[71] The same "Master William Perkins," I suppose, who wrote the three
stout Folios of Puritan Theology, published in 1606, besides many
smaller Works. The earliest Notice I find of him is by another equally
famous and voluminous Puritan, the Rev. Samuel Clark, in his _Marrow
of Ecclesiastical History_, published in 1650. Mr. Clark informs us
that William Perkins was born at Marston in Warwickshire, in 1558, was
educated at "_Christ's_ College in _Cambridg_," and that in the 24th
of _Elizabeth_, he was chosen a Fellow of that College, and that "hee
was very wilde in his Youth." From his Professorship, "hee was chosen
to _Saint Andrews_ Parish in _Cambridg_, 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 doubtful Conscience. In his Sermons
hee used to pronounce the Word _Damn_ with such an Emphasis, as left a
dolefull Echo in his Auditor's Ears a good while after: and when hee
was Catechist in Christ's College, in expounding the Commandments, hee
applied them so Home to the Conscience as was able to make his Hearers
Harts fall down, and their Hairs almost to stand upright."
On Reference to the Works of famous Thomas Fuller, it will be found,
that in his Life of Perkins he has substantially the same Account. From
that Author Mr. Clark doubtless borrowed the Expressions used by him,
as Fuller's Work was published several Years before, and they seem
peculiar to that highly talented Writer. Clark is followed because
he was of the same religious Denomination as Mr. Perkins. Mr. Clark
continues: "In his Life hee was so pious and spotless, that Malice
was afraid to bite at his Credit, into which shee knew that her Teeth
could not enter: Hee had a rare Felicitie in reading of Books, and as
it were but turning them over would give an exact account of all that
was considerable therein: hee perused Books so speedily that one would
think that hee read nothing, and yet so accurately that one would think
he read all: Besides his frequent Preaching, hee wrote manie excellent
Books, both Treatises, and Commentaries, which for their Worth were
manie of them translated into Latine, and sent beyond Sea, where to
this Daie 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;_ yet no Spaniard ever
since durst take up the Gantlet of Defiance cast down by this Champion."
But there is one Fact mentioned by Fuller which Mr. Clark omits: "There
goeth," he says, "an uncontrolled Tradition, that Perkins, when a young
Scholar, was a great Studier of Magic, occasioned perchance by his
Skill in the Mathematics. For, ignorant People count all Circles above
their own Sphere to be Conjring; and presently cry out, 'those Things
are done by Black Art' for which their dim Eyes can see no Colour in
Reason. And in such Case, when they cannot fly up to Heaven to make
it a Miracle, they fetch it from Hell to make it Magic, though it may
lawfully be done by natural Causes."
Mr. Perkins died "in the fourtieth Year of his Age, _Anno_ 1602, being
born the first, and dying the last Year of [the Reign of] Elizabeth: He
was of a ruddie Complexion, fat and corpulent: Lame of his right Hand,
yet this _Ehud_ with a left-handed Pen did stab the Romish Caus--as one
faith: [Hugh Holland]
'Though Nature thee of thy right Hand bereft.
'Right well thou writest with thy Hand that's left.'
"Hee was buried with great Solemnity at the sole Charges of Christs
College, the Universitie, and Town striving which should express more
Sorrow thereat: Doctor _Montague_, afterwards Bishop of Winchester
preached his Funeral Sermon."--_Marrow of Ecclesiastical Historie_,
414-417, and Fuller's _Holy and Profane State_, 80-84.
The well known Rev. Mr. Job Orton speaks of the Folios of Perkins with
Delight, and adds: "What led me more particularly to read him was, that
his Elder Brother was one of my Ancestors, from whom I am in a direct
Line, by my Mother's Side descended."--Orton, in _Brook's Lives_, ii,
135. In his Will, dated 16 Oct., 1602, he mentions, among others,
Nathaniel Cradock, his Brother-in-law, Wife Timothye, Father and Mother
Thomas and Anna Perkins, Son-in-law, John Hinde, and Brethren and
Sisters, but not by Name.--_Ibid._
I have been more particular in this Notice of Perkins for two Reasons;
first, because of his Puritanism he was selected as a prime Authority
in Matters of Witchcraft by our Author; and second, because he seems
to have been a Man possessing that Precocity of Mind, and in other
respects was similarly gifted. To those desirous of learning more of
that noted Puritan Leader will find Gratification in the excellent and
elaborate Life of him in Brook's _Lives of the Puritans_.
[72] On perusing these Articles for the Detection of Witches, one
cannot escape the Conviction that on their being sifted by the
ordinary Rules of Common-sense, they actually amount to nothing at
all. Thus in Article VI it is laid down, that "Witchcraft is an Art,
that may be learned, and conveyed from Man to Man." This Postulate
follows of course, previously assuming that the Occult Sciences
originate in Mathematics; and further, that Mathematical Calculations
are inseparable from the Laws that govern the whole System of the
Universe, and hence emanate from, or are a Part of the Creator
himself. Whence then, with this inevitable Conclusion, does the "Art"
originate? Nothing can be clearer, therefore, than this,--if those
learned Plodders of Master Perkins's Time had followed out the most
simple Rules of Logic, they would have had neither Witch nor Devil
wherewith to addle their own Brains, or to confound those of the
unlearned Multitude. This Question being disposed of, all others having
Dependence on it, or traceable to it, effectually dispose of the whole
Question of Witchcraft.
[73] John Gaule has not, so far as ascertained, been stumbled on by
any Makers of Biographical Dictionaries, and Bibliographers are almost
equally silent. How many Works he was Author of is not known. The Title
of one is _Distractions, or Holy Madness_, 12mo, 1629. He wrote other
theological Works, but their Titles have not come to the Annotator's
Knowledge.
[74] As there is more than one _Batcomb_ in England "Judicious
Bernard's" being _of_ that Place is not much of a Guide to any looking
after his Biography. Fortunately, or unfortunately for him, his
Portrait was engraved, and that caused him to be noticed by Granger.
His Name was Richard, and he was Pastor of "Batcombe" in Somersetshire.
The Work extracted from by our Author was published in 1627. He was
Author of a Concordance to the Bible, though it was not so entitled;
also of a Work called the _Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath_, in 1641,
in which Year he died. His Portrait by Hollar first appeared in this
Work.--_Biog. Hist. England_, ii, 369. He was perhaps the Author of
_The Isle of Man; or the Legal Proceedings in Man-Shire against Sinne_,
12mo, 1635.
[75] Here the paging begins anew, in the Edition followed.
[Decoration]
[2] A DISCOURSE ON THE WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD.[76]