LEY. 403 of naming individuals was exceedingly common in the time of the civil wars ; yet the absurd practice was not peculiar to that period ; but was in use long before, and continues, in some measure, even to the present day. It is said that the genealogy of our Saviour might be learnt from the names in Cromwell's regiments; and that the muster-master used no other list than the first chapter of Matthew. JOHN LEY, A. M.-This laborious divine was born at Warwick, February 4, 1.583, and educated at Christ's Church, Oxford. Having finished his studies at the university, he was presented to the vicarage of Great Budworth in Cheshire, where he continued a constant preacher for several years. Afterwards, he was made prebendary and sub-dean of Chester, where he had aweekly lecture at St. Peter's church, ' and was once or twice elected member of the convocation. But having always been puritanically inclined, he, upon the commencement of the civil war, espoused the cause of the parliament, took the covenant, was chosen one of the assembly of divines, and appointed Latin examiner to the assembly. A certain writer has placed Mr. Ley at the head of those divines who, he says, " encouraged tumults " and whom, in derision, he styles " able, holy, faithful, laborious, and truly peaceable preachers of the gospel." The proofof his accusa- tion is containedin Mr. Ley's own words, which are asfollows: -" It is not unknown, nor unobserved by the wise,, that the ministers have been very serviceable to the civil state, and to the military too ; not only by their supplications to God for good success in all their undertakings, and their happy pro- ceedings in all their warlike marches and motions, as at the removal of the ark, Num. x. 35., Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered : Let them that hate thee, flee before thee; but by their informations and solicitations of the people to engage both their estates and persons in the cause of God and their country." The author, having produced these, with some other similar citations, triumphantly adds: " After these proofs and declarations of the ministers' zeal and industry for promoting, supporting, and carrying on the late bloody, impious, and unnatural war; let any man take upon him any longer to acquit the nonconformist divines of the guilt and consequence of that execrable rebellion.". These are certainly L'Estranges's Dissenters' Sayings, part ii. p. 51,55.
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