PERKINS
953
PERKINS
for the support of himself and family, he was ever ready to help the various causes of benevolence. He attended nearly all the quarterly and annual sessions of the Free-will Baptists in New Hampshire for sixty- five years. He was six times chosen a member of the American Free-will Baptist General Conference, and for twelve years was one of tlie corporators of the Printing Establishment. Nor did he serve the Church alone. He always had more or less probate business on his hands, defending the rights of the widow and orphan. He also represented his town in the legisla- ture of his state eleven consecutive years. Honest in business, far-seeing in judgment, kind and judicious in counsel, he was consulted with confidence, and his opin- ion was received as just and safe. It is difficult to de- scribe his sermons, for their completeness allowed of no peculiar characteristics. They were studied, but not written — logical, compact, and vigorous. He may have been called a doctrinal preacher, though he gave no undue prominence to any dogma, and was practical as well. When he rose to speak, his portly form, large head, and open countenance were imposing, and the hearer felt himself in the presence of a man before a word was spoken. If such was his life, what need be said of his death? It was what migiit have been ex- pected— peaceful, resigned, trustfully waiting the will of the Lord. January 18, 187(5, the summons came, and the venerable man, tlie faithful servant of God, was taken to his rest. See Free-uill BaptUt Quar. v, 120 sq. (\V. H.W.)
Perkins, Col. Thomas Handasyd, an Ameri- can mcrciiant, noted for his phihinthropic labors, was born in Boston Dec. 15, 17(!4. He began his commer- cial life in partnership with his elder brother James, who was a resident of St. Domingo when the insurrec- tion of the blacks occurred, and was compelled to flee for his life. In 1789 he went as supercargo to Batavia and Canton, and obtained a thorough acquaintance with the Oriental trade. The brothers afterwards embarked in the trade to the north-west coast, Canton, and Cal- cutta, in which they acquired great wealth. Soon after the death of James, in 1822, Col. Perkins retired from active business. The Perkins fiimily gave over $60,000 to the Boston Athenieum. He took a prominent part in the erection of the Bunker-hill Monument, and gave his estate in Pearl Street, valued at .f'40,000, for the use of the Asylum for the Blind. He was also in 1827 the projector of the (^uinc}' Railway, the first in the United States. Subsequently he was much inter- ested in urging forward the completion of the Wash- ington Monument ; and was also the largest contribu- tor to the Mercantile Library Association. For many j'ears he represented Boston in both branches of the state legislature. See Drake, Diet. oJ'Amer. Biog. s. v. ; Allibone, Did. of Brit, and Amer. Auth. s. v.
Perkins, "William (1), an eminent divine of the Church of England, noted as one of the best exponents of Calvinism, was liorn at Warton, in Warwickshire, England, in 1558. He was educated in Christ College, Cambridge. In his early life he gave proofs of great genius and philosophic research, but in his habits was exceedinglj"^ wild and profligate. After his conversion he was distinguished for his tender sympatlij^ and skill in opening the human heart, so that he hccame the in- strument of salvation to many. At the age of twenty- four he was chosen fellow of Ciirist College, and ob- tained high reputation as a tutor. He finally entered into holy orders, and began his ministry liy preacliing to the prisoners in Camltridge Jail, wliere in all his efforts he displa5'ed a mind admiraiily adapted to his station. So far was he from considering his field of effort circumscribed that he improved every oppctctuni- ty to do good. On one occasion, ii^rcciving a young man who was about to ascend the ladder to be executed ex- ceedingly distressed, he endeavored to console him, but to no effect. He then said, ''Man, what is the matter
with thee? art thou afraid of death ?" "Ah! no," said the malefactor ; " but of a worse thing." " Then come down," said Mr. Perkins, " and thou shalt see what the grace of God can do to strengthen thee." Mr. Perkins then took him by the hand, and, kneeling down with him at the foot of the ladder, so fervently acknowl- edged sin, its aggravations, and its terrible desert, that the poor culprit burst into tears of contrition. He then proceeded to set forth tlie Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of every believing penitent, which he was en- abled to do with such success that the poor creature continued indeed to shed tears ; but they were now tears of love, gratitude, and joy, flowing from a per- suasion that his sins were cancelled by the Saviour's blood. He afterwards ascended the ladder with com- posure, while the spectators lifted up their hands and praised God for such a glorious display of his sovereign graca. About 1585 Perkins was chosen rector of St. Andrew's parish, in Cambridge, and in this position he remained until his death in 1C02. As a preacher Per- kins was very greatlj' admired. While his discourses were suited to the capacity of the common people, the pious scholar could not but appreciate them. They were said to be " all law and all gospel," so well did he unite the characters of a Boanerges and a Barnabas. He was an able casuist, and was resorted to by afflicted consciences far and near. Bishop Hall saj's of Per- kins that "he excelled in distinct judgment, a rare dexterity in clearing the obscure subtleties of the schools, and an easy explication of perplexed sub- jects." " The science of morals, according to Mosheim, or rather of casuistry, which Calvin had left in a rude and imperfect state, is confessed to have been first re- duced into some kind of form, and explained with some accuracy and precision, b}' Perkins" (Hallam, Lit. Hist. of Europe^ i, 101 ; see also ii, 508). He was the author of Expositims of the Creed; of the Lord's Prayer; of chap, i-v (completed by Kodolfe Cudworthe) of the EjAstle to the Galatians; ot St. Matthew v-vii; of Bo- mans i-iii : — Comvientary on Hehreics ai: — Cases of Conscience ; and many doctrinal, practical, and contro- versial treatises. Several of his works were trans- lated into Latin, French, Dutch, and Spanish ; and their popularity at home is evinced bj' the number of collective editions of them, each in 3 vols, fol., issued shortly after his death, between 1C05 and 1635. We notice. Works newly corrected according to his own Cop- ies (Lond. 3 vols, fol.: i, 1G16 ; ii, 1617; iii, 1618). Tlie last dates which we find are 1C26, 1631, and 1635. Opera^ Latin (Geneva, 1611). It is not a little re- markable that, in this da.y of the exhumation of so much buried theology, Perkins's works have not been republished. Yet few writers have been more com- mended. "The works of Perkins," says Orme,"are dis- tinguished for their piety, learning, extensive knowl- edge of the Scriptures, and strong Calvlnistic argumen- tation. . . . They were highly esteemed by Job Orton, though he was far from being a thorough Calvinist himself" {Liibl. Bib. s. v.). Orton says of him : '' Per- kins's works are judicious, clear, full of matter and a deep Christian experience. I could wish ministers, especially young ones, would read him, as they would find large materials for composition." " For his time," savs Dr. E.Williams, "his stjde is remarkably pure and neat: he had a clear head, and excelled in defin- ing and analyzing sul)jects. His method is highly Calvinistic ; but he carried the idea of reprobation too far. . . . His commentary on the Epistle to the Gala- tians is equally sound as Luther's, but more methodi- cal and comprehensive." "His works," says Bicker- steth, "have been too much undervalued; they ai'e leai-ned, spiritual, Calvinistic, and practical ; . . . hoh' and evangelical" {Christian Student, ed. 1844, p. 414, 444). (J. H. W.)