Life

Barker was born in 1682, but neither the locality of his birth nor the condition of his parents has been ascertained. It is probable that he was related to the Rev. Matthew Barker

Matthew Barker

Matthew Barker was an English Independent minister and parliamentarian, known for his work on natural theology and for his participation in English 17th century politics.-Life:...

, who was ejected from St. Leonard's, Eastcheap

Eastcheap

Eastcheap is a street in the City of London. Its name derives from cheap, market, with the prefix "East" distinguishing it from the other former City of London market of Westcheap . In medieval times Eastcheap was the City's main meat market, with butchers' stalls lining both sides of the street...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, in 1662, and died on 25 March 1698. After school training he was educated for the presbyterian ministry by Timothy Jollie

Timothy Jollie

Timothy Jollie, , was a nonconformist minister and notable educator in the north of England.-Biography:Timothy Jollie, son of Thomas Jollie, was born at Altham, Lancashire, about 1659. On 27 August 1673 he entered the dissenting academy of Richard Frankland at Rathmell, Yorkshire...

, at Attercliffe Academy

Attercliffe Academy

Attercliffe Academy was a Dissenting academy set up in the north of England by Timothy Jollie.Richard Frankland had founded Rathmell Academy at Rathmell, but was forced to move several times. The school moved to Attercliffe, a suburb of Sheffield, Yorkshire, leaving it at the end of July 1689, in...

, Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

. Having been 'certified' by Jollie, Barker proceeded to London, and was licensed by the pvesbyterians as a preacher of the gospel. In 1709 he was chosen assistant preacher to one of the foremost presbyterian congregations in London, at Crosby Square. The senior pastor was Dr. Benjamin Grosvenor, with whom Barker was on good terms.

On the death of Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry was an English commentator on the Bible and Presbyterian minister.-Life:He was born at Broad Oak, a farmhouse on the borders of Flintshire and Shropshire. His father, Philip Henry, had just been ejected under the Act of Uniformity 1662...

 the commentator in June 1714, his congregation in Mare Street, Hackney

London Borough of Hackney

The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....

, London, invited Barker to succeed him. There was division of opinion as to the new minister, and a secession followed, which culminated in the Gravel Pit congregation. But the majority adhered to Barker, and so rare was his tact and so unquestionable his pulpit power, that very soon the congregation was as large as k had ever been. Shortly after his settlement at Hackney, Barker took part in the historic controversies on the Trinity, which divided Protestant dissenters into two hostile camps, respectively known as subscribers and non-subscribers. Barker belonged to the former, and delivered a series of discourses on the supreme and absolute divinity of Jesus Christ. In 1718 he was assailed by a member of his congregation, the Rev. Martin Tomkins, on the use of doxologies in prayer and praise. Prefixed to what Tomkins called 'A Calm Inquiry whether we have any Warrant from Scripture for addressing ourselves in a Way of Prayer or Praise to the Holy Spirit,' is 'A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Barker.' Barker did not allow himself to be drawn into controversy here, but the attack led to correspondence with Dr. Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 750 hymns...

.

In 1729 the Rev. Philip Gibb was chosen as Barker's co-pastor. He was a man of ability, but his orthodoxy was questioned: in 1737 he was forced to retire, and in 1738 the place was filled by the Rev. William Hunt

William Hunt

William Hunt may refer to:*William Hunt , MP for Bedford * William Hunt , English clergyman and historian* William Hunt , English Officer of Arms...

. It was in the same year that Barker himself suddeulv resigned, to the grief of the congregation. He assigned no reasons, but after-events make it probable that he had adopted Baxter's religious opinions, and held it due to his rigorously Calvinistical congregation to withdraw.

After his resignation of Hackney, he retired to Epsom

Epsom

Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...

 in Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

, where he lived for about three years without any charge, but was always ready to assist his brethren. In 1741, on the death of the Rev. John Tsewtll1in, he virtually became pastor of Salters' Hall congregation, although he would not take the name of their ' minister,' only that of' morning preacher.' On the death of his colleague, the Rev. Jeremiah Tidcomb—Salters' Hall having always had two ministers—a successor was found in 1742 in the Rev. Francis Spilbury of Worcester

Worcester

The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...

. In 1744 Barker moved from Epsom to reside in London; but in 1745 he was resident in Walthamstow

Walthamstow

Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...

 and later at Clapham

Clapham

Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...

.

In 1748 he was grieved by the death of his mother, and in 1751 by that of Doddridge, his frequent correspondent. In the spring of 1762 Barker, on account of old age, resigned his charge at Salters' Hall. He died on 31 May of the same year in his eightieth year.

Works

A volume of Sermons were published in 1748; and he made selections for a second volume. Their publication, however, was interrupted by illness, and they did not appear till after his death (in 1763).

Family

He was married twice, first to Bathsua Gledhill, daughter of Robert Gledhill, near Wakefield

Wakefield

Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....

, Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

. She died in September 1719. Secondly he married the widow of a Mr. Lamb, whose large house in Hackney (London Fields

London Fields

London Fields is a park and the name of an area of London, situated in the eastern borough of Hackney. The park itself was first recorded in 1540. At this time it was common ground and was used by drovers to pasture their livestock before taking them to market in London.London Fields is just over ...

) gave name to 'Lamb's Lane.'