Parker's chief works were: 1. ‘A Testimony of God, and His Way, and Worship against all the False Wayes and Worships of the World. London, printed for Giles Calvert, 1656,’ containing ‘An Answer to some False Doctrine held by Vavasour Powel’ [see Powell, Vavasor], and ‘An Answer to some Queries by Richard Stephens, an Anabaptist of Shrewsbury.’ 2. ‘A Call out of Egypt (where Death and Darkness is) into the Glorious Light and Liberty of the Sons of God (where Life and Peace is). London, Giles Calvert, 1656.’ The preface is dated ‘Cornwall 31. of 5th mo’ (July); reprinted 1659, 4to. 3. ‘A Testimony of the Light Within,’ London, Giles Calvert, 1657. Samuel Grevill, minister of the gospel near Banbury, replied in ‘A Discourse,’ which was answered by William Penn in ‘Urim and Thummim,’ 1674. ‘A Brief Discovery of the Erronious Tenets of those who are Distinguished from other Men by the Name of Quakers,’ was also written by William Bownd against Parker's ‘Testimony’ (cf. The Sun Outshining the Moon … 1658, 4to, by John Price). 4. ‘A Discoverie of Satan's Wiles,’ London, 1657; a reply, written at Leith, November 1657, to ‘Antichrist (in Spirit) Unmasked,’ by James Brown. 5. ‘A Testimony of the Appearance of God in the Spirit of Power, and the True Light, making Manifest the Deceipts of the Serpent. With some Reasons why Margaret Hambleton doth deny the Presbyterians of Scotland, they being found in the steps of the False Prophets,’ n.d. This also was probably written in Scotland. 6. ‘A Tryall of a Christian,’ London, 1658. 7. ‘A Testimony of Truth, given forth at Reading,’ London, 1659. He also wrote an ‘Address to the Mayor and Aldermen’ of London, broadside, 1665; other epistles (undated) and testimonies to Isaac Pennington (1616–1679) [q. v.] and Josiah Coale; as well as a preface to the ‘Works’ of James Nayler [q. v.], and some portions of ‘The Principles of Truth; being a Declaration of our Faith who are called Quakers,’ by Edward Burrough [q. v.] and others (1st edit. London, 1657), London; printed for Robert Wilson, 4to, n.d., probably 1659.
[Besse's Sufferings, i. 393, 408, 480; Fox's Journal, 1765 edit. pp. 125, 129, 138, 209, 260, 262, 336, 395, 420, 578, 579; Sewel's History of Friends, i. 129, 176, ii. 358; Janney's History of Friends, i. 184, ii. 129, 437; Crisp and his Correspondents, p. 45; Whiting's Memoirs, p. 184; Letters of Early Friends, forming vol. vii. of Barclay's Select Series, passim; Registers at Devonshire House, and Swarthmore MSS., where many of his letters are preserved.]
PARKER, BENJAMIN (d. 1747), author, a native of Derby, was originally a stocking-maker, who, having failed in business, took to manufacturing books. In 1731 he was living at Horsley, near Derby, and in 1734 at Mary Bridge, Derby; but in 1739 he came to London and established himself at ‘Sir Isaac Newton's Head,’ at the corner of Lincoln's Inn Fields, next Great Turnstile, where he sold a ‘restorative jelly’ for chest complaints, and a ‘cordial cholick water.’ He also professed to cure consumption. Not meeting with success as a quack, he removed in 1744 to Fulwood's Rents, Holborn, and delivered lectures on theology and philosophy, which he afterwards published. He likewise took part in the trinitarian controversy of 1735. Though he failed to attract the notice of the king and queen, he could count among his patrons the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Chesterfield, and Chief-justice Lee. He died ‘very poor,’ in Marylebone, on 17 Sept. 1747 (Gent. Mag. 1747, p. 448), and was buried at Paddington on the 18th (Lysons, Environs, iii. 338).
Parker wrote: 1. ‘Parker's Projection of the Longitude at Sea,’ Nottingham, 4to, 1731, a scheme drawn up by him in 1725, and submitted to the ‘great Dr. Halley.’ He published it in fear of Halley forestalling him in what he supposed to be his discovery, and dedicated it to the king. 2. ‘Philosophical Meditations, with Divine Inferences,’ 8vo, London, 1734; 2nd edit. 1738; 3rd edit., revised by a ‘gentleman of the university of Oxford,’ 1744, including the second part. 3. ‘A Second Volume of Philosophical Meditations,’ 8vo, London, 1735; 2nd edit. Birmingham, 1738, dedicated to the queen. 4. ‘A Journey through the World in a View of the several Stages of Human Life,’ 2nd edit. 8vo, Birmingham, 1738. 5. ‘Philosophical Dissertations, with proper Reflections,’ 8vo, London, undated; 2nd edit. Birmingham, 1738; 3rd edit. London, 1743. 6. ‘Money: a Poem, in imitation of Milton,’ 4to, London, 1740; this is sad stuff. 7. ‘The Divine Authority of the Scriptures philosophically proved; or, the Christian Philosopher,’ 8vo, London, 1742. 8. ‘A Survey of the Six Days Works of the Creation,’ 8vo, London, 1745. 9. ‘A Prospect into the Spiritual World,’ 8vo, London, 1745. 10. ‘A Review of the State of the Antediluvian World,’ 8vo, London, 1748.
[Hutton's Derby, 2nd ed. p. 238; Lysons's Mag. Brit. v. 111.]
PARKER, CHARLES (1800–1881), architect, born in 1800, was a pupil of Sir Jeffrey Wyatville [q. v.], and attended the
