COLET, JOHN (1467?-1519), English divine and education ist, the eldest son of Sir Henry Colet (twice mayor of London), was born in London and educated at Oxford, probably at Mag dalen college. When he took his M.A. in 1490 he already held the rectory of St. Mary, Dennington, Suffolk, and the vicarage of St. Dunstan's, Stepney, and was now collated rector of St. Nicholas, Thurning, Hunts. In 1493 he went to Paris and thence to Italy, studying canon and civil law, patristics and Greek. Dur ing his residence abroad he became acquainted with Budaeus (Guillaume Bude) and Erasmus, and with the teaching of Savonarola. On his return to England in 1496 he took orders, and began his Oxford lectures on the Pauline epistles. In replac ing the old scholastic methods by a study of the personality and times of St. Paul, he began a new epoch in Biblical exegesis and greatly influenced Erasmus, who visited Oxford in 1498. Since he had been prebendary of York and canon of St. Martin le Grand, London. In 1502 he became prebendary of Salisbury, in 1505 prebendary of St. Paul's, and immediately afterwards dean of the same cathedral, having previously taken the degree of doctor of divinity. Here he continued his innovating Biblical lectures. About 1508, having inherited his father's wealth, Colet re-founded St. Paul's school where a good Christian education to gether with Greek and Latin was to be given to the 153 scholars. The celebrated grammarian William Lilly was the first master, and the company of mercers were (in 151o) appointed trustees, the first example of non-clerical management in education. The dean's liberal religious opinions led the clergy to deem him little better than a heretic; but William Warham, the archbishop, re fused to prosecute him. Similarly Henry VIII. held him in high esteem despite his sermons against the French wars. In 1514 he made the Canterbury pilgrimage with Erasmus, and in 1515 preached at Wolsey's installation as cardinal. Colet died on Sept. 16, 1519.
Though a staunch Catholic, Colet disapproved of the sale of bishoprics, the custom of pluralities, Church lawyers and the worldliness of churchmen. He was not a great scholar, but by introducing the humanist movement he helped to discredit mediaeval thought. Among his works, first collectively published in 1867-76, are Absolutissimus de octo orationis partium con structione libellus (Antwerp, I530), Rudimenta Grammatices (London, 1539), Daily Devotions, Monition to a Godly Life, Epistolae ad Erasmum, and Biblical commentaries.