Life

Ball was born at Aberbury in Shropshire

Shropshire

Shropshire is a 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. It borders Wales to the west...

. While still young he was appointed usher in the then famous school of Mr. Puller, at Epping

Epping

Epping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....

, in Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, where he stayed for two years. Then he entered Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College, Cambridge

Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...

 in 1615. He proceeded M.A. in 1625. He was received by John Preston

John Preston (clergyman)

John Preston D.D. was an English puritan minister of the church, and master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.-Upbringing:John Preston was the son of Thomas Preston, a farmer, was born at Upper Heyford in the parish of Bugbrook, Northamptonshire, and was baptised at Bugbrook church on 27 October...

 as a pupil as recommended by Puller; when Preston became master of Emmanuel College

Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...

, he took Ball along with him from Queens'.

Ball obtained a fellowship, and had a large group of pupils; his exercises and sermons at St. Mary's gained him distinction as a preacher. He accepted a call to the church of Northampton

Northampton

Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...

 about 1630, and conducted the weekly lecture there for about twenty-seven years. When the plague came to the town, he remained and ministered.

He was three times married, and had a large family. He died, aged sixty-nine, in 1659, and was buried 21 June. His funeral sermon

Sermon

A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...

 was preached by his neighbour, John Howes; it was published under the title of Real Comforts, and included notes on his life.

Works

Ball printed only one book, Ποιμηνόπυργος — Pastorum Propugnaculum, or the Pulpit's Patronage against the Force of Unordained Usurpation and Invasion. (London, 1656). This is full of out-of-the-way learning. Pastorum Propugnaculum is a defence of the church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

: it vindicates the reasonableness and scripturalness of 'ordination' and of adequate learning; but states the objections of opponents.

Ball, with Thomas Goodwin

Thomas Goodwin

Thomas Goodwin , known as 'the Elder', was an English Puritan theologian and preacher, and an important leader of religious Independents. He served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and was imposed by Parliament as President of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1650...

, also edited and published the numerous posthumous works of his friend John Preston.