Ancestors

Parker's father was the English theologian and clergyman Samuel Parker (1640–1688), who served as Bishop of Oxford

Bishop of Oxford

The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...

 during the tumultuous reign of James II

James II of England

James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...

Life and work

Parker attended Trinity College, Oxford, but left after several years c. 1703, without taking a degree, evidently on account of the oaths. He published translations of Cicero, Homer's battle of the frogs and the mice, the orations of Athanasias, and an abridged translation of Eusebius, which was eventually bundled with other translations and abridgments of early church fathers. He was also responsible during 1708 and 1709 for a monthly periodical entitled Censura temporum, or Good and Ill Tendencies of Books, which upheld orthodoxy against the religious ideas of Whiston and the political notions of Locke.

Parker's chef d'ouvre was Bibliotheca Biblica, or Patristic Commentary on the Scriptures (1720–1735), a massive compilation of patristic commentary on the Bible. Parker hoped to cover all of the books of the Bible. However, at the time of his death, only the first five volumes, covering the Pentateuch, had been completed. The final volume was published posthumously, with a life of Parker appended.

Parker was a nonjuror, but he was persuaded by Dodwell's arguments in The Case in View, and began attending the Church of England again after the death of Bishop Lloyd, circa 1710. However, he continued to avoid taking the oaths, and he signallized his objections to the reigning monarchs by making various gestures during the prayers for the royal family. He refused to take orders in the Church of England and raised his sons in accordance with his nonjuring principles.

Parker ran an academy in Holywell, Oxford, where the nonjuror Thomas Deacon was educated. He also provided room and board for visiting foreigners for many years.

Descendents

Parker had at least five sons. His son Sackville Parker was a well-known Oxford bookseller who kept a shop on Logic Lane and was friends with Samuel Johnson. Other descendants founded the well-known Parker's bookselling establishment in the Turl, Oxford.