Name John Downame | Parents William Downham | |
Died 1652, City of London, United Kingdom Education Christ's College, Cambridge Books The Christian Warfare, The Christian Warfare Against Satan | ||
The christian warfare against the devil world and flesh puritan john downame
John Downame (Downham) (1571–1652) was an English clergyman and theologian in London, who came to prominence in the 1640s, when he worked closely with the Westminster Assembly. He is now remembered for his writings.
Contents
- The christian warfare against the devil world and flesh puritan john downame
- Life
- Works
- Family
- References
Life
He was the younger son of William Downham, bishop of Chester, and younger brother of George Downame. He was born in Chester, and received his education at The King's School, Chester and Christ's College, Cambridge, as a member of which he subsequently proceeded B.D. On 4 August 1599 he was instituted to the vicarage of St. Olave, Jewry, which he exchanged, 5 March 1601, for the rectory of St. Margaret, Lothbury, then recently vacated by his brother George, but resigned in June 1618. He would seem to have lived unbeneficed until 30 November 1630, when he became rector of Allhallows the Great, Thames Street, a living he held till his death. He was the first, says Thomas Fuller, who preached the Tuesday lectures in St. Bartholomew's Church behind the Exchange.
In 1640 he combined with ministers of the city (Cornelius Burgess, Edmund Calamy, John Goodwin and Arthur Jackson) in presenting a petition to the privy council against William Laud's innovative book of canons. In 1643 he was appointed one of the licensers of the press, granting imprimatur to theological works, a role in which he took a permissive line, one of the works he approved being Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce by John Milton; his licensing of Eikon Basilike in 1649 attracted the attention of the Council of State. In 1644 he was chosen one of the London ministers to examine and ordain public preachers.
He died at his house at Bunhill, in the parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate, and was buried in the chancel of Allhallows the Great.
Works
Downame published Thomas Sutton's Lectures upon the Eleventh Chapter to the Romans, London, 1632. He also edited his brother George's Treatise of Prayer, London, 1640, the third impression of J. Heydon's Mans Badnes and Gods Goodnes, London, 1647, and Archbishop James Ussher's Body of Divinitie (attributed), London, 1647.
Downame was commissioned by parliament along with John Ley, William Gouge, Meric Casaubon, Francis Taylor, Daniel Featley, and John Reading, to imitate and supplement the 1637 Dutch Annotations on the Whole Bible as a complement to the work of the Westminster Assembly. With the exceptions of Downame, Casaubon, and Reading, these divines were all members of the Assembly. It is presumed that Downame served as the chief editor and compiler for their work: Annotations upon all the Books of the Old and New Testament, London, 1645. The text came to be known as The Assembly's Annotations or The English Annotations (in distinction from the earlier Dutch).
His own writings comprise:
Family
He married, after August 1623, Catherine, widow of Thomas Sutton, and daughter of Francis Little, brewer and inn-holder, of Abington, Cambridgeshire, who survived him. He had issue three sons, William, Francis, and George. Of his daughters he mentions Mrs. George Staunton, Mrs. Sarah Warde, Mrs. Jael Harrison, and Mrs. Elizabeth Kempe.