William Shakespeare dies; Galileo prohibited by Catholic Church from further scientific work

1616

Born to Rev. Henry and Hester Owen

Founding of the Plymouth colony; Massacre of Protestants in the Valtelline

1620

Charles I becomes King (March 28)

1625

1626

Enters grammar school

1628

Enters Oxford

William Laud becomes chancellor of Oxford; Johann Kepler (Ger. astronomer) dies; John Winthrop sails to Massachusetts and founds Boston

1630

1632

Graduates B.A. (June 11)

Laud becomes Archbishop of Canterbury; Charles I crowned King of Scotland in Edinburgh; John Donne’s Poems published posthumously

1633

1635

Graduates M.A. (April 27); ordained deacon by Bishop of Oxford; begins 7-year B.D. program

Charles I introduces new Prayer Book in Scotland, causes riots

1637

Leaves B.D. program; accepts chaplaincy in home of Sir Robert Dormer of Ascot

Short Parliament meets; Long Parliament (1640-53) begins to sit

1640

Irish Rebellion; Grand Remonstrance against Charles I; René Descartes: Méditations metaphysiques; John Bernard publishes First Booke of Selected Church Musick

1641

English Civil War begins (Oct. 23); All theatres in England closed by order of the Puritans (until 1660); Income and property tax introduced in England

1642

Moves to London; conversion/assurance through unknown preacher; publishes A Display of Arminianism

Westminster Assembly meets; Solemn League and Covenant signed; First Battle of Newbury

1643

Takes parish in Fordham of Essex; marries Mary Rooke of Coggeshall (she is probably 25; he 27); publishes The Duties of Pastors and People Distinguished

Battle of Marston Moor; Second Battle of Newbury; William Penn (Eng. Quaker and colonizer) born; René Descartes: Principia Philosophicae (“Cogito, ergo sum”); John Milton: Areopagitica, for the freedom of the press

1644

Son John is baptized (Dec. 20)

Laud executed; formation of New Model Army

1645

End of first English Civil War; Gottfried Leibniz (Ger. philosopher) born

1646

Preaches before the House of Commons (April 29); moves to parish in Coggeshall; becomes a Congregationalist; daughter Mary born?

1647

First daughter Mary buried (July 18); daughter Eliza buried (August); publishes The Death of Death in the Death of Christ

Siege of Colchester in the second brief civil war; Pride’s Purge of Parliament; George Fox founds the Society of Friends (Quakers)

1648

Chaplain at the siege of Colchester; son Thomas dies (March)

King Charles I beheaded (Jan 30); Charles II becomes king (Jan 31); Cromwell’s expedition to Ireland; England declared a commonwealth

1649

Preaches before the House of Commons (April 19); son John dies (Spring); sets out for Ireland with Cromwell (August-February); in Dublin, writes Of the Death of Christ

Cromwell invades Scotland; Richard Baxter: The Saints’ Everlasting Rest; James Ussher: Annales Veteris et Novi Testamenti

1650

Daughter Elizabeth buried (Feb. 10); appointed preacher to the Council of State; makes two trips with Cromwell as chaplain to Scotland (June–December);

Battle of Worcester; Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan; Division of publisher and printer begins in book trade

1651

Appointed Dean of Christ Church at Oxford

War with the Dutch

1652

Appointed Chancellor of Christ Church by Cromwell; alternates Sunday sermons with Goodwin at the University church (until 1657)

Rump of Long Parliament expelled; Barebone’s Parliament; Cromwell declared Lord Protector (Dec 16)

1653

University Convocation confers on him the Doctor of Divinity degree

Cromwell’s first parliament

1654

Appointed a “Trier” in the “Cromwellian” State Church

1655

Prepares the defense of Oxford; two of his boys die

1656

Mortification of Sin published

1657

Opposes moves to make Cromwell the King; end of his appointment as Vice Chancellor; Communion with God published

Oliver Cromwell dies; his son, Richard Cromwell, becomes Protector

1658

Takes prominent part in the Savoy Assembly; Of Temptation published; Cromwell dies (Sept. 3)

Richard Cromwell resigns; General Monck marches from Scotland

1659

Forms a gathered church of officers in London

Convention Parliament; Charles II returns; John Bunyan imprisoned (not released for 12 years)

1660

Ends his career as Dean of Christ Church (March); lives quietly at Stadhampton; begins holding services there (until 1662)

Cavalier Parliament begins its long sitting; John Eliot translates the Bible into Algonquin (first Amer. Bible edition)

1661

Publishes Theologouma Pantodapa (theological lectures at Oxford)

Black Bartholomew’s Day—Great Ejection (2000 Puritan clergy expelled from their benefices) by the Act of Uniformity; Blaise Pascal dies

1662

1663-64

Family moves to Hartopp’s home in Stoke Newington

Coventicle Act

1664

Great Plague (kills 20% of London population); Five Mile or Oxford Act; Colony of New Jersey founded

1665

Son Mathew dies (April)

Great Fire of London (Sept 2-6); France and Dutch declare war on England; John Bunyan: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

1666

Fall of Clarendon; Jonathan Swift born; John Milton: Paradise Lost

1667

Active in seeking to persuade the Parliament to pass the Toleration Act; Indwelling Sin published

1668

Commentary on Hebrews begins publication (final volume published in 1684)

1669-70

Discusses Nonconformist Unity with Richard Baxter

Secret Treaty of Dover concluded by Charles II; Pascal: Pensées (posth.)

1670

Declaration of Indulgence; John Bunyan released from prison

1672

Personally thanks the King for the Indulgence

Parliament passes the First Test Act that excludes Roman Catholics from office in England

1673

Union of Caryl’s church with that of Owen’s under the latter’s ministry

Death of John Milton; Isaac Watts (Eng. Hymn writer) born

1674

Discourse on the Holy Spirit published

1675

First wife, Mary Rooke, dies

1676

Marries Dorothy D’Oyley (Owen is 60 years old)

1677

Justification by Faith published

Popish Plot; Parliament passes the Second Test Act; John Bunyan: The Pilgrim’s Progress (Part 1)

1678

The Person of Christ published

Cavalier Parliament dissolved; First Exclusion Parliament; Habeas Corpus Amendment Act in England; Thomas Hobbes dies

1679

Second Exclusion Parliament

1680

Controversy with Dean Stillingfleet

1681

The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually-Minded published

Black Bartholomew’s Day

1683

Dies at Ealing at the age of 67 (Aug. 24); buried in Bunhill Fields (Sept. 4)

1684

Glory of Christ published