A Golden Chain

William Perkins

William Perkins (1558-1602) was an English theologian, and one of the foremost leaders of the Puritan movement during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was born the year that her reign began, and died less than a year before it ended. Perkins was a staunch proponent of Calvinist theology - particularly 'double predestination' - and the five 'solae' of Reformed Protestantism. Sometime in his early life he was made lame, and he had a religious awakening during his twenties while studying at Cambridge University, where he attained his MA in 1584, and was elected a fellow of Christ's College. Though not well known today, Perkins' writings became very popular during his lifetime and immediately after, outselling those of Calvin and other famous reformers. He would exercise a profound influence on many leading Reformed theologians, including Archbishop James Ussher, Richard Sibbes, and Jonathan Edwards.