The publication of The Works of William Perkins is a landmark event in Christian publishing. Long overdue, the republishing of this “Father of the Puritans” will give new life to Puritan studies. Edited by J. Stephen Yuille (Review Editor for Spirituality and Christian Living here at Books At a Glance) under the general editorship of Joel Beeke and Derek Thomas, volume 1 is now available. We are very pleased to have Drs. Yuille and Beeke with us today to talk about their new work – and their fascinating subject!
Books At a Glance (Fred Zaspel):
First, let’s talk about William Perkins himself – perhaps you could introduce our readers to him briefly. Who was he?
Yuille & Beeke:
Perkins was born in 1558 in the village of Marston Jabbet (near Coventry) in Warwickshire. No parish registers exist, so it’s impossible to trace his family ancestry. We do know that he was lame in his right hand. This must have presented a significant challenge for a young boy living in the world of plow and harness. He demonstrated sufficient promise as a student that his family enrolled him in Christ’s College, Cambridge, when he was nineteen years of age. He was converted to Christ during his early years at Cambridge. After receiving his master’s degree in 1584, he was ordained to the ministry. He preached at Great St. Andrew’s Church from 1584 until his death. He was also elected to a fellowship at Christ’s College. He held this position from 1584 to 1595. He married a young widow, Timothye Cradock, in 1595. During their seven years of marriage, they conceived seven children – three of whom died in infancy. He succumbed to complications arising from kidney stones in 1602 at age forty-four.
Books At a Glance:
Give us a sense of Perkins’s significance historically and theologically. What kind of influence did he have – in his own day and after?
Yuille & Beeke:
Perkins’s legacy is multi-faceted. For starters, he was instrumental in securing the Reformation in England. The English Reformation was a drawn out process, in which the country moved back and forth on multiple occasions between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism as monarchs came and went. In a span of twenty years, the religion of the land shifted four times. But the reign of Elizabeth I brought stability, and provided the much-needed climate for English Reformers to solidify the church’s position. Perkins played a pivotal role in this, and his works became the standard polemic against Rome.
In addition to the English Reformation, Perkins made an incalculable contribution to the advancement of Reformed theology. Jacob Arminius’s treatment of predestination was predicated to a large extent on Perkins’s writings. This factor ensured that many of the theological ideas at the heart of the debate at the Synod of Dort actually were well-grounded in Perkins’s writings. Unknown to him, he left a discernible imprint upon what would later be called “the five points of Calvinism.”
Finally, Perkins shaped the future of pastoral ministry on both sides of the Atlantic. His role as a physician of the soul became paradigmatic for succeeding generations of ministers. His emphasis on expounding the text, deriving doctrines from the text, and applying those doctrines through a plethora of uses, is clearly evident in the collected sermons of subsequent Puritan preachers. His method of preaching shaped the English pulpit well into the eighteenth century, and is still felt in some quarters of the church today
Books At a Glance:
You mention in your book that Perkins both was and was not a Puritan. Can you explain that to us?
Yuille & Beeke:
Strictly speaking, Perkins was not a Puritan in terms of his ecclesiology, because he refused to align himself with the more militant figures of his era. He understood the church’s most pressing need not in terms of ecclesiastical innovation, but theological instruction. He viewed the church as being sound in its official doctrine and worship, yet woefully hampered on account of inadequate teaching. He understood his calling in terms of filling this void, thereby bringing others to a better understanding of the faith. When we say that Perkins was a Puritan, we’re referring to his piety. He would never have described himself as a Puritan, given its negative connotation, yet it’s the very term that others used, favorably or not, to describe that experimental theology so prevalent in his life and ministry.
Books At a Glance:
You mentioned in the book that Perkins was a “master of experimental theology.” Would you explain that for us? What is “experimental theology”? And is this characteristic of Perkins’s teaching and writings throughout, as well as his preaching?
Yuille & Beeke:
The term experimental comes from the Latin verb experior – “to know by experience.” Although Perkins preached about God’s sovereign grace in salvation, he was particularly concerned about how this grace breaks through into our experience. He wanted to explain how we respond to God’s sovereign grace in humiliation, faith, repentance, obedience, and assurance. This conviction is evident throughout Perkins’s works. He was convinced that the gospel (union with Christ through faith) is always transformative, producing godliness, cultivating new obedience, making a divorce between sin and the soul, moderating inordinate affections, stirring a desire for holiness, setting the soul upon the means of grace, and producing zeal in religion. He was also convinced that people must experience an affective appropriation of God’s sovereign grace, moving beyond intellectual assent to heartfelt dedication to Christ.
Books At a Glance:
Talk to us about Perkins’s popularity both as a preacher and as an author. I think many will be surprised to learn that Perkins’s writings became more popular than Calvin! What accounts for this? Perhaps you could also mention something about those with whom he was popular – did he write for fellow theologians only?
Yuille & Beeke:
In seeking to account for Perkins’s popularity, one scholar identifies two unique features in his writings: first, “an ability to …
Editor’s Note: We will continue our interview with Drs. Beeke and Yuille here tomorrow.
