John Ball (Puritan)
Encyclopedia
John Ball was an English
puritan
divine.
, Oxfordshire
.
After taking his BA degree from St Mary Hall, Oxford
, in 1608, he went into Cheshire
to act as tutor to the children of Lady Cholmondeley. He adopted Puritan
views, and after being ordained without subscription, was appointed to the small curacy of Whitmore
in Staffordshire
. He was soon deprived by John Bridgeman, the high church bishop of Chester
, who put him to much suffering.
He became a schoolmaster and earned a wide and high reputation for his scholarship and piety. He died on 20 October 1640.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
divine.
Life
He was born in CassingtonCassington
Cassington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire about northwest of Oxford. The village lies on gravel strata about from the confluence of the River Evenlode with the River Thames. The parish includes the hamlet of Worton northeast of the village and the site of the former hamlet of...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
After taking his BA degree from St Mary Hall, Oxford
St Mary Hall, Oxford
St Mary Hall was an academic hall of the University of Oxford associated with Oriel College since 1326, but which functioned independently from 1545 to 1902.- History :...
, in 1608, he went into Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
to act as tutor to the children of Lady Cholmondeley. He adopted Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
views, and after being ordained without subscription, was appointed to the small curacy of Whitmore
Whitmore, Staffordshire
Whitmore is a village and small curacy in the county of Staffordshire, England, near Newcastle-under-Lyme.The name Whitmore can be found in the Domesday book and also when King John signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede....
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. He was soon deprived by John Bridgeman, the high church bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
, who put him to much suffering.
He became a schoolmaster and earned a wide and high reputation for his scholarship and piety. He died on 20 October 1640.
Works
The most popular of his numerous works was A Short Catechisme, containing all the Principal Grounds of Religion (14 editions before 1632). His Treatise of Faith (1632), and Friendly Trial of the Grounds tending to Separation (1640), the latter of which defines his position with regard to the church, are also valuable.External links
- Schaff Herzog article on John Ball
- A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (1645) Posthumous work by John Ball - first few chapters only in this online text.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article - this is a subscription service but many UK library users can access it with their library card number.