ordination without subscription, he entered upon the ministerial office, and became minister at Whitmore, near Newcastle, in Staffordshire. Here he resided for many years in the house of Edward Mainwaring, esq. a gentleman highly esteemed for his piety, generosity, and usefulness. Mr. Ball was exceedingly beloved by the ministers in those parts. As he was particularly concerned for the prosperity of Zion, and deeply impressed with the lamentable evils of the times, he frequently united with his brethren in the observance of days of fasting and prayer. For keeping a fast on Ascension-day, they were often convened before the Bishop of Chester, who greatly aggravated their crime, because it was observed on that holy day. These troubles, however, did not move Mr. Ball. Amidst all the storms and tempests of the times, he remained firm in the truth. Indeed, previous to his entering into the ministry, he was determined to satisfy his own conscience, and not to receive every thing in the established church, right or wrong: therefore, he impartially examined the controversy betwixt the conformists and nonconformists; and the result of his unbiassed inquiries was, a thorough dissatisfaction with the former, particularly with the subscription tyrannically imposed upon the clergy. During this period he looked upon a lord bishop as a very formidable creature; yet he had several contests with the Bishop of Chester, but came off unshaken, and more firmly established in the principles of nonconformity.* Lady Bromley, of Sheriff-Hales in Shropshire, was many years famous for promoting, by her influence and practice, the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, and the genuine principles of the reformation. She was the great patroness of the persecuted nonconformists in that part of the country. Messrs. Ball, Nicolls, Pierson, Herring, and others, when they were harassed and deprived of their ministry, were kindly entertained by this worthy lady. These divines often preached in her neighbourhood, whom she sheltered from the oppressive measures of the prelates, as long as she was able; and when they durst not preach, they kept days of fasting and humiliation at her house. Though Mr. Ball was often prosecuted in the ecclesiastical courts for refusing subscription and keeping conventicles, he was against separation.‡ * Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie, p. 147, 148. + MS. Chronology, vol. ii. p. 395. (23.) Ibid. vol. iii. A. D. 1640. This divine was thoroughly learned in the controversies of the day, particularly those of Bellarmine, the Arminians, and conformity. He read and studied much upon these points; and it is almost incredible, says Mr. Clark, how he could speak on these topics, and lay open the weakness and fallacy of those arguments by which they were defended, even so as to avoid giving offence. He possessed an admirable talent for explaining difficult texts of scripture, comforting afflicted consciences, and for every duty of the ministerial office. He greatly excelled in prayer, administering the sacraments, and in conducting the exercises of family religion. He possessed an admirable command of his temper, and lived uncommonly abstemious. Though his income did not exceed twenty pounds a year, he was content in his situation, and remarkably liberal to the poor. He used to say, "I have enough, enough, enough.”ˆ But he was richly ornamented with true christian humility. This was the richest jewel in his crown of moral excellencies. He invariably preferred others above himself, and would never speak reproachfully of any person. Mr. Ball was uncommonly facetious in conversation. When the nonconformists were in danger of being driven out of the country, he used to say to his brethren, " If we be necessitated to leave our country, you shall preach and I will teach school." To a friend, who was tired of teaching school, and wished to enter into the ministry, he said, "You will find it far more difficult to teach men than boys." When told that he was in great danger of being silenced by the bishop, he said, "If he should deal thus with me, I would pull off my hat and thank him." A friend relating his great danger by a fall from his horse, saying he never experienced so great a deliverance before, "Yes," replied Mr. Ball," a hundred times, even as often as you have ridden and not fallen." He zealously opposed all vanity and frowardness, and possessed an extraordinary talent in calming boisterous passions. To persons under the influence of unruly tempers, he used to say, "Put judgment into office. The affections are bad guides, but good followers. Look well to your hearts. Passion is the effect of pride. You ride an unruly horse, and therefore you stand in need of a strong bit and bridle." When the persecution of the nonconformists was the hottest, to a brother minister he said, "Though all the present race of nonconformists were dead and gone, be assured God would raise others out of our ashes, to protest against episcopacy and the ceremonies, rather than suffer that cause to perish." Being at length worn down by hard study and constant preaching, his spirit, during his last affliction, was calm, humble, and peaceable. He continued to preach as long as he was able, and prayed in his family till his strength utterly failed. Being asked whether he thought he should recover, he replied, "I do not trouble myself about it." He exercised a holy confidence in Christ, and thence derived substantial comfort. When his friends endeavoured to comfort him by the recollection of his extensive usefulness, he said, " If the Lord be not a God pardoning sins, I am in a miserable condition." And expressing their desires for his recovery, he said, "If the Lord pleased, I should be content to live longer, that I might be further useful, and bear my share of sufferings. For I expect a very sharp combat: the last combat we shall have with antichrist." As the agonies of death were upon him, being asked how he did, he said, I am going to heaven. He died October 20, 1640, aged fifty-five years. "He lived by faith," says Fuller," was an excellent schoolman and schoolmaster, a painful preacher, and a profitable writer; and his Treatise of Faith' cannot be sufficiently commended."+ Wood says, "he lived and died a nonconformist, in a poor house, a poor habit, with a poor maintenance of about twenty pounds a year, and in an obscure village, teaching school all the week for his further support; yet leaving the character of a learned, pious, and eminently useful man:" and we may add, in the words of Mr. Baxter, "he deserved as high esteem and honour as the best bishop in England."+ It is observed, that Mr. John Harrison, of Ashton-underLyne in Lancashire, was exceedingly harassed by the intolerant proceedings of the bishops, and put to great expenses in the ecclesiastical courts; when he consulted Mr. Ball what he should do to be delivered from these troubles. Mr. Ball recommended him to reward the bishops well with money; for it is that," said he, " which they look for." Mr. Harrison, it is added, tried the experiment, and afterwards enjoyed quietness.§ His WORKS.-1. A short Treatise containing all the principal Grounds of the Christian Religion, 1632.-This work was so much Clark's Lives, p. 148–152. + Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 339. Wood's Athenæ Oxon, vol. i. p. 542, 543. admired, that, previous to this year, it passed through fourteen editions, and was translated into the Turkish language.-2. A Treatise of Faith, 1637.—3. Friendly Trial of the Grounds tending to Separation, 1640.-4. An Answer to two Treatises of Mr. John Can. the Leader of the English Brownists at Amsterdam, 1642.-5. Trial of the New Church-way in New England and Old, 1644.-6. A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace, 1645.-7. Of the Power of Godliness, doctrinally and practically handled, 1657.*—This includes several other articles. -8. A Treatise of Divine Meditation, 1660.-Several of the abov● pieces were published by Mr. Simeon Ashe, after Mr. Ball's death. THOMAS BREWER was a zealous minister of the baptist persuasion, who suffered the most cruel usage under the ecclesiastical oppressions of Bishop Laud. It does not appear whether he was ever beneficed in the established church. The first account of him we meet with, is, that, in the year 1626, he was a preacher among the separatists in and about Ashford in Kent. In that year, through the instigation of Laud, he was prosecuted and censured in the high commission court, and committed to prison, where he remained no less than fourteen years. The archbishop, afterwards speaking of the mischief done by the nonconformity of Mr. Biewer and Mr. Turner, says, "The hurt which they have done is so deeply rooted, that it is impossible to be plucked up on a sudden; but I must crave time to work it off by little and little." His grace, however, certainly fixed upon the most direct and effectual method of doing this. For, in his account of his province addressed to the king, in the year 1637, he says, "I must give your majesty to understand, that at and about Ashford in Kent, the separatists continue to hold their conventicles, notwithstanding the excommunication of so many of them as have been discovered. Two or three of their principal ringleaders, Brewer, Fenner, and Turner, have long been kept in prison, and it was once thought fit to proceed against them by the statute of abjuration. Not long since Brewer slipt out of prison, and went to Rochester and other parts of Kent, and held conventicles, and put a great many people into great distempers against the church. He is taken again, and was called before the high commission, where he stood silent, but in such a jeering scornful manner, as I scarcely This work indicates much reflection, an experimental acquaintance with the powers of the soul, and the workings of sin and grace.— Williams's Christian Preacher, p. 455. + Upon this part of the archbishop's account, his majesty inserted the following recommendation: "Keep those persons fast, until you think "what to do with the rest."-Wharton's Troubles of Laud, vol. i p. 546. ever saw the like. So in prison he remains." This was a short and certain method of stopping their mouths. Mr. Brewer having been confined in prison fourteen years, even till the meeting of the long parliament, he was then set at liberty by an order from the house of commons, November 28, 1640, upon his promise to be forthcoming when called; and this is all we know of him.t LAWRENCE CHADDERTON, D. D.-This celebrated divine was born at Chadderton in Lancashire, in the year 1537, having descended from a wealthy family. He was brought up in the darkness of popery; and his father, intending him for the law, sent him to the inns of court. But he soon renounced popery; became a religious protestant; forsook the study of the law; and entered Christ's college, Cambridge. This was in the year 1564. Having turned protestant, and fixed himself in the university, he informed his father of it, requesting some pecuniary support: but his father, being a zealous papist, was so displeased at his becoming a protestant, that he utterly refused to afford him any aid, and disinherited him of considerable estates. Also, as a manifestation of his great resentment, "his father sent him a poke, with a groat in it, to go a begging." Though he was abandoned by his parents, he found great comfort from these words: "When thy father and mother forsake thee, the Lord will take thee up." He who called him to suffer reproach and the loss of all things for his name, gave him support and comfort under all his sufferings. Young Chadderton, now cast off by his unnatural parents, still continued at the university, and made the closest application to his studies. Indeed, he soon became so eminent a scholar, that in three years, he was chosen fellow of his college. In the year 1576, he had a public dispute with Dr. Baro, the Margaret professor, upon his Arminian tenets, when he displayed his great learning, piety, and moderation. He afterwards took an active part in the proceedings of the university, against both Baro and Barret, and united with other heads in addressing certain letters to the chancellor of the university. For the space of sixteen * Wharton's Troubles of Laud, vol. i. p. 535, 54G. + Nalson's Collec. vol. i. p. 570. Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 117. Fuller's Hist. of Cam. p. 145, 146.—Strype's Aunals, vol. iii. p. 47, 48. |