God’s covenant, is his contract with man, concerning the obtaining of life eternal, upon a certain condition. This covenant consists of two parts: God’s promise to man, Man’s promise to God. God’s promise to man, is that, whereby he binds himself to . . . Continue reading →
william perkins
Perkins On The Rule Of Worship
The second point, is the rule of the worship: and that is, That nothing may go under the name of the worship of God, which he has not ordained in his own word, and commanded to us as his own worship. For . . . Continue reading →
Perkins On “Faith” In Hebrews 11
“Now Faith.” Faith in the word of God is specially of three sorts: historical, miraculous, [and] justifying or saving faith. First, historical faith is not only a knowledge of the word, but an assent of the heart to the truth of it. . . . Continue reading →
William Perkins On The Rule Of Worship And 1 Corinthians 14 Contra Good Intentions
V. Will worship, when God is worshiped with a naked and bare good intention, not warranted by the word of God. (Colossians 2:23) “Which things have indeed a shew o wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not . . . Continue reading →
William Perkins: Who Are The True Catholics?
There are truly important works that have simply been forgotten or unjustly ignored. One of those is William Ames’ Fresh Suit Against Human Ceremonies in defense of the Reformed theology and practice of worship. Another is William Perkins’ 1597 treatise, A Reformed . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: God Finds In Our Good Works More To Damn Than To Save
Q: How is he accepted righteous before God? A: By the righteousness of Christ imputed to him [2 Col 5:21]. Q: What profit comes by being thus justified? A: Hereby and by no other means in the world, the believer shall be . . . Continue reading →
The Threefold Distinction In the Law Is Basic Reformed Theology
And So Is The Distinction Between Law And Gospel
The law in general, is that part of God’s Word, which commands things just, honest, and godly, and being thus conceived, it is threefold: ceremonial, judicial, and moral. The ceremonial law, is that part of God’s Word, which prescribed to the Jews, . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: By Nature We Seek To Contribute To Our Salvation But The Gospel….
By nature we desire to stand upright and righteous before God by some good thing in ourselves; as the rich man in the gospel, he demands of Christ, ‘What good thing shall I do to be saved?’ [Matthew 19:16]. Again, it is . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: Two-Stage Justification Is Not Protestant
Perkins: Your Good Works Are Of No Value To Your Justification
New In Print: The Works of William Perkins Volume 9
Few theologians are as important to Reformed tradition as William Perkins (1558–1602). Remarkably, as important as he was, Perkins works went out of print and remained so for centuries. We are truly fortunate to have a new edition of Perkins. To their . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: We Exclude Good Works From The Act Of Justification And Salvation
“And here let it be remembered that we are not patrons of licentiousness and enemies of good works. For though we exclude them from the act of our justification and salvation, yet we maintain a profitable and necessary use of them in . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: The Doctrine Of A Two-Stage Justification Is A “Popish Device”
“That popish device of a second justification is a satanical delusion for the Word of God does acknowledge no more but one justification at all, and that absolute and complete of itself. There is but one justice, but one satisfaction of God . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: There Is Only One Justification And That By Faith Alone
I answer, not only in the beginning of our conversion, but also in the continuance and final accomplishment thereof. For here Paul desires in the day of judgment to stand before God only by the justice of faith without his own justice . . . Continue reading →
William Perkins On The Imputation Of Christ’s Active Obedience
“[A]n untruth, namely, that we are justified only by the passion of Christ. But if this were so, we should be justified without fulfilling the law. For (as I have said) we owe to God a double debt: one by creation, namely, . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: Christ Did Not Obey And Die To Make Our Works Meritorious
Objection 2. Christ by His death, merited that our works should merit life everlasting. Answer. That is false. All we find in Scripture is that Christ, by His merit procured pardon of sin, imputation of righteousness, and life everlasting. And it is . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: The Law Written On Our Hearts Is Still The Law
Perkins: Learning And Wit Is For Nothing If One Is Outside Of Christ
[I]t is a privilege to be endued with all kinds of learning, of arts and tongues, but alas, all is nothing; for if a man had all wit, wisdom, and learning, and could speak in all matters with the tongue of men . . . Continue reading →
Perkins: Civil Righteousness Will Not Do
[S]uch persons as live an honest and civil life, and stand upon this, that they are no thieves, no murderers, no adulterers, no blasphemers, but in outward duties show love to God and man, they must I say, take heed lest they . . . Continue reading →




