The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-15
A GREAT ENGLISH PREACHER.
Rev. Joseph Parker and some of His
Peculiarities.

Becuiaartttes.
From Books and Authors.
Joseph Parker, perhaps the greatest
genius IN. the pulpit of the English-speak-
ing worl d, was born at Hexam-on- Tyne,
Apru ., 1880. and was educated at Univer-
slty COih sc, London. He comes Of long
line Of North country Purtans. His
father, q stern non-coHformist, of whom
he ever speaks with love and reverence,
was a northumberland stone cutter. 1t
was in lis native village that Joseph him
self pre- ched his first sermon-an outdoor
sermon. As a young minister he contend
cd with tho secularsts of Banbury.
where he had charge for five years, and
a dought y champion OF orthodoxy they
found him to be. In Manchester, where
he was mi mister of Cavendish chapel for
eleven yea s., he proved in his own per-
son the trU 4 n of the old saying that "A
house o-ho use-going parson makes a
church-goin g people" He has been set
tied in Lon Ion since 1863. His church,
known as Il Y City Temple Is situated on
Holborn Wac uct, and is one of the largest
and most imposing nOn-confOrmist
churches in Great Britain. He has been
honorcd in I Us own country by being
elected TO the highest position in the gift
of the Congr sgational churches-for the
year 1884 he was chairman of the Con-
gregauonal L Mon of London and Wales.
His writings re very numerous, the most
important beii lg his peoples Bible" in
twenty-five We dunes, which is the work
Of his life, a. nd is composed of sermons
ON the entire bible; The Paraclete"
"Ecce Deus" f'Ad Cierum." ana many
other books, tie latest being None Like
It." DIR. Park or is an orator and poet,
and IS perhaps the best representative of
the independenA principle IN church polity
in En- gland. He is a man of marvellous
power
DR.. p. Irller possesses all the eccentrici-
ties Of genius, and his manner has pre-
vented ONE from apprec Eating the won
derful RI chness of his thought. In his
own pers, 9nality, he IS always interesting
He is a rather tall, broad and burly man
He has alr enormous head, and a lofty
forehead. rom which the dong gray locks
fan on eithtT side like a ions name, and
small. piercing eyes gaz9 out upon the
word from q rOugh-hew1, massive face
His manner of speech is always senten-
tious.
A lady once asked him: "What is your
hobby, Or. PaSker?"
Preaching, madam" he replied
But l mean apart from. preaching"
There's nothing apart rom preaching;
it touches all life" This delivered in his
deep, base voice, naturally frightened into
silence the info rtunate pc rson who dared
to address him the innoc ent query. AL
though a man of the S tTongest conVic-
lions, he is catholic in his tastes. To
some one who called on him recently, he
said pointing 70 one of his tWenty-six
portraits of Mr.. Gladstone There is the
best man in the whole. ON the mantel-
piece you see portraits Of Shakespeare,
Browning and Tennyson; their teaching
pervades all my teaching. l learn more
from their books than from any, except
the Bible itself; and my boo ks-lool1 at
my books, sermons by men of every school
of thought. Anglican? OF course; why
not? Canon LiddDn, Robertson, of Brigh-
ton; Canon Scott Holland, the old French
Roman Catholic preachers, III e old Puri-
tan diVnes-they are all here. \ cone more
thoroughly relislnes the high, stimulating
thought of the laigh Anglican party than
l. Their delicate scholarship and rare
refinement of expression are very keenly
pleasureable to me. Yes, read novels,
too. There is Little Minister Kiplings
Tales from the Hills and Jeromes
Three Men in a Boat What should we
do without the lumor Of these young
men? We should soon dry up"
A characteristic story is told of DR..
Parker, in connection with a sermon
he preached at the opening of a chapel in
a suburb. ooh" said somebody who heard
of it, you paid pretty sum for DR.. Par
ker's sermon, expect, did you not? I
dare say it cost you f2s at the very least"
THAT was the exact sum that passed
between us" was the reply @ the person
to whom the remark was ma de.
And that is what you call giving the
Gospel of Christ free 10 every one that
asketh for it?"
Precisely" replied he who knew; "that
is Just what Parker did. He gave us the
sermon, and he gave us the :f25, TOO"