Slany of Owen's works have been often reprinted, and are among the classics of English religious literature, A collected edition of all his works in twenty-three vol- umes, the first being Memoirs of his Life, by the Rev. William Orme, was published at London in 1820, An- other edition, in twenty-four volumes, carefully edited bj- the Rev, William H. Goold, and including a Memoir by the Rev. Andrew Thomson, was published at Edin-
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burgh in 1850, and republished at Philadelphia in 1860. The last-named memoir has been used (but not exclu- sively) in tlie preparation of this article. See also Bogue and Bennett, Hist, of the Dissenters, i, 444 ; Neal, Hist, of the Puritans ; Princeton Rev. 185"2, p. 165 sq. ; Preshyt. Rev. Oct. 1862 ; North Brit. Rev. Nov. 1851 ; Kitto's Jour. Sac. Lit. July, 1854, p. 466. (L. B.)
Owen, John (2), a divine of the Church of Eng- land, was born in London in 1765, and received his edu- cation at St. Paul's School and at Cambridge. Having taken orders, he became a popular preacher at Fulham, and obtained from bishop Porteus the living of Pagles- ham, in Essex. Dr. Kandolph, the successor of the bishop in the see of London, insisting upon Mr. Owen's residence at his rectory, he was obliged to relinquish the curacy of Fulham, whereupon the inhabitants of the parish presented him with a purse of near £700. On the institution of the British and Foreign Bible So- ciety he became one of the secretaries, and for eighteen j'ears was the most active of its members. He died Sept. 26, 1822. Besides various tracts and sermons, he was the author of The Retrospect, or Reflections on the State of Religion and Politics in France and Great Britain: — The Christian Monitor for the Last Days : — The Fashionable World Displayed : — Vindication of the Bible Society, its History, etc. ; and works of travel in different parts of Europe, See Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A iner. A uth. s. v.
Owen, John Jason, D.D., LL.D., a noted Ameri- can Biblical scholar and educator, was born at Colbrook, Conn., August, 1803. While very young, although sur- rounded by unfavorable circumstances, he devoted him- self earnestly to study, more particularly with a view to the mastery of the ancient languages. His early life, especially, was characterized by remarkable perse- verance. Without aid, except that furnished by his own mind, he undertook the study of Greek, and it is noteworthy that difficulties which seem as if they could not be successfully encountered even with the aid of an instructor he met and conquered solely by the power of his will. His preparations for the academical course he began under the tutorship of the Rev. Dr. Elisha Yale, of Kingsborough, N. Y., to which place his parents removed about that time. Shortly afterwards he went to Middlebury College, and graduated in 1831. He then entered the theological seminary at Andover, Mass. After spending the requisite time in the last- named institution, he became a minister of the Presby- terian Church, to which body he rendered very efficient and valuable services. Though he never accepted the pastorate of any congregation, he was accustomed to preach from time to time in the different churches throughout New York, in which citj'- he had taken up his residence after graduation, or wherever else he might be spending his time. He was a very prominent member of tlie New York Educational Society, and also of the Young Men's Educational Society, and under his private and more public instruction many young men have become qualified for the ministry of different re- ligious denominations. At the opening of the Cornelius Institute he became its principal. While there he edit- ed his Xenoplion's Anabasis, which was the first Greek text-book with English notes that was published in the United States. Under his direction also were published a Greek Reader. Xcnophon's Cyropcedia, the Odyssey and Iliad of Homer, and Thucydidos. These books at- tracted considerable attention and scrutiny, and were warmly welcomed by all scliolars. Prof. L. Schmitz, himself a celebrated Greek scholar, wrote to Owen from Edinburgh, in 1850, congratulating him on his success as a translator. It was a frequent regret of Prof. Owen's that the Greek language is too exclusively studied in schools from classical sources; and to remedy this de- fect he edited the Acts of the Apostles in the original for students, appending a lexicon for the same pur- pose (N. Y. 1850, r2mo). His most extensive liter-
ary undertaking was his Commentaries on the Gospels, the first volume of which appeared in 1857. Two vol- umes have since been printed, and manuscript for a third was in readiness for the printer at the time of his death, and was afterwards published. The three vol- umes are entitled A Commenta?-y, Critical, Fxpository, and Pi-actical, on the Gospels of Matthew, Mai-k, and the A els (N.Y. 1869, and often, 12mo). This work deserved- h' ranks among the very best for popular use which the scholarship of our country has produced. It is lucid, thorough, and evangelical. It meets fairly and fully ev- ery difHculty which arises. There is no parade of learning in it, l)ut the residts of extended reading and a careful and thorough independent investigation arc given. The crit- ical part of the work is beyond all doubt as ably and satisfactorily performed as in any similar American or English work. In the year 1848 Dr. Owen resigned his position in the Institute in order to take the chair of pro- fessor of ancient languages in the New York Free Acad- emy, of which he became vice -principal. In the year 1866, the name of the institution being changed to that of College of the City of New York, he became vice- president of the faculty ; and in this sphere he worked faithfully until about two weeks before his death, which occurred on Sunday, April 18, 1869. Dr. Adams conduct- ed the funeral services. The presence of a large num- ber of eminent clergymen, tlie most learned men and prominent citizens of the United States, indicated the position obtained bj' the deceased. As a scholar he was well known and highly esteemed bj' the learned men of England, Scotland, and America. He ranked as one of our best Greek scholars and most industrious of commentators. As a Christian, all who came in con- tact with him felt the influence of his holy life, and could not but recognise in him the love of that Saviour he endeavored to persuade others to follow. As an in- structor, he was faithful, sympathizing, and kind almost to a fault. As a man, he was genial in his temper, earnest in his endeavors, and won the love of a large circle of New York's most distinguished residents. (J. H.W.)