The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-03-25
5nnhay R.faain9.
DEATH OF JOSEPH BARKER.

JOScpu DdTheT, We'll hHo"b III tuiS
country, first as preacher Of inidelity,
and afterwards as an expounder Of the
Gospel he had 50 long maligned, died
lately at the residence of his son, in
Omaha, Nebraska.
The life of Joseph Barker was an
eventful one, and in many respects he
was a remarkable man. He was an
Englishman by birth, but came to this
country when quite young, and passed
his youth in Kansas He early became
a convert to the NJ. f. Church, and
studying for the ministry was ordained
and appointed pastor of a congregation.
He was soon in collision with the church
because of his peculiar views.
After reasoning with him and using
all pacific measures to bring him back
to the doctrines of the creed, he was as
last act of discipline suspended from
the ministry Angered at this, he
sought to establish sect of his own,
and failed; and brooding over his
disappointment became entirely estran-
ged from the church, and finally drifted
into infidelity. He soon began to preach
his new doctrine both orally and by
aid of pamphlets which were printed
and sown broadcast over the land
He travelled over much of the Union,
and lectured in all the large cities. AS
debater he had few equals. He clung
tenaciously to his point and nothing
could ruffie his temper. BY reason of
this armor he was enabled to gain great
advantage, and was looked upon as
formidable opponent of the Christian
religion His celebrated argument with
a noted clergyman in Philadelphia, in
which debate he was acknowledged the
victor, gained him great notoriety -
Some years later he visited his home
in England, and while there, became
connected with an in6del publication.
While engaged in this labor his mind
underwent another great revolution.
AS be himself says, it was while search
ing the Scriptures for the purpose Of
discovering points of attack that he
was struck with the grace and simpli-
city of the Gospel, and was finally led
to see the errors of his life and to once
more embrace the religion of Christ.
He returned to the United States and
visited localities where he had preached
infdelity, relating the wonderful change
that he had experienced, and affirming
the truthfulness of the Scriptures. He
also wrote numerous tracts and dstri-
buted them far and wide During his
in6del days he had preached at kennett
Square and at other points in Chester
county, and three years ago he went
over the same ground, endeavoring as
he said, " to undo the mischief that he
had done" His discourse at Kennett
Square was delivered in the Presbyter
ian Church, which was crowded to hear
him, many Of the audience being those
who had listened to him on the occasion
of his former visit, and some of them
were his followers. He continued his
labors thus till his death, and it was
his constant regret that he could not
gather up all his m6del tracts and de-
stroy them, and entirely counterfeit the
influence of his formor preaching.
When he was stricken down short
time since, and few days before his
death, he made final arrangement of
his affairs, and feeling that paralysis
was approaching, he called his eldest
son, Mr. Gilbert, his lawyer, and Mr.
Kellom one of his trustees, to his bed
side, and said: II feel that l am ap-
preaching my end, and l desire that
you should receive my last words and
be witness to them. l wish you to
witness that am in my right mind
and fully understand what / have just
been doing; that die in the firm and
full belief of Jesus Christ, and in the
faith and love of God, as God is re-
vealed to us by his life and works, as
described in the New Testament that
| have an abiding faith in the love of
his religion as revealed to US by his
son Jesus Christ, and I die trusting in
Gods infinite love and mercy and in
full faith of future and better life
am sorry for my past errors, but
during the last years of nv life l have
striven to undo the harm l did, by doing
all | was able to serve God by showing
the beauty and wisdom of the religion
of his son Jesus Christ. | wish you
to write down and witness this my
last confession of faith, that there may
be no doubt about it.
Late Paper.