John Ball (Puritan)

John Ball (October 1585 – 20 October 1640) was an English puritan divine, born in Cassington, 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. 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.

References

*1911

Works reprinted

* "A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace" (1645) ISBN 1-84685-278-1

External links

* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc01.b.html?term=ball%20john Schaff Herzog article on John Ball]
* [http://website.lineone.net/~reynoldsp/cov000.htm A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (1645)] Posthumous work by John Ball - first few chapters only in this online text.
* [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1215 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article] - this is a subscription service but many UK library users can access it with their library card number.