you. But know, though you fee my bones broken to hivers, my foul is replenished with inexpreffible joys.”

Every limb, member, and bone of his body were broken with the iron bar forty hours before the executioner was permitted to ftrike him upon the breast, with a stroke which they call Le coup de grace, the blow of mercy; that death-ftroke which put an end to all his

miferies.

JOHN OWE N, D. D.

TH

HE following account is extracted from the Memoirs of his Life prefixed to an edition of his works in folio, and appears to have been written by thofe, who were intimately acquainted with our Author, and whofe principles were fimilar to his own.

This very eminent Divine was fecond fon of Henry Owen, Efq. originally of Dolgelly in Merionethshire, North Wales, and was born at Stadham in Oxfordshire, where his father was minifter, in the year 1616. He had fuch an extraordinary genius, and made fo quick a proficiency in his ftudies at fchool, that he was very early ripe for the univerfity, being admitted into Queen's-college at about twelve years of age, and when he was but nineteen, commenced mafter of arts, 1635. He purfued his ftudies with incredible diligence, allowing himfelf for several years not above four hours fleep in a night; so that he foon had made a confiderable progrefs in learning. Sometimes he would, for the benefit of his health, use fome recreations, but chiefly fuch as were violent and robuft, as leaping, throwing the bar, ringing of bells, and fuch like exercises. While he continued in the college, his whole aim and ambition was to raise himself to fome eminence in church or ftate, to either of which he was then indifferent. It was his own acknowledgment fince, concerning himself, that being naturally of an afpiring mind, affecting popular applaufe, and very defirous of honour and preferment, he applied himself very clofe to his ftudies, to accomplish these ends he had fo much in view; and he was ready to confefs with fhame and forrow, that then the honor of GOD, or ferving his country, otherwife than he might thereby ferve himself, were most remote from his intentions. His father having a large family, could not afford him any confiderable maintenance

at

at the university, but he was liberally fupplied by an uncle, one of his father's brothers, a gentleman of a fair eftate in Wales; who having no children of his own, defigned to have made him his heir. He lived in the college till he was twenty-one years of age, from which time he met with extraordinary changes, which through the unfearchable, wifdom of GOD, turned to his great advantage, and made way for his future advancement, and eminent usefulness. About this time Dr. Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, and chancellor of Oxford, impofed feveral fuperftitious rites on the univerfity upon pain of expulfion. Mr. Owen had then received fuch light, that his confcience would not fubmit to thofe impofitions; however temporal intereft might plead for his compliance, yet other more weighty confiderations of a religious nature prevailed; for now GOD was forming impreffions of grace upon his foul, which infpired him with a zeal for the purity of his worship, and what he thought to be reformation in the church. This change of his judgement foon discovered itself upon this occafion, and was obferved by his friends, who thereupon forfook him as one infected with Puritanism; and upon the whole, he was become fo much the object of refentment from the Laudenfian party, that he was forced to leave the college.

We must remember that about this time he was alfo exercifed with many perplexing thoughts about his fpiritual state, which joined with outward difcouragements, threw him into a deep melancholy, that continued in its extremity for a quarter of a year; during which time he avoided almost all manner of converfe, and very hardly could be induced to fpeak a word, and when he did fpeak, it was with fuch diforder as rendered him a wonder to many. Though his diftrefs and melancholy did not abide in that violence, yet he was held under very great trouble of mind, and grievous temptations for a long time, and it was near five years before he attained to a fettled peace; in which space the all-wife GOD, who defigned him for fuch eminent fervice, was perfecting his converfion, and at laft brought forth judgement unto victory. His very great troubles and diftreffes of foul were fucceeded with a great degree of lafting ferenity and joy, which more than recompenfed his paft forrows and difficulties.

When the wars in England broke out, he owned the parliament's caufe, which his uncle, who had maintained. him at the college, being a zealous royalift, fo vehemently retented, that he turned him at once out of his favor, fet

tled

tled his eftate upon another, and died without leaving him any thing. He lived then as chaplain with a perion of honor, who, though he was for the king, ufed him with great civility; but he going at laft to the king's army, Mr. Owen left his houfe, and came up to London: He took lodgings in Charter-house Yard, where he was a perfect ftranger. At this place we must confider him as not yet freed from his melancholy and fpiritual troubles; but now we may obferve the wonderful method GOD took to work a perfect cure on his mind, and ease him of all his fears and forrows: And it was thus. He went one Lord's day with a Mr. Owen, a coufin of his, to Aldermanbury church, with expectation of hearing Mr. Calamy. He waited for his coming up into the pulpit, but at length it was known that Mr. Calamy was prevented by fome extraordinary occafion; upon which many went out of the church, but Mr. Owen refolved to abide there, though his coufin would fain have perfuaded him to go and hear Mr. Jackson, then an eminent preacher in the city; it not being certain whether there would be any perfon to fupply Mr. Calamy's place. Mr. Owen being well feated, and too much indifpofed for any farther walk, he refolved after fome ftay, if no preacher came, to go to his lodgings. At laft there came up a country minifter to the pulpit, a ftranger not only to Mr. Owen, but to the parish; who having prayed fervently, took for his text thefe words, Why are ye fearful, Oye of little faith? Matth. viii. 26. The very reading of the words furprized Mr. Owen, upon which he fecretly put up a prayer, that GOD would please by him to fpeak to his condition; and his prayer was heard; for in that fermon the minifter was directed to anfwer thofe very objections which Mr. Owen had commonly formed against himfelf: And though he had formerly given the fame anfwers to himfelf without any effect, yet now the time was come when GOD deLigned to fpeak peace to his foul; and this fermon (though otherwise a plain familiar difcourfe) was bleft for the removing of all his doubts, and laid the foundation of that folid peace and comfort which he afterwards enjoyed as long as he lived.

It is very remarkable, that Mr. Owen could never come to the knowledge of this minifter, though he made the moft diligent enquiry. During his abode at the Charter-house he wrote his book called, "A Difplay of Arminianifmn;" which met with fuch acceptance, as made way for his advancement. It came out in 1642, a very feafonable

fonable time, when thofe errors had fpread themselves very much in this nation; fo that the book was the more taken notice of, and highly approved by many. There were fome confiderable perfons who had a just sense of the value of this work, and did not fail to give real and particular marks of their respect to fo learned an Author. For foon after the publishing of it, the committee for purging the church of fcandalous minifters, paid fuch a regard to it, that Mr. White, chairman of that committee, fent a fpecial meffenger to Mr. Owen, to prefent him the living of Fordham in Effex; which offer he the more chearfully embraced, as it gave him an opportunity for the stated exercife of his miniftry: He went thither to the great fatisfaction, not only of that parish, but of the country round about. He continued at this place about a year and a half, where his preaching was fo acceptable, that people resorted to his miniftry from other parishes ; and great was the fuccefs of his labors in the reformation and converfion of many, through the hand of the Lord that was with him. Soon after he came to Fordham, he married a gentlewoman (whofe name we know not) by whom he had several children, all which the Doctor outlived. In 1644 he published his difcourfe, "Of the Duty of Paftors and People."

Upon a report that the fequeftred incumbent of Fordham was dead, the patron, who had no kindness for Mr. Owen, prefented another to the living; whereupon the people at Coggeshall, a market town about five miles from thence, earnestly invited him to be their minifter; and the earl of Warwick, the patron, very readily gave him the living; which favor of opening a door for preaching the gospel, in that place, he thankfully acknowledged; for here he taught a more numerous and judicious congregation, feldom fewer than two thoufand, where he found the people generally fober, religious, and difcreet. A very fervent affection was cultivated between minister and people, to their mutual joy and fatisfaction; and here alfo he met with great fuccefs in his miniftry, and with the univerfal approbation of the inhabitants, and of the country round about. Hitherto Mr. Owen had followed the prefbyterian way; but he was put upon a more diligent enquiry into the nature of church government and difcipline. After a due fearch and ftudy upon this head, he was fully convinced that the congregational way was most agreeable to the rule of the New Testament. His judgement in this matter has been printed, with the

feveral

66

feveral reafons for it, in two quartos. Several minifters of the prefbyterian denomination were diffatisfied with this change of Mr. Owen's judgement, and particularly Mr. Cawdry reproached him very unhandfomely, to whom he gave a much more civil anfwer. He had formed a church at Coggeshall upon these congregational principles, according to his own light, which continued long. The worth of fo great a man, fo eminent a light, could no longer be concealed; his fame and reputation spread both through city and country. He was fent for to preach before the parliament: This fermon is entitled, "A Vifion of free Mercy, &c." on Acts xvi. 11. April 29, 1646. He pleads for liberty of confcience and moderation towards men of different perfuafions, &c. in an Effay for the practice of Church-government in the Country," which he fubjoins to that fermon. In the year 1643 he published his book, entitled Salus electorum, fanguis fefu: Or, "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ." He dedicated this book to Robert earl of Warwick, where he pays his tribute of thanks to his lordship for that privilege of opening the door for his preaching the gospel at Coggeshall; and in his Preface to the Reader he tells us, "That this performance was the refult of more than seven years ferious enquiry into the mind of GOD about these things, with a perufal of all which he could attain, that the wit of men in former or later days hath published in oppofition to the truth." It is a noble undertaking carried on with all the vigor of argument and learning, of which he himself was fo confcious, that though the most modeft and humble of all writers, yet he fcrupled not to declare, that "He did not believe he fhould live to fee a folid answer given to it."

Calchefter was about this time befieged, and lord Fairfax, general of the parliament's forces, quartering at CoggeJball fome days, he became acquainted there with Mr. Owen, and likewife four commiffioners fent by the house down into Effex, to look after their affairs in that county, entered into a converfation with him. About this time also he became known to Cromwell, who happened to hear him preach and folicited his friendship. He acquainted Mr. Owen with his intended expedition into Ireland, and defired his company to refide there in the college at Dublin; but he answered, the charge of the church at CoggeShall would not permit him to comply with his request: Cromwell was not fatisfied with the objection, and would have no denial; but at laft from defires he proceded to VOL. III. Ooo commands,