The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-29
DIR. JOSEPH PARKER DEAD
FAMOUS MINISTER OF THE CITY
TEMPLE, LONDON, PASSES AWAY.
His Immense Contributions to Litera-
ture-LOng Service as an Independ-
ent Preacher-Other Deaths.

LONDON, Nov. 2S.-Dr. Joseph Parker,
minister of the City Temple who had been
seriously ill for some time past, died at
o'clock this afternoon. He was one of the
most widely known and best loved men in
England. 1t had been said that he was to
the people OF London what the late Henry
Ward Beecher was TO the people of Brook
Ign and New York.
DIR. Parker's end came peacefully. He
had been in extremis for several days past
and had taken no nourishment since
Wednesday. He rallied on Thursday night.
giving the doctors hope that he might live
a few days longer. He retained conscious
ness 10 the last.
A simple white card without a black
border hangs on the door of his residence
at Hampstead, inscribed: AT o'clock p.
m. DR.. Parker assembled"
DR.. Parker suffered from a complication
of ailments, the most serious of which
affected his heart and was the immediate
cause of death. He had been afflicted with
insomnia, not having enjoyed natural
sleep for six weeks.
His amazing vitality and strength OF
constitution led his friends TO hope for
his recovery and he himself only abandoned
hope few days ago. He took no fare
wells, as he was unable to talk much dur
ing the past three days. He asked for
piece of paper and tried to write, but the
words were illegible. During his last hours
he took evident pleasure in the singing
of hymns by those around his bedside.
DR.. Parker was born at Hexham- on-Tyne,
on April 9, 1880, and was educated In pri-
vate schools by special tutors and at Lon
don university. He was an independent
minister at Oxford and Manchester for
many, years. ex-ehairman of the Congrega--
tional Union of England and Wales and of
the London Congregational Union. He was
twice member of the London Congrega-
tional Board He was also an officer in
other boards OF that union. He published
a number of works, including ''The Peo-
pies Bible" in twenty volumes; ''To-day's
Christ" Christian Profiles in a Pagan
Mirror" his monumental commentary on
the Scriptures-"Parkers Peoples Bible,S
in twenty-seven volumes; and miscellane-
Gus writings-essays, novels, character
studies, ETC.
In appearance Dr. Parker was tall, stall
wart, massive. His head was exceptionally
large, with a HIGH broad forehead His
hair was long, turned by time to iron-gray,
and fell half way down to his shoulders
His small, flashing eyes mirrored the kind
ly wit and epigram that burst in rhetorical
torrents from his lips He was born
orator. The passion for preaching seized
him in his early teens. He did not enter
the pulpit, because he did not find one open
to him. But he thrilled groups of men and
women with his boyish eloquence. Echoes
of his words travelled all the way to Lon
don. and he was invited, after time, to
become assistant TO a prominent divine.
In 1859 he accepted call 20 the provincial
town of Banbury. where he spent five
years, his church being constantly crowd
ed TO the doors. Next he went to Man.
chester for ten years. In 1869 he took
charge of a small chapel in London where
he succeeded in gathering a great congre-
cation. In 1874 they built the magnificent
City Temple, where DR.. Parker had since
preached with ever-increasing eloquence
and zeal