Davenant on Colossians is a Christian classic. When we think of writings on the separate books of Scripture, we think of Caryl on Job, Haldane on Romans, Greenhill on Ezekiel, Owen on Hebrews, and so on – and among them Davenant’s commentary on the Epistle to the Colossians.
John Davenant (c. 1576-1641) was Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University in the reign of James 1 and for the last twenty years of his life Bishop of Salisbury. It must be remembered that most of the Bishops in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and James 1 were Calvinistic. Davenant was a member of the famous Synod of Dort (1618), which drew up “the Five Points of Calvinism” – as opposed to Arminianism. He was once known as “the jewel of the Reformed churches.”
Originally written in Latin, this exposition of Colossians was translated by Josiah Allport, minister of St James’s, Birmingham, in 1831, and has been highly esteemed. The translator included a life of John Davenant and copious notes. This is a reprint of the 1831 translation.
Though Davenant speaks strongly against Romanism, his commentary is a little sacramental in places when he writes on baptism (for instance, in chapter 2, verse 12), though he does clearly state (page 441) that baptism was originally by immersion.
Davenant often quotes from the ancient Fathers, and the translator/editor adds most useful footnotes. We were interested, for instance, to read who the Ebionites were and who Fulgentius was!
About twenty-five years ago a limited edition of Davenant on Colossians was published in the USA, but we believe this is the first publication in Britain for nearly two hundred years. As such we warmly welcome it.

B A Ramsbottom
The Gospel Standard
December 2005