Richard Allein, M. A.

BORN A. D. 1611.-DIED A. D. 1681.

RICHARD ALLEIN, a nonconformist minister, was the son of Mr Richard Allein, for fifty years minister of Dichiat, in Somersetshire. He was born in 1611, and at the age of sixteen entered as a commoner at St Alban's-hall, Oxford. On taking the degree of B. A., he removed to New Inn, and continued there till he took the degree of master. On taking orders he went to assist his father. In 1641, he became rector of Batcombe, Somersetshire. He and his father were constituted assistants to the parliamentary commissioners for ejecting scandalous and insufficient ministers. He continued minister of Batcombe till the passing of the act of uniformity, and is represented as a pious, diligent, and zealous instructor of his people. After his ejectment from his rectory, he preached privately in various places, and was befriended by a Mr More (an M.P.) Such was his great reputation, and the meekness of his deportment, that, though often summoned to appear before the magistrates, and severely reprimanded for preaching, yet they deemed it more prudent to connive at him than commit him to prison. After the passing of what is called the five mile act,' he removed to Froom Selwood, and preached privately there till the day of his death, which took place Dec. 22d, 1681, in the 70th year of his age. He was so much respected, that the vicar of the parish in which he had lived preached a funeral sermon for him. A singular anecdote is told of one of his writings. The work was entitled, Vindicia Pietatis,' but a license could not be obtained for its publication. The book was, hower, printed and sold privately. The sale going on to a very considerable extent, the king's bookseller caused a seisure to be made of all the remaining copies. These were condemned and sent to the king's kitchen. The royal bookseller thinking it a promising, if not a fair way to turn a penny, contrived to redeem them for a trifle from the ignoble destruction into which he had been the instrument of bringing them. They were then bound up and sold in his own shop. The infamous transaction was however brought to light, and the bookseller compelled to beg pardon, upon his knees, at the council-table. The books were then remanded back to the kitchen, where they were ordered to be bisked or rubbed over with an inky brush.

Mr Allein was the author of several other works of a religious nature, which have been highly esteemed and frequently republished.

John Owen, D.B.

BORN A. D. 1616.-DIED A. D. 1683.

JOHN OWEN, the second son of the Rev. Henry Owen, was born at Stadham, in Oxfordshire, in the year 1616. His father was for some time minister of Stadham, and afterwards rector of Harpsden, in the same county. He was a nonconformer, and accounted by his neigh

bours a strict puritan. John received the elements of classical learning from Edward Sylvester, master of a private academy at Oxford, who had the honour of also numbering among his pupils Wilkins, afterwards bishop of Chester, Wilkinson, afterwards Margaret professor, and William Chillingworth. At twelve years of age, he was admitted a student of Queen's college; and on the 11th of June, 1632, when only sixteen, took the degree of A.B. On the 27th of April, 1635, he commenced master of arts. During this period, he pursued his studies with incredible diligence, never allowing himself above four hours of repose. His ambition was, even at this early period of life, to raise himself to the highest attainable honours, whether in church or state; but, as he subsequently confessed, he was indifferent to the ecclesiastical profession, excepting only as it might be viewed as a means for attaining the object of his ambition.

The same year, 1637, that produced the celebrated resistance of Hampden to illegal taxation, drove Owen from Oxford, in consequence of the ecclesiastical tyranny of Laud. In virtue of his office as chancellor of Oxford, that churchman had caused a new body of statutes to be drawn up for the university, in which, obedience to some superstitious rites was imposed on pain of expulsion. The mind of Owen was sufficiently enlightened at this time to see and embrace the worthier alternative. It cost him a severe struggle to tear himself from his 'alma mater,' but the sacrifice was made. Owen's conduct on this occasion has drawn down upon him, from Anthony Wood, the ridiculous charge of perjury; because, forsooth, he had already taken the oath of allegiance when graduating!

On leaving Oxford, having previously received orders from Bishop Bancroft, Owen resided for some time in the family of Sir Robert Dormer of Ascot, as domestic chaplain, and tutor to his eldest son. He afterwards became chaplain to Lord Lovelace of Hurbury, in Berkshire, with whom he continued till the commencement of hostilities between the king and the parliament, when Lord Lovelace joined the former, while Owen as warmly embraced the cause of the latter. This step lost him the favour of his uncle, a gentleman of considerable landed property in Wales, who had intended to make him his heir. Forsaken both by his patron and his family, Owen came up to London, and took lodgings in Charterhouse-yard, where he employed himself in composing his Display of Arminianism,' which appeared in 1642, and was very favourably received. It appears that Owen, when he came first to the city, suffered much from religious dejection and perplexity. His unhappiness may have arisen, as Mr Orme suggests, from some misconception of the subjects which the Arminian controversy embraces; and it is very probable that that led him to the train of investigation contained in the Display.' It was reserved, however, for an unknown preacher to remove his dejection by a sermon from these words: " Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" The sermon was a very plain one; but the effect was mighty through the blessing of God.

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TheDisplay of Arminianism' recommended its author to the attention of parliament, and he was soon after presented by the committee for purging the church of scandalous ministers" with the living of Fordham, in Essex. This presentation remained in force only during

the life of the sequestered incumbent: at his death, the living reverted to the patron, and Owen was superseded, but he was immediately presented by the good earl of Warwick' with the neighbouring living of Coggeshall, at the request of the congregation. It is uncertain when he made his first efforts in the ministry, but immediately on being appointed to Fordham, he entered on the diligent discharge of his parochial duties, and published two short catechisms for the better instruction of his parishioners. At this time he seems to have leaned towards presbyterianism; but upon paying closer attention to the points in dispute betwixt the independents and presbyterians, he embraced inde. pendency. On the 29th of April, 1646, being the day appointed for the monthly fast, he was appointed to preach before the parliament. His sermon on this occasion was published, and he appended to it what he calls a Country Essay for the practice of church government,' in which he exposes the iniquity and folly of contention among Christians about points of minor importance, and contends for a large and liberal toleration. Speaking of the iniquity of putting men to death for heresy, he declares, that "he had almost said it would be for the interest of morality to consent generally to the persecution of a man maintaining such a destructive opinion." The same sentiments he inculcated in two different public sermons which he was soon afterwards called upon to preach. It ought not to be forgotten that Dr Owen's advocacy of religious liberty was not that of a dissenter, but that of a man in close connexion with the prevailing persuasion, and the ruling powers of the day.

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On the 31st of January, 1649, the day after the execution of the king, Owen was called to preach before parliament. It was a trying occasion, and Anthony Wood and Grey have laboured hard to prove that the preacher applauded the regicides, but without success. truth is, that on the subject of the preceding day's transactions, Owen observed a profound and evidently studied silence, and the text which he made choice of for the occasion (Jeremiah xv. 19, 20.) partakes more of solemn admonition than of congratulation. He tells the parliament very faithfully that much of the evil which had come upon the country had originated within their own walls, and warns them against 'oppression, self-seeking, and contrivances for persecution.' On the 19th of April following, he again preached before the parliament and chief officers of the army. Cromwell heard him for the first time on this occasion, and was so much pleased with him that he insisted on his accompanying him to Ireland, in the quality of his chaplain. With this invitation Owen was at first not a little unwilling to comply, but the lieutenant-general would take no refusal, and his brethren in the ministry advised him to go.

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On arriving at Dublin, Owen took up his residence at Trinity college, the affairs of which he superintended for above half a year. his return to England, he seized the first opportunity to call the attention of his countrymen to the spiritual wants of Ireland, and it was in consequence of his representations that six eminent preachers were sent over by parliament to that country, with general instructions to exert themselves for the promotion of religion and education among the Irish. In the summer of 1650, he accompanied Cromwell's expedition to Scotland, and remained with the army till early in the following year.

On the 18th of March, 1651, he was raised to the deanery of Christ church; Goodwin being raised at the same time to the presidency of Magdalene college. His appointment gave very general satisfaction to the students. In about a year and a half after, he was made vicechancellor of the university, on the nomination of Cromwell now chan→ cellor. The office in these times was a difficult and invidious one; but Owen's administration reconciled many difficulties, and extorted the approbation even of the episcopalian party. Granger admits, that "supposing it to be necessary for one of his persuasion to be placed at the head of the university, none was so proper as this person (Owen ;) who governed it several years with much prudence and moderation, when faction and animosity seemed to be a part of every religion;" and Lord Clarendon's testimony is still more decisive. He says, that the university "yielded a harvest of extraordinary, good, and sound knowledge in all parts of learning; and many who were wickedly introduced, applied themselves to the study of learning, and to the prac tice of virtue. So that when it pleased God to bring King Charles II. back to his throne, he found that university abounding in excellent learning, and little inferior to what it was before its desolation." Mr Orme has collected the following particulars descriptive of the vicechancellor's personal conduct. "The doctor managed the different parties in the university by his gentlemanly behaviour and condescension, by his impartiality and decision, and by his generous disinterestedness. He was moderate, but firm; dignified, and at the same time full of gentleness. He gained the good wishes of the episcopalians, by allowing a society of about three hundred of them, who used the liturgy, to meet every Lord's day over against his own door without disturbance, although they were not legally tolerated. He secured the support and favour of the presbyterians, by giving away most of the vacant benefices in his gift to persons of that denomination; and with the presbyterians of the university he had the most intimate intercourse. Among the students he acted as a father. While he discountenanced and punished the vicious, he encouraged and rewarded the modest and the indigent. He was hospitable in his own house, generous to poor scholars, some of whom he took into his family, and others he assisted by presents of money. Foreigners as well as natives experienced his bounty; for some of them by his favour, and that of the canons of Christ church, were admitted to free commons and the use of the library."

In 1654, Dr Owen was returned as representative for the university of Oxford, but his eligibility being questioned by the committee of privileges, on the ground of his being in the ministry, he sat only for a short time. The attempt has repeatedly been made, but without success, to show that Owen, during his vice-chancellorship, engaged much in political intrigue. The truth is, that in every instance in which he was not necessitated by the duties of his high official situation to act otherwise, he stood carefully aloof from all parties in the state. His subsequent conduct upon his dismissal from Oxford, when Richard Cromwell was chosen chancellor in room of the protector, who had resigned, was equally guarded. Vernon and other party-libellers of the day, attempted to represent him as being mainly instrumental in compelling Richard Cromwell to dissolve his parliament. But he met th

charge with a bold and unqualified denial. "Let me inform you," says he in his Vindication of Animadversions on Fiat Lux'-" that the author of the Animadversions is a person who never had a hand in, nor gave consent to the raising of any war in these nations; nor to any political alterations in them; no-not to any one that was amongst us during our revolutions. But he acknowledges that he lived and acted under them the things in which he thought his duty consisted; and challenges all men to charge him with doing the least personal injury to any, professing himself ready to give satisfaction to any one that can justly claim it." Owen preached before parliament for the last time, on the 8th of May, 1659. Soon after he was employed by the congregational churches in London, to draw up a letter of remonstrance to Monk, who was now in Scotland, and who seemed to be preparing to support the presbyterian party in England. The result of the negotiation which ensued with that hypocritical and selfish man have been already detailed. Owen's connexion with Oxford was soon after this completely dissolved by his dismissal from the deanery of Christ church, to make room for the presbyterians' man, Dr Reynolds.

He now retired to Stadham, his native place, where he had purchased an estate, and where he undertook the charge of a small congregation; but the Oxford militia broke it up, and Owen himself was compelled to seek safety in concealment and flight. He then took up his residence in London, where Baxter represents him as "keeping off, as if he had been more ashamed or afraid of suffering than his brethren." But it is not true that he "kept off" in this sense; on the contrary, he was never wanting, when the occasion called for it, to vindicate the conduct and principles of his brother-sufferers for conscience sake, and, when Baxter himself shrunk from the task of replying to Parker's Discourse of Ecclesiastical Politie,' alleging in excuse that he considered himself "as excepted from the reproaches which had been thrown out, and that if he were to answer Parker, they would soon make him as odious as the rest." Owen undertook the duty from which Baxter "kept off," and drew down upon himself the treatment which Baxter had rightly anticipated for the apologist of dissent. We also find him during the plague, and after the great fire in London, when the clergy forsook the churches, opening places for public worship throughout the city in conjunction with Thomas Goodwin, Nye, Griffiths, Brooks, Caryl, Vincent, and others, both presbyterians and independents. Owen afterwards formed a congregation in London, and instituted the Pinners' hall weekly lecture, in conjunction with Manton, Bates, Baxter, Jenkins, and Collins. On the death of Caryl, in 1673, his church united with that under Owen. In 1674, Dr Owen was honoured with a conference with the duke of York, and subsequently his majesty sent for him, and after strong professions of his regard for liberty of conscience, gave him a thousand guineas to distribute among those who had suffered most by the late severities. Stillingfleet insinuates, that the duke's object in wishing to conciliate the dissenters at this period, was the promotion of his own interests as to the succession; but Owen declares, "that never any one person in authority, nor any one that had any relation to public affairs, did ever speak one word to him about any indulgence or toleration to be grant ed unto papists."