OWEN, JOHN (1616-1683), English Nonconformist divine, was born at Stadham in Oxfordshire in 1616, and educated at Queen's college, Oxford. He was chaplain and tutor in the families, first of Sir Robert Dormer, and later of Lord Lovelace, but lost his place by siding with parliament in the Civil War. He then lived in Charterhouse yard, in London, and on April 29, 1646, preached, before the Long Parliament, a sermon which showed his tendency towards the tolerant Independent or Con gregational system of Church government. He now became pastor at Coggeshall in Essex. He was chosen to preach to parliament on the day after the execution of Charles. Cromwell took him in 1649 as his chaplain to Ireland, where he regulated the affairs of Trinity college, and in 1650 to Scotland, making him chan cellor of Oxford (i651), dean of Christ-church (1651-52) and vice-chancellor in 1652.
When Richard Cromwell succeeded his father, Owen lost his vice-chancellorship, and joined the Wallingford House party, throwing his influence on the side of a simple republic as against a protectorate. In March 166o the Presbyterian party being
uppermost, he was deprived of his deanery and returned to Stad ham. Driven to London by the Conventicle and Five Mile Acts, he gathered a congregation there ; at the revival of the Con venticle Acts in 1670 he drew up a protest to the House of Lords. After the Declaration of Indulgence (1672) he fre quently preached in congregations of Independents and Presby terians, and was in favour with Charles II. and James II. He died at Ealing on Aug. 24, 1683.
See Goold's edition of Owen's Works (1850-55) ; W. Orme, Memoirs of Owen (182o) ; and The Golden Book of John Owen, edited with a study of his life by James Moffat (1904) •