The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, William Perkins
I. WHITGIFT
The Life of William Perkins, who died Ano Christi 1602.
WIlliam Perkins was born at Marston in Warwickshire, His birth and education.Anno 1558, and brought up at School; from which he went to Christ's Colledge in Cambridg, where he profited so much in his Studies, that having got the grounds of all the liberall Arts, he was chosen Fellow of that Colledge in the 24th year of Queen Elisabeth. He was very wild in his youth,His conversion but the Lord in merciemercy was pleased to reclaim him, that he might be an eminent instrument of good in his Church. When he first entred into the Minist…e, beeing moved with pittie towards their souls, he prevailed with the jaylor to bring the Prisoners (fettered as they were) to the Shirchouse hard by the Prison, where he Preached every Lord's daie to them; and it pleased God so to prosper and succeed his labors amongst them,He preaches to the prisoners. He converts many of them. that he was the happy▪ instrument of converting many of them unto God: Freeing them thereby from the Captivity of sin, which was their worst bondage.
This his practice being once known, many resorted to that place out of the neighbor-Parishes to hear him: So that from thence he was chosen to Saint Andrews Parish in Cambridge, He is chosen pastor. Preachers pattern. His Character.where he Preached all his life after. His Sermons were not so plain, but the piously learned did admire them; nor so learned, but the plain did understand them. Hee brought the Schools into the Pulpit, and unshelling their controversies out of their hard School-tearms, made thereof plain and wholsom meat for his people. He was an excellent Chirurgion at the jointing of a broken Soul, and at stating of a doubtfull conscience, so that the afflicted in spirit came far and near to him, and received much satisfaction, and comfort by him. In his Sermons he used to pronounce the word Damn with such an Emphasis,Note. The powerfulnesse of his ministry. as left a dolefull Echo in his auditors ears a good while after: And when hee was Catechist in Christ's Colledge, in expounding the Commandements, he applied them so home to the conscience, as was able to make his hearers hearts fall down, and their haires almost to stand upright. But in his old age he was more mi…d…, often professing that to Preach mercy was the proper office of the Ministers of the Gospel. In his life he was so …, and spotlesse, that Malice was afraid to bite at his credit, into which she knew that her teeth could not enter. He had a rare felicity in reading of books,His … in …ding. and as it were but turning them over, would give an exact account of all that was considerable therein: He perused books so speedily that one would think he read nothing, and yet so acurately that one would think he read all. Hee was of a cheerfull nature, and pleasant disposition: Somewhat reserved to strangers, but when once acquainted, very familiar. Besides his frequent Preaching,His painfulnes. he wrote many excellent books, both Treatises and Commentaries, which for their worth were many of them translated into Latine, and sent beyond sea, where to this day they are highly prized, and much set by, yea some of them are translated into French, High-Dutch, and Low-Dutch; and his Reformed Catholick was translated into Spanish also, yet no Spaniard ever since durst take up the Gantlet of Defiance cast down by this Champion: He died in the forty fourth year of his age of a violent fit of the Stone, Anno Christi 1602, being born the first, and dying the last year of Queen Elizabeth.His death.
He was of a ruddy complexion, fat, and corpulent: Lame of his right hand,He was same of his right hand. yet this Ehud with a left-handed pen did stab the Romish cause; as one saith,
Dextera quantumvis fuerat tibi manca, docendi
Pollebas mirâ dexteritate tamen.
Though nature thee of thy right hand bereft,
Right-well thou writest with thy hand that's left.
He was buried with great solemnity at the sole charges of Christs Colledge, the University and Town striving which should expresse more sorrow at his Funeral; Doctor Montague Preached his Funeral Sermon upon that Text,Iosh. 1. 2. Moses my servant is dead.
Master Perkins his manner was to go with the Prisoners to the pla… of execution when they were condemned, and what … his labours were crowned with, may appeare by this example. A young lusty fellow going up the ladder discovered an extraordinary lumpishnesse, and dejection of spirit, and when he turned himselfe at the upper round to speak to the people,A thief converted at his death he looked with a rueful and heavy countenance, as if he had been half dead already: whereupon Master Perkins laboured to chear up his spirits, and finding him still in an Agony, and distresse of minde, he said unto him, What man? what is the matter with thee? art thou afraid of death? Ah no (said the Prisoner, shaking his head) but of a worser thing: Saist thou so? (said Master Perkins) come down again man, and thou shalt see what Gods grace will doe to strengthen thee: Whereupon the prisoner coming down, Master Perkins took him by the hand, & made him kneel down with himself at the ladder foot hand in hand, when that blessed man of God made such an effectuall prayer in confession of sinnes, and aggravating thereof in all circumstances, with the horrible and eternal punishment due to the same by Gods justice,Power of Prayer. as made the poor prisoner burst out into abundance of tears; and Master Perkins finding that he had brought him low enough, even to hell gates, he proceeded to the second part of his prayer, and therein to shew him the Lord Jesus (the Saviour of all penitent, and believing sinners) stretching forth his blessed hand of mercy, and power to save him in that distressed estate, and to deliver him from all the powers of darkness; which he did so sweetly press with such heavenly art, and powerfull words of grace upon the soul of the poor prisoner, as cheared him up again to look beyond death, with the eyes of Faith, to see how the black lines of all his sinnes were crossed, and cancelled with the red lines of his crucified Saviours precious blood; so graciously applying it to his wounded conscience, as made him break out into new showres of tears for joy of the inward consolation which he found, and gave such expression of it to the beholders, as made them life up their hands, and praise God to see such a blessed change in him; who (the prayer being ended) rose from his knees chearfully, and went up the Ladder again so comforted, and tooke his death with such patience, and alacrity, as if he actually saw himself delivered from the hell which he feared before, and heaven opened for the receiving of his soul, to the great rejoycing of the beholders.
His works are printed in three volumes.His Works.