15, 1678, departed this life, my most dear and honoured mother, aged, as I suppose, seventy-eight; whose death, for some considerations, was a great wound to me. Yet have I good hope that her soul is received to the mercy of God, and her sins pardoned through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, in whom she trufted, and whose servant she hath been from her youth up.' He resided at Black Notley, in a house of his own erection, and there he died, January 17, 1704, and was buried, according to his own desire, in the parish church. There is a small monument erected to his memory there, which was originally erected in the churchyard, but was afterwards removed into the church. It contains this inscription: Eruditissimi viri Johannis Raii, A.M. | Quicquid mortale fuit | Hoc in angufto tumulo reconditum est | At Scripta | Non una continet regio: | Et Fama undequaque celeberrima | Vetat Mori. | Collegii S. S. Trinitatis Cantab fuit olim Socius | Necnon Societatis Regiæ apud Londinienses Sodalis | Egregium utriusque Ornamentum | In omni Scientiarum genere | Tam Divinarum quam Humanarum | Versatissimus | Et sicut alter Solomon cui forsan unico Secundus, A Cedro ad Hyssopum | Ab Animalium maximis, ad minima usque Insecta | Exquisitam nactus est Notitiam. | Nec de Plantis solum, qua patet Terræ facies | Accuratissime disseruit | Sed, et intima ipsius viscera sagacissime rimatus | Quicquid notatu dignum in universa Natura | Descripsit. | Apud exteras Gentes agens Quæ aliorum oculos fugerunt, diligenter exploravit, | Multaque scitu dignissima primus in Lucem protulit: | Quod superest, ea Morum simplicitate præditus, | Ut fuerit absque Invidia Doctus: | Sublimis Ingenii | Et quod raro accidit, divini simul animi et modefti | Non sanguine at Genere insignis, | Sed quod majus | Propria Virtute Illuftris. De Opibus Titulisque obtinendis | Param solicitus | Haec potius mereri voluit quam adipisci; | Dum sub Privato Lare, sua sorte contentus, | (Fortuna lautiori dignus) consenuit. | In rebus aliis sibi modum facili imposuit, | In studiis nullum. | Quid Plura? | Hisce omnibus | Pietatem minime fucatam adjunxit, Ecclesiæ Anglicana | (Id quod supremo halitu

conformavit) | Totus et ex animo addictus. | Sic bene latuit, bene vixit, vir beatus | Quæ præsens Aetas Colit, poftera mirabitur.'

Calamy says of him, although he was a lay conformist, and frequented the publick prayers and sacraments as long as his health and strength would permit, yet he was a considerable sufferer by the Act of Uniformity, and he was never to be persuaded to a ministerial conformity. After the revolution, when Dr. Tillotson, who was his intimate acquaintance, was advanced to the see of Canterbury, some of his friends in London were earnest with him to move that prelate for some preferment in the church, but he always declined it, giving his reason to an acquaintance in the country, who urged him upon that head, that though he made use of the Book of Common Prayer, and approved of it as a form, yet he could not declare his unfeigned assent and consent to all and everything contained in' it.' To another person he said, he thought the parents the fittest persons to be inftructed to promise for their own children, and accounted it an error to have sponsors; and condemned the practice of bringing scandalous and unfit persons under such a solemn vow and promise, in the office for baptizing children.'

A complete catalogue of the learned works of this distinguished man is given, for the first time, by Dr. Edwin Lancaster, one of the profeffors at New College, St. John's Wood, in an admirable memoir prefixed to the Ray Correspondence,' published under his editorship by the Ray Society, 1858. They are very numerous, chiefly written in Latin, and nearly all on scientific subjects. A volume of Ray's select remains was published in 1760 by W. Derham, then rector of Upminster.*

* Cal. Acc. 87; Cont. 120; Lancaster's Memoir.

CHAPTER IV.

MINISTERS EJECTED OR SILENCED IN OTHER COUNTIES, WHO AFTERWARDS SETTLED OR LABOURED IN ESSEX.

Samuel Backler. Ejected from WHATFIELD, in the county of Suffolk. According to Walker this was a sequestration. George Carter had previously been the rector. According to the same authority, Carter had also been rector of Elmset.

The Rev. R. A. Peckham, the present rector of Whatfield, kindly informs me, from the parish registers, that Backler settled there in 1649, and also that he built the parsonage house in 1657. He further obliges me with the following entries relating to him: September 15, 1661, Samuel, son of Samuel Backler, cl., and his wife, baptized. June 10, 1662, Ann Backler, the loving wife of Samuel Backler, buryed. January 23, 1663, Samuel, the son of Samuel Backler, was buryed.'

Shortly after his ejection, Backler removed to Dedham, where he died, and was buried at Whatfield, January 18, 1687. His funeral sermon was preached by John Fairfax. During his residence at Dedham, Backler preached at Manningtree, as 22nd July, 1672, a license was granted to him to be a Congregational teacher in the house of George White,' in that town. The present congregation at Manningtree dates only from the commencement of this century.*

Nathaniel Ball. Ejected? from BARLEY, in the county of Herts. He was born at Pitminster, near Taunton Dean, in Somersetshire, in the year 1623. His parents had the great joy of seeing him decided in early life. Having passed from the

• Cal. Acc. 654; License Book S. P. O. ; ante p. 340.

country schools to the University of Cambridge, he was admitted into King's College. Here he became distinguished as a claffical, oriental, and biblical scholar. He also spoke French so well that he was sometimes taken for a native of France. While at the University he formed the acquaintance and gained the respect, among others, of Tillotson, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury. After his removal from the University he settled at Barley, the vicarage of which parish had then recently been sequestered from Herbert Thorndike, who was also, according to Walker, ejected from his fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge. While at Barley he spent himself in his Master's work, and shined as a burning light in the golden candlestick, wasting himself and shortening his days, as the candle is consumed by giving light to others, by his indefatigable labours. Here he married the daughter of a neighbouring minister, by whom he had ten sons and three daughters.' Five of these were born at Barley: Nathaniel, December 17, 1652; Samuel, July 10, 1654; Gabriell, May 25, 1656; Joseph, May 20, 1657; and Mary, February 24, 1658. These are all entered in the parish register as children of 'Mr. Nathaniel Ball, minister, and Mary, his wife.' Thorndike recovered his living, and Ball was ejected.

After his ejectment, Ball resided for a short time in the parish where he had been a minifter,' and then removed to Royston, where the people . . . chose him as their publick minifter.' After the paffing of the Act of Uniformity this post also failed him, as the tenderness of his conscience and great zeal for the purity of gospel worship kept him from conforming.' He did not immediately leave Royston, but 'continued in the town for some time,' going up and down as opportunity offered, preaching to and exhorting such as came in his way. He afterwards retired to Little Chishill; of which parish his brother-in-law, Robert Parr, became the rector soon after the ejection of James Willett. While at Chishill, Ball not only preached there, but also at Epping, Cambridge, Bayford, and several other places. In 1668 we find him taking part with Scanderet, Barnard, Havers, Coleman, and Billio, in

two public disputes with George Whitehead, the Quaker. And in 1669 he is returned to Sheldon as being teacher to a conventicle at Thaxted, in connection with Scambridge (Scanderet) and Billoway (Billio).' On the declaration of 1672, Ball, who is then described as of Nether Chishill, was licensed to be a 'general Presbyterian teacher in any allowed place." His license bears date 25th May, 1672. In June, 1672, his house at Epping was licensed to be a Prefbyterian meeting place,' and he himself was licensed in August to be a Prefbyterian teacher in his own house' there.

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During this period of indefatigable labour Ball suffered great privations. He lived in a small cottage, of forty shillings a year rent; and frequently suffered the spoiling of his goods, but would frequently say that he never lived better than when he knew not how to live. His great labours in his Master's vineyard shortened his days, but drew him nearer to his rest. In his sickness his patience was most exemplary, bearing his pains with a Chriftian fortitude, and refigning himself for life and death unto his Lord's disposal. For him to live was to glorifie Christ, and to die was gain. So he might be further useful and serviceable in his ministry, he was well contented with life; but, to be dissolved and to be at home with Christ being better for him in case of unserviceableness, this was earnestly desired by him. To such as visited him in his languishing he gave serious counsels of providing in health for sickness, in life for death, in time for eternity. He was much in prayer for the afflicted church of God, bitterly lamenting the case of England, mourning for those great sins committed in the midst of us, and trembling at the thoughts of those heavy judgments hanging over our heads. He sadly and sorrowfully laid to his heart the unnatural breaches among Proteftants. He was grieved at heart for the unbecoming lives of many minifters, and of multitudes of professors of so pure a religion whose lives indeed are a flat contradiction to it. He had long waited for his blessed change, and that salvation he had believed, prayed, and expected: the Lord, his Master, whom he had faithfully served, put him into posseffion of it at last.