536 The H I S TO RY of the PURITANS. Chap. HI. K. Charles L " ful and necegary. authority ; for we do expect our fubjeéts Ihould yield 1628. as much fubmifiion to our royal prerogative, and as ready obedience " to our authority and commandments, as has been performed to the " greateft of our predeceffors. Wewill not have our mixtiflers terrified by " harfly proceedings againft them ; for as we expect our minifters fhould " obey us, they (hall aflure themfelves we will protect them." Aproclama- This declaration not quieting the people, was followed by a proclama- tion ogain/t prefcríbing.a tion , which put an end to all profpects ofrecovering the conflitution for the timefor call- future. The proclamation declares his majefly's, royal pleafure, " That ingparlia- " fpreaders of falle reports (hall be feverely punifhed ; that fuch as cheat.- mentr for the << fully go on with their trades, (hall have all good encouragement That future. Ru(hw. " he will not over-charge his fubje is with any new burdens, but will fa- Vol. H. " tisfy himfelf with the duties received by his royal father, which he nei- P 3 " ther can, nor will difpenfe with. And whereas, for feveral ill ends, the " calling of another parliament is divulged, his majefty declares, that the " late abufe having for the prefent driven his majefly unwillingly out of " that courfe, he (hall account it prefumption for any to prefcribe any a0 time to his tnajefty for parliaments, the calling continuing and di(foly- " ing of which, is always in the king's own power." - -Here was an endof the old englifh conftitution, for twelve years. England was now an abfolute monarchy ; the king's proclamations and orders of council were the laws of the land ; the mini(ters of flare fported themfelves in the,moft wanton as of power; and the religion laws and liberties of this coun- .try lay proftrate and overwhelmed by an inundation of popery and op- preflion. Death and This year died the Reverend Dr. yohn Prefton, defcended of the fami- charaaer of of the Preßons in Lancafhire. He was born at Heyford in Northampton- Dr: Prelton. t¿,ire in the parifh of Bugbrook 5587. and was admitted of King's col - Drrpreaeo, lege Cambridge, Pretton. $ , 560¢. from whence he was afterwards removed to queen's college, and admitted fellow in the year 5609. He was an ambitious and afpiring youth, till having received Tome religious impreflions from Mr. Cotton, in a fermon preached by him at St. Mary's church, he became re- ínarkably ferious, and bent all his ftudies to the ferviceof Chri(t in the mi- niftry. When the king came to Cambridge, Mr. Prelims was appointed to difpute before him : The queftion was, whether brutes had reafon, or could make fyllogifms? Mr. Preflon maintained the affirmative ; and in= ftanced in a hound, who conning to a place where three ways meet, finells one way and the other ; but hot finding the (cent, runs down the third with full cry, concluding that the hare not being gone either of the two firft ways, mull neceffarily be gone the third. The argument had a won- derful affect on the audience, and would have opened a door for Mr. Preflon's preferment, had not his inclinations to puritanitin been a bar in the
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