John Preston

John Preston (1587–1628) was an Anglican minister and master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Upbringing John Preston, the son of Thomas Preston, a farmer, and his wife Alice, daughter of Lawrence Marsh of Northampton, was born at Upper Heyford in the parish of Bugbrook, Northamptonshire. He was baptised at Bugbrook church on 27 October 1587.

Career as a preacher About 1611, the year in which he commenced MA, he heard a sermon at St Mary's from John Cotton, then fellow of Emmanuel, which opened to him a new career. Cotton had a great reputation as an elegant preacher; but this was a plain evangelical sermon, and disappointed his audience. He returned to his rooms, somewhat mortified by his reception, when Preston knocked at his door, and that close religious friendship began which permanently influenced the lives of both. Preston now gave himself to the study of scholastic divinity; Aquinas seems to have been his favourite; he thoroughly mastered also Duns Scotus and William of Ockham.

Buckingham was elected chancellor of Cambridge University on 1 June 1626. Preston did not oppose his election, as Joseph Mead and others did: but he now felt his position in the university insecure, looked to Lincoln's Inn as a refuge in case he were ousted from Cambridge, and as a last resort contemplated a migration to Basle. A private letter to a member of parliament, in which Preston suggested a line of opposition to Buckingham, came by an accident into Buckingham's hands. Seeing that Preston's influence at court was waning, the fellows of Emmanuel petitioned the king to annul the statute limiting the tenure of their fellowships. Buckingham supported their plea. Preston had the support of Sir Henry Mildmay, the founder's grandson. At length a compromise was reached. Charles suspended the statute (5 May 1627) till such time as six new livings of £100 a year should be annexed to the college. Buckingham was now engaged with his ill-fated expedition (27 June 1627) to the Isle of Ré. In November Preston preached before Charles at Whitehall a sermon which was regarded as prophetic when, on the following Wednesday, news arrived of Buckingham's defeat (8 November) He was not allowed to preach again, but considered that he had obtained a moral victory for his cause. "I feel death coming into my heart; my pain shall now be turned into joy"

He was buried on 28 July in Fawsley church, John Dod, rector of the neighbouring parish of Fawsley, preaching the funeral sermon. There is no monument to his memory. A fine engraved portrait of him is prefixed to his New Covenant, 1629; it is poorly reproduced in Clarke; there are also two smaller engravings. As Ball describes him, 'he was of an able, firme, well-tempered constitution, comely visage, vigorous and vived eye'. He was unmarried. His will provided for his mother and brothers, founded exhibitions at Emmanuel College, and left his books and furniture to Thomas Ball, his favourite pupil and his minute biographer.

Character of Preston Preston's early inclination for diplomacy was symptomatic of his character, which Fuller has summed as that of 'a perfect politician' apt 'to flutter most on that place which was furthest from his eggs'. He had 'great self-command, kept his own counsel, and was impervious to outside criticism'. Only to Ball does he seem to have frankly bared his mind, and Ball's admiring delineation of him furnishes a singular picture of cautious astuteness and constitutional reserve. It is clear that his heart was firmly set on the propagation of the Calvinistic theology; his posthumous works (edited by Richard Sibbes, John Davenport, Thomas Ball, and partly by Thomas Goodwin, D.D.) are a storehouse of argument in its favour.

Publications 1. The Saints Daily Exercise; or a ... Treatise of Prayer, 3rd edit. 1629 2. The New Covenant ... XIV Sermons on Genesis xvii. 1, 2, 1629 3. Four Sermons, 1630 4. Five Sermons ... before his Majestie, 1630 5. The Breastplate of Faith and Love, 1630 6. The Doctrine of the Saints Infirmities, Amsterdam 1630 7. Life Eternal; or a ... Treatise ... of the Divine ... Attributes in XVII Sermons, 1631 8. The Law Out Lawed, Edinburgh, 1631 9. An Elegant ... Description of Spirituall Life and Death, 1632 10. The Deformed Forme of a Formall Profession, Edinburgh, 1632; London, 1641 11. Sinnes Overthrow; or a ... Treatise of Mortification, 2nd edit. 1633 12. Foure ... Treatises, 1633, including: 1. A Remedy against Covetousness 2. An elegant and Lively Description of Spiritual Life and Death 3. The Doctrine of Selfe-deniall 4. Three Sermons upon the Sacrament 13. The Saints Qualification, 3rd edit. 1634 14. A Liveles Life; or Man's Spirituall Death 3rd edit. 1635 15. A Sermon preached at Lincolnes-Inne, 1635 16. Remaines of ... John Preston, 2nd edit. 1637 17. The Golden Scepter ... Three Treatises, 1638 18. Mount Ebal ... Treatise of the Divine Love, 1638 19. The Saints Submission, 1638 20. The Fulnesse of Christ, 1640 21. The Christian Freedome, 1641 22. De Irresistibilitate Gratise Convertentis. Thesis habita in Scholis Publicis Academies Cantabrigiensis . . . Ex ipsius manuscript, 1643 (in English, The Position of John Preston ... Concerning the Irresistiblenesse of Converting Grace, 1654) 23. Riches of Mercy, 1658