HOWE, REV. JOHN, a distinguished nonconformist, was born on the 17th of May 1630, at Loughborough, In Leicestershire, where his father was the incumbent of the parish church, but having become a nonconformist, he was ejected from his living, and retired to Ireland. lie did not remain long there, but returned to England, and settled in tho town of Lancaster, where John Howe received his rudimentary instruction from his father. He was afterwards educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of B.A. From Cani• brige he removed to Brazenose College, Oxford, of which he became the bible-clerk in 1648, and where he again took his degree of B.A., January 18, 1649. Ho was made a demy of Magdalen College by the parliamentary visitors, and was afterwards chosen a fellow. On the 9th of July 1652 he took the degree of MA. After having been ordained by a nonconformist divine, assisted by others, he became a minister at Great Torrington, in Devonshire. In 1654 he married, and eoon afterwards Cromwell appointed him his domestic chaplain. He gave some offence to the Protector by one of his sermons, in which he censured certain opinions about divine impulses and special impressions in answer to prayer, but retained his situation till Cromwell's death, and afterwards till tho deposition of Richard Cromwell. lie then reenmed and continued his ministry at Great Torrington till the Act of Uniformity, August 1002, obliged him to restrict his preaching to private houses. He went to Ireland in 1671, where he resided as chaplain to the family of Lord Massarene till in 1675 he accepted an invitation to become the minister of a congre gation in London. In August 1685 be went to the continent with
Lord Wharton, and In 1686 became one of the preachers to the English church at Utrecht. When James II. published the 'declara tion for liberty of conscience' be returned to London, where he died 2nd, 1705. John Howe not only ranks as one of the most eminent of the Pnritan divines, but was a man of great general learning, a good classical and Ilebrew scholar, acquainted with the modern languages, and of snperior manners and accomplishments. Hla ' Works' were published in 1724, 2 vols. folio, with a Life by Dr. Calamy the younger. They have since been repnblished, The Whole Works of the Rev. John Howe, 3LA.,' 7 vole. 8vo, London, 1810.113, with an eighth vol., containing a Memoir and additional works, and again 'The Works of the Rev. John Howe, M.A., as published during his life, comprising the whole of the Two Folio Volumes, ed. 1724, with a Life of the Author, by the Rev. J. P. Hewlett,' 3 vols. 8vo, London, 1848. Tho more important of his works are the following : The Living Temple, or a designed Improvement of that Notion that a good Man is the Temple of God,' in 2 parts. A Treatise on Delighting in God,' in 2 parts. The Blessedness of the Righteous opened, and further recommended from the Consideration of the Vanity of this Mortal Life,' in Two Treatises. The Principles of the Oracles of God,' in a Series of Lectures. 4 Life of John Howe, M.A., with an Analysis of his Writings, by Henry Rogers,' l2wo, London, 1S36.