He was a man of God’s Word, and hence considered that ‘one Scripture, in its plainness and simplicity, will be of more use for the end I aim at than twenty academic arguments, pressed with never so much accurateness and subtlety’ (April 7). Accordingly, he warns against reading theologians and neglecting the Scriptures, and even cites the Jesuit, Acosta: ‘The one who reads the Scriptures with the purity of their soul will have more advantage than the one who attempts to unravel mysteries with many commentaries’ (June 8). Verses such as Isaiah 8:20; Acts 17:11; John 5:39, 46-47; Luke 16:29 imply that the Scripture is above the Church.

In recent times, daily readings have swamped the Christian book market, and eventually someone was bound to tackle John Owen, the most exhaustive and (usually) unquotable of the Puritans. Lee Gatiss has, however, done a fine work in providing the reader with a diet of Owen each day.

There are some surprises in store for anyone who has been raised to be fearful of Owen. He displays a generosity of spirit that many consider he did not possess. He was a man of God’s Word, and hence considered that ‘one Scripture, in its plainness and simplicity, will be of more use for the end I aim at than twenty academic arguments, pressed with never so much accurateness and subtlety’ (April 7). Accordingly, he warns against reading theologians and neglecting the Scriptures, and even cites the Jesuit, Acosta: ‘The one who reads the Scriptures with the purity of their soul will have more advantage than the one who attempts to unravel mysteries with many commentaries’ (June 8). Verses such as Isaiah 8:20; Acts 17:11; John 5:39, 46-47; Luke 16:29 imply that the Scripture is above the Church.

Owen recognised that the term ‘irresistible grace’ could give the wrong impression, and so he spoke of ‘a sweet effectual working’ (January 14). Furthermore, ‘Many people receive more grace from God than they understand or will own. People may be really saved by that grace which doctrinally they do deny; and they may be justified by the imputation of that righteousness which, in opinion, they deny to be imputed’ (Sept.25). One would not want to run too far with that, but Owen said it.

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