606 PAR 
and Theodoret, 1729, 4-to. 3. Bibliotheca Biblica; or, 
a Commentary on the five Books of Mofes, extracted 
chiefly from the Fathers, 4to. &c. Gen. Biog. 
PARKER’s BA'Y, a bay on the fouth coaft of Jamaica, 
a little to the fouth of Palmetto Point. 
PARKER’s CREE'K, a river of Maryland, which 
runs into the Chefapeak in lat. 58. 52. N. Ion. 76. 31. W. 
PARKER’s I'SLAND, an ifland of North America, 
in the Chefapeak, near the coaft: of Maryland : fifteen 
miles fouth of Annapolis. Lat. 38. 53. N. Ion. 76. 
41. W. 
PARKER’s I'SLAND, or Ruskohegan, an ifland on 
the coaft of Maine, in the mouth of the Kennebeck. 
PAR'KER’s RIV'ER, a river of North America, which 
takes it rife in Boxford, in the Maffachufetts, and, pur- 
fuing a variable courfe, at length wanders through the 
marlhes, and enters Plum-ifland-found by a mouth about 
a quarter of a mile wide. It is richly ftored with fifti; 
and is navigable for coafting-veffels to the head of the tide, 
but obftruCted by two bridges. 
PAR'KER’s TOWN, a town of Kent county, in Ver¬ 
mont, having 100 inhabitants. 
PARKGA'TE, a village and fea-port in the county of 
Chefter, on the north-eaft coaft of the river Dee, from 
whence packets fail to Ireland : twelve miles north-weft 
of Chefter, and 193 north-north-weft of London. Lat. 
53. 21. N. Ion. 2. 3. W. 
PAR'KHURST (John), a learned and pious divine 
of the church of England was the fecond fon of John 
Parkhurft, efq. of Catefby in Northamptonfliire, where he 
was born in June 1728. He was educated in grammar¬ 
learning at the fchool of Rugby in Warwickftiire. Being 
a younger fon, he was intended for the church ; and en¬ 
tered of Clare-hall, Cambridge, where his application 
and improvement were highly commendable. He pro¬ 
ceeded B. A. in 1748 ; M. A. in 1752 ; and was many 
years fellow of his college. Soon after he had entered 
into holy orders, by the death of his elder brother he 
became heir to a very confiderable eftate; though, as his 
father was ftill living, it was fonie time before he came 
into the full pofleflion of it. When, however, it de- 
fcended to him at the death of his father, his accefiion 
of fortune produced no change in his manners or pur- 
fuits. He ftill continued to cultivate the ftudies be¬ 
coming the clerical profeflion, paying particular atten¬ 
tion to that of the original languages of the Jewifti and 
Chriftian fcriptures. From his family-connexions, as 
w r ell as from his learning and piety, he might have rea- 
fonably looked forward to preferment in the church ; but 
he never obtained any. This circumftance fome have 
attributed to his being confidered as a difciple of Hut- 
chinfon, from his partiality for the writings of that lin¬ 
gular character. But might not his fortune, which 
placed him above the want of preferment, be the reafon 
why none was conferred upon him ? Befides, he was 
fo attached to retirement, and a life of clofe and intenfe 
ftudy, that he had no inclination to feek after prefer¬ 
ment. Yet he took pleafure in the exercife of the clerical 
duty, and for a long time officiated in the capacity of 
curate, with exemplary zeal and diligence, but without 
any falary, in his own chapel at Catefby, which, after 
the demolition of the church of the nunnery there, ferved 
as a parifli-church. When fome years afterwards he 
became poflefled of the right of prefentation to a living, 
he confidered church-patronage as a truft, rather than a 
property ; and, inftead of taking it himfelf, he beftowed 
it on a gentleman known to him only by character, from 
no motive but a perfuafion that he would faithfully dif- 
cliarge the duties of his office. The living referred to 
was Epfom, and the perfon benefited, the late Rev. 
Jonathan Boucher. 
In the year 1754, Mr. Parkhurft married a lady who 
brought him a daughter and two fons ; and after her 
death he took a fecond wife in 1761, by whom he had 
one daughter, who had a paflion for claflical learning, and 
PAR 
arrived at a degree of perfection in it which is rarely met. 
with in the female world. He had begun his career of 
authorfhip in the year 1753, by publifhing “A Friendly 
Addrefs to the Reverend Mr. John Wefley, in Re¬ 
lation to a principal DoCtrine maintained by him and 
his Afliftants,” which has had the fate of moft con- 
troverfial treatifes, that of being forgotten or unin- 
terefting after the period when it made its appear¬ 
ance. Our author's next work was the refult of much 
labour and application ; and was given to the public 
in 1762, under the title of “An Hebrew and Englifh 
Lexicon, without Points ; to which is added, a me¬ 
thodical Hebrew Grammar, without Points, adapted to 
the Ufe of Learners.” Independently of numerous ety¬ 
mological and philofophical difquifitions which occurin it, 
and which are tinCtured by the author’s peculiar opinions, 
this performance reflects great credit on his learning and 
patient enquiry ; and it deferves to be recommended, as 
affording valuable afliftance to the biblical ftudent in 
forming an acquaintance with the Hebrew Scriptures. 
That fuch was the general opinion of its merits, may be 
concluded from its favourable reception by the learned 
world, and the encouragement which was thus afforded 
the author to correCt and improve it. In 1778, he pub- 
lilhed a fecond edition of this Lexicon, confiderably en¬ 
larged.} and a third in 1792. In the year 1769, he pub- 
liflied “A Greek and Englifti Lexicon to the New Tefta- 
ment; to which is prefixed a plain and eafy Greek Gram¬ 
mar.’’ Of this work a fecond edition made its appear¬ 
ance in 1794; and fo defirous was the author of rendering 
his literary labours more generally ufeful, that he con¬ 
tinued to revife, correCt, enlarge, and improve, both his 
lexicons, till within a few weeks of his death. It was his 
intention to give new editions of them in oCtavo, with 
his laft corrections; and he had completed the copies, 
and received the firft proof-fheet of the Greek Lexicon 
from the prefs, when the all-wife Difpofer of events called 
him to himfelf. The fubfequent talk of editing them de¬ 
volved on his youngeft daughter, the wife of the Rev. 
Jofepli Thomas, to whofe qualifications for fuch an un¬ 
dertaking we have alluded above. They have fince been 
publiflied, each in one large oCtavo volume. In the year 
1787, Mr. Parkhurft publiflied “ The Divinity and Pre- 
exiftence of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, demon- 
ftrated from Scripture; in Anfwer to the firft Sedition of 
Dr. Prieftley’s Introduction to the Hiftory of early Opi¬ 
nions concerning Jefus Chrift ; together with Strictures 
on fome other Parts of the Work, and a Poftcript relating 
to a late Publication of Mr. Gilbert Wakefield.” 
Mr. Parkhurft died, after a painful and lingering illnefs 
of ten months, on the 21ft of February, 1797, in the fixty- 
ninth year of his age, at Epfom in Surrey, where he had 
refided during the latter part of his days. Throughout 
the whole of his life he was a moft alliduous ftudent: for 
many years it was his conftant practice to rife at five 
o’clock, and, in winter, to light his own fire. He was 
always of an infirm and fickly habit of body; yet he was 
enabled to lead fuch a remarkably ftudious and fedentary 
life, even to an advanced age, by ftriCl temperance and 
a careful regimen. He alfo gave lefs of his time to the 
ordinary interruptions of life, than is common with moft 
perfons in his circumftances. Though he refided in a 
liofpitable, friendly, and pleafant, neighbourhood, he 
vifited little; alleging that fuch a courfe of life neither 
fuited his temper, his health, nor his ftudies. Yet his 
manners were fociable; and his converfation was always 
inftruCtive, and often delightful. Like many other men 
of weak and fickly conftitutions, Mr. Parkhurft was na¬ 
turally irritable, warm, and earned in his refentments ; 
but he effectually fubdued this temper by an attention 
to the injunctions of religion, and pafled through a long 
life in peace and harmony with all around him, refpeCted 
by men of learning, beloved by his friends, and highly 
honoured by his family. Gent. Mag. April 1797, and July 
1800. Monthly Mag. July 1800. Ency. Brit. 
PAR'KI, 
