s ill-natured reflection, ‘that he did very uuwillingly lay down his head and die, needs no other answer than the following extract from a letter which he dictated to a particular friend but two days before his death: “I am going to him whom my soul has loved, or rather who has loved me with an everlasting love, which is the whole ground of all my consolation. The passage is very irksome and wearisome, through strong pains of various sorts, which are all issued in an intermitting fever. All things were provided to carry me to London to-day, according to the advice of my physicians; but we are all disappointed, by my utter disability to undertake the journey. I am leaving the ship of the church in a storm; but whilst the great Pilot is in it, the loss of a poor under-rower will be inconsiderable. Live, and pray, and hope, and wait patiently, and do not despond: the promise stands invincible, that he will never leave us, nor forsake us,” &c. He died on Bartholomew-day, 1683, aged 67. His character (which is drawn at length in his Memoirs) may be briefly summed up as follows: As to his person, his stature was tall; his visage grave, majestic, and comely; his aspect and deportment, genteel; his mental abilities, incomparable; his temper, affable and courteous; his common discourse moderately facetious. He was a great master of his passions, especially that of anger; and possessed great serenity of mind, neither elated with honour or estate, nor depressed with difficulties. Of great moderation in his judgment, and of a charitable spirit, willing to think the best of all men as far as he could, not confining Christianity to a party. A friend of peace, and a diligent promoter of it among Christians. In point of learning, he was one of the brightest ornaments of the university of Oxford. Mr. Wood, after some base reflections, thinks fit to own, That ‘he was a person well skilled in the tongues, Rabinical learning, and Jewish rites; that he had a great command of his English pen, and was one of the fairest and genteelest writers that appeared against the church of England.’ His Christian temper in managing controversy was indeed admirable. He was well acquainted with men and things, and would shrewdly guess a man’s temper and designs on the first acquaintance. His labours as a minister of the

gospel were incredible. He was an excellent preacher, having a good elocution, graceful and affectionate. Pie could, on all occasions, without any premeditation, express himself pertinently on any subject; yet his sermons were mostly well studied and digested, though he generally used no notes in the pulpit. His piety and devotion were eminent, and his experimental knowledge of spiritual things very great. In all relations he behaved himself like a great Christian.

It ought to be mentioned (as one of his successors observes) to Dr. Owen’s honour, that he seems to have been one of the first of our countrymen who entertained just and liberal notions of the right of private judgment, and of toleration; which he was honest and zealous enough to maintain in his writings, when the times were the least encouraging; for he not only published two pleas for indulgence and toleration in 1667, when the Dissenters were suffering persecution under Charles II. but took the same side much earlier, pleading very cogently against intolerance, in an essay for the practice of church-government, and a discourse of toleration, both which are printed in the collection of his sermons and tracts; and clearly appear to have been written, and were probably first published about the beginning of 1647, when the parliament was arrived at full power, and he was much in repute.

He was buried at Bunhill, with uncommon respect, where he has a tomb-stone with a Latin inscription.