Cromwell's Theological Spokesman
Congregationalist Reformed Puritan beginnings
John Owen was born in 1616 into a
clergyman's household,
Elstow near
Bedford,
England. At only 19 years old he earned his
Master's Degree at
Queen's College,
Oxford and became so thoroughly
suffused enough with
Greek and
Latin to launch him to his goal of theology. Albeit he
disdained the
English High Church Arminianism (basically favor the idea of man's free will) of that school. These sympathies with
Augustine of
Hippo,
John Calvin, and other English Reformation leaders (believed God's
sovereignty predestined man), led this newly ordained minister to
Fordham,
Essex in 1643. He became chaplain in different
house churches, and finally he was pastor of his own
parish. He wrote at this place and time:
A Display of Arminianism where he crossed that "
line in the sand" when he supported
Reformed theology, and more consequentially, backed
Parliament over Royalty. He also interpreted
Scriptures that led to a philosophy which adopted a
congregationalist polity (church members making key decisions) instead of
Presbyterian rule (elders manage). This was added to his
Puritan Calvinism with which he wanted to
purify the National Church.
The Cromwell Connection
Just after his move to Coggeshall, Essex in 1648, he was a natural to become
Oliver Cromwell's
Parliamentary Army Chaplain following them to their victorious campaigns from
Ireland and then
Scotland. Owen was rewarded by becoming his confidential adviser and was brought to Oxford to operate and
infuse that school with Godly good order and
scholarship. Owen's shared vision of pushing Gospel principles on the Universities, the Church, and the whole nation became
astigmatic with the end of
Richard Cromwell's rule following his father's death.
King Charles II's return meant he became the ex-dean of
Christ Church, and he joined the several thousand in exodus from a re-instituted
Episcopal edifice, and they now considered themselves: Protestant
Nonconformist/
Dissenters, eventually
pastoring his gathering in a
London Congregationalist Assembly.
Theologian's Legacy
This man of bodily, mental, and spiritual
stature did not leave any heirs from his two wives (
not Mormon-style) but left us his work before he died in 1683. His
scholarly estate handed down complete well thought-out writings on Calvinist Protestant classic
orthodoxy, Biblical and historical theology, difficult
doctrinal study: e.g.
The Trinity, personal publications like
Correspondence, commentaries on the book of
Hebrews, and of
Psalm 130. His devotion to his beliefs, and his maintenance of his own Holy living were the cause of "
conformists"
harassing him until his death. Even though he was
sociable and
witty, the serious, sober, and
weighty style in John Owen's books has caused him to be
overshadowed by the fame of Richard Baxter and
John Bunyon; but that is why he is considered the "Theologians' Theologian, not the teacher for the layman.