John Downame facts for kids

John Downame (born 1571, died 1652) was an English clergyman and religious writer. He was known as a Puritan, which meant he wanted to make the Church of England simpler and more "pure." He became very important in London in the 1640s, working closely with a group called the Westminster Assembly. Today, people mostly remember him for the books and writings he published.

Early Life and Education

John Downame was born in Chester in 1571. His father, William Downham, was a bishop (a high-ranking church leader) in Chester. John also had an older brother named George Downame.

John went to school at The King's School, Chester. After that, he studied at Christ's College, Cambridge, which is a famous university. There, he earned a special degree in religious studies called a Bachelor of Divinity.

Church Career in London

John Downame started his work as a clergyman in London. In 1599, he became the vicar (a type of priest) at a church called St Olave, Jewry. A few years later, in 1601, he moved to another church, St Margaret, Lothbury, where his brother George had worked before him.

He left that position in 1618. For some years, he didn't have a regular church job. However, in 1630, he became the rector (the main priest) at All-Hallows-the-Great. He stayed at this church until he died. He was also known for giving special Tuesday lectures at St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange.

Important Roles During the English Civil War

The 1640s were a time of big changes in England, leading to the English Civil War. John Downame played a role in these events.

Challenging Church Rules

In 1640, John Downame joined other important London ministers. They included Cornelius Burgess, Edmund Calamy, John Goodwin, and Arthur Jackson. Together, they sent a petition (a formal request) to the privy council, which was a group of advisors to the King. They were protesting against new church rules, called "canons," that William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had introduced. These new rules were seen as too strict by many Puritans.

Licensing Books

In 1643, John Downame was given an important job: he became one of the people who "licensed" books. This meant he had to approve theological (religious) books before they could be printed. This job was called granting an imprimatur. He was known for being quite open-minded in what he approved. For example, he approved a book by John Milton called Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce. Later, in 1649, he also approved a book called Eikon Basilike. This book was very popular but also controversial, and his approval of it caught the attention of the English government at the time.

Examining Preachers

In 1644, John Downame was chosen by London ministers to help examine and approve new public preachers. This was an important task to make sure that only qualified people were teaching in churches.

Later Life and Death

John Downame passed away at his home in Bunhill, which was in the parish of St Giles-without-Cripplegate. He was buried in the main part of the All-Hallows-the-Great church, where he had served as rector.

His Writings and Edited Works

John Downame was a very busy writer and editor. He helped publish many important religious books.

Editing Others' Works

He edited and published several books by other authors. For example, he published Thomas Sutton's Lectures upon the Eleventh Chapter to the Romans in 1632. He also edited his brother George's Treatise of Prayer in 1640. In 1647, he helped publish a book by J. Heydon and a religious text attributed to Archbishop James Ussher called Body of Divinitie.

The Assembly's Annotations

One of his most significant projects was working on a large Bible commentary. The English Parliament asked him and other religious scholars to create a new set of notes, or "annotations," for the entire Bible. This work was meant to go along with the efforts of the Westminster Assembly.

John Downame is believed to have been the main editor and compiler for this huge project. The book was published in London in 1645 and was called Annotations upon all the Books of the Old and New Testament. It became widely known as The Assembly's Annotations or The English Annotations.

His Own Books

John Downame also wrote many of his own books, mostly on religious topics. Some of his well-known works include:

• Spiritual Physick to Cure the Diseases of the Soul (1600): This book offered spiritual advice to help people with their inner struggles.
• The Christian Warfare Against the Devil, World and Flesh (1609–1618): This was his most famous work. It talked about how Christians should fight against bad influences. It was so popular that it went through many editions.
• The Plea of the Poore (1616): This book discussed how Christians should give to charity and help those in need.
• Guide to Godliness (1622): This book gave advice on how to live a good Christian life.
• A Brief Concordance to the Bible (1631): This was a very useful book that helped people find specific words and topics in the Bible. It was so popular that ten different editions were published during his lifetime.
• A Treatise against Lying (1636): This book explored why lying was wrong.

Family Life

After 1623, John Downame married Catherine. She was the widow of Thomas Sutton and the daughter of Francis Little, who was a brewer and inn-keeper. Catherine outlived John.

John and Catherine had three sons: William, Francis, and George. He also mentioned four daughters in his writings: Mrs. George Staunton, Mrs. Sarah Warde, Mrs. Jael Harrison, and Mrs. Elizabeth Kempe.