John Dod

John Dod (c. 1549 – 1645), known as “Decalogue Dod”, was a non-conforming English clergyman, taking his nickname for his emphasis on the Ten Commandments. He is known for his widely circulated writings. Although he lost one means of livelihood because of Puritan beliefs, he had important support from sympathetic members of the Puritan gentry throughout a long career.

He was born in Malpas, Cheshire, the youngest of a family of seventeen. His parents were possessed of a moderate estate, and after he had received his early education at Westchester sent him when about fourteen to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was elected scholar and afterwards fellow. He was a learned man, a Hebraist, and, it is said, witty and cheerful.

He was vicar of Hanwell, Oxfordshire, from 1585, in the gift of Anthony Cope, also preaching at Banbury. Robert Cleaver, his co-author, was in a neighbouring parish, Drayton.

Dod was ejected from his parish at Hanwell in 1607. From 1608 he was at Canons Ashby and then rector of Fawsley, where his patron was Richard Knightley. A false accusation brought against him of having defrauded the college of a sum of money due from one of his pupils was the cause of a fever which almost cost him his life. During his illness he received strong religious impressions, and after his recovery, his character being fully cleared, he preached at a weekly lecture set up by some ‘godly’ people of Ely. When he was probably past thirty he was instituted to the living of Hanwell, Oxfordshire, where he remained for twenty years. While there he married Anne, sister of Dr. Nicholas Bownde, by whom he had twelve children. The John Dod, proctor of the University of Cambridge in 1615, was probably one of his sons, though it is suggested that he was Dod himself (Memorials). His second wife was a Mistress Chilton. At Hanwell he worked diligently, preaching twice each Sunday besides catechising and supplying, in conjunction with four others, a weekly lectureship at Banbury.

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