Harvey Lane, Leicester, Baptists

Harvey Lane, Leicester, Baptist Church – [The following history is taken from “History of the Baptist Churches in Connection with the Leicestershire Association,” Baptist Magazine (1865), 774-77.] 

This church was formed in 1760; but it was not the first Baptist church established in the town of Leicester. The church at Friar Lane, which was formed about the year 1655, towards the close of the protectorate, bears the palm of antiquity. It does not appear to have ever belonged to the Old Connexion of General Baptists, or to have been Arminian, but of the same faith and order as the churches of this Association. There is evidence that John Bunyan, in one of his visits to the town, preached in the little obscure place of worship. His first visit to Leicester was as a soldier in the parliamentary army, his second as a soldier of the Cross. Down a long narrow dark entry, leading from the street, the author of the “Pilgrim's Progress” made his way to the humble meeting-house, where a small company of anxious hearers were waiting to hear him, with his simple but powerful eloquence, speak to them “all the words of this life.” The question may arise, Why did not this little band that founded the church at Harvey Lane unite themselves with the church at Friar Lane? The only answer that can be given is, that there is evidence in the record of Friar Lane church, that that church was then well-nigh extinct, and that a minister visited them only five or six times a year. The Friar Lane church was some time afterwards resuscitated by some of the leading General Baptists of the New Connexion, and thus it became united to their association. The Harvey Lane church was, as has been already shown, a branch of the Baptist church at Sutton-in-the-Elms, and was formed into a distinct church when the Rev. Isaac Woodman was pastor at Sutton, in January, 1760. The church at its formation consisted of thirteen members, who were dismissed from the church at Sutton to form the new church at Leicester. The history of this church furnishes us with a striking illustration of the truth of the Saviour's parable, that “the kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.”

The first minister who paid more than a passing visit to the church was the Rev. Christopher Hall, the brother of the Rev. Robert Hall, of Arnsby. He began his ministry there in 1760, and continued only a year and a quarter. Upwards of four years before this date, the chapel in Harvey Lane was erected, for the completion of which the labours of the Rev. Isaac Woodman were crowned with success. The ground was bought of Mr. Joseph Coltman, for £50, 7s, 6d.; this included a barn on the spot, where the congregation worshipped until the chapel was built. The chapel contained at first neither vestry nor baptistry. Some time after Mr. Hall's removal, Mr. Gregory, a member of the church at Cannon-street, Birmingham, became pastor, and continued about five years. He was succeeded by Mr. Lloyd, who, after a pastorate of five years, resigned his office to go to Norwich. During this time a considerable number of members were added to the church. On the resignation of Mr. Lloyd, Mr. Wildbore, an Independent minister, supplied the pulpit for six months; after which Mr. Butler, from Bedworth, came on probation and stayed nearly a year, but was not ordained. After this Mr. Wilkes ministered to the church for little more than a year, when Mr. Blackshaw, from Bewdley, was chosen pastor by the unanimous call of the church; and after nine years' ministry he resigned his office as pastor, but still remained a member of the church. Six months after his resignation of the pastoral office, however, the church was under the painful necessity of excluding him from its fellowship, he having unhappily become a victim of intemperance. The church at this time is said to have been sunk in the slough of Antinomianism; and this is perhaps the explanation of that sad event which cast dishonor upon the people. Evil doctrines had brought forth evil fruits in the pastor as well as in some of the members.

The following summer William Carey, “to whose energy and example,” it has been said, “the Protestant missions of the nineteenth century owe their origin,” then the minister of a small church in the village of Moulton, Northamptonshire, was invited to supply the pulpit at Harvey Lane with a view to the pastorate. He accepted the call of the church, and settled in Leicester; but after strenuously endeavouring to root out the errors of doctrinal and practical Antinomianism which largely prevailed amongst the people, he resolved upon the bold step of dissolving the church and forming a new community. A church covenant of faith and practice was drawn up, and those who would not subscribe to it were no longer regarded as members. There are forty-nine names attached to this covenant. Some refused to sign it, and became the bitter enemies of the pastor and people; but the declaration accomplished its purpose. The church was purged for the most part from the old leaven, and entered upon a new stage of prosperity. The congregation increased, so that it was found necessary to build a front gallery in the chapel. Andrew Fuller, speaking of Carey's ministry in Leicester, says, “Mr. Carey's zeal and unremitted labours in preaching the Word not only in Leicester, but in the villages near it, endeared him to the friends of religion, and his thirst for learning rendered him respected by others.” But some years before his settlement in Leicester, Carey had pondered the benighted condition of the heathen world, and he yearned to carry the light of divine truth into the dark places of the earth. This desire grew with his growth and strengthened with his strength; and therefore after a brief pastorate of less than four years, he resigned his charge at Harvey Lane, in order to enter upon missionary work in India. The minute in the church-book, simple and touching as it is, is worthy of quotation, “March 24th, 1793. Mr. Carey, our minister, left Leicester to go on a mission to the East Indies, to take and propagate the Gospel among those idolatrous and superstitious heathens. This is inserted to show his love to his poor miserable fellow-creatures. In this we concurred with him, though it was at the expense of losing one whom we love as our own souls.”

After twelve months' probation and a day spent by the church in fasting and prayer, Mr. Cave received the unanimous call to the pastorate. His early ministry was useful to many; but there followed one of those trying seasons which occur in the history of churches as of larger communities, when iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold. There were religious strifes and divisions in the town. In the course of ten years, no fewer than eight new places of worship were erected, and Harvey Lane suffered much.

Immorality abounded, and many were cut off from church-fellowship in consequence of gross sins. On this account Mr. Cave resigned his charge, and was succeeded by the Rev. Robert Hall, who had already gained distinction as a preacher. He held the pastoral office at Harvey Lane for nearly twenty years. Under his ministry the church recovered a healthy tone of piety, and 240 members were added to it, only ten of whom were afterwards excluded. Three devoted themselves to the work of the ministry, and others were dismissed to form a new church at Oadby. There were also a band of paedo-baptists, called the “little church,” who met at a different time for communion at the Lord's table. In the spring of 1826, amid the sincere and deep regrets of all, and against the earnest petitions of the people entreating him to stay with them, Mr. Hall resigned his pastoral office at Harvey Lane to succeed Dr. Ryland at Broadmead, Bristol. In the summer of the same year, the present highly esteemed pastor, the Rev. J. P. Mursell, was invited to the pastorate, and consented to undertake the work for twelve months, beginning his ministerial labours with the new year. In the following autumn he accepted the unanimous invitation of the church to become the settled pastor. It is almost unnecessary to add (what is so well known) that for the period of nearly forty years he has ministered the word of life with much honour to himself and great advantage to the church, which has been increased and strengthened year by year. At the beginning of 1827, the church, whose communion until this time was restricted to baptized believers, resolved to admit other Christians to the Lord's table, still reserving the full rights of membership to the baptized. In the autumn of 1845, the Belvoir Street chapel was opened by Drs. Harris and Cox. In November, 1803, a Sunday School was formed in connection with Harvey Lane, during the ministry of Mr. Cave; and in the following April it is recorded that there were seventy children taught in it. This has grown to such dimensions that there are now two large schools, the one at Harvey Lane, the other at Belvoir Street; and these have been very useful. Last year Harvey Lane chapel, after repairs and improvements, was re-opened for public worship in connection with the Belvoir Street church. The Rev. T. French ministers the word of life to the people. A congregation is being gathered, and the work of the Lord seems to be steadily advancing.