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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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of Wisbech , preached in it for the first time . Thus Mr . Hussey ' s church was in six years divided into four parts . The Baptist cliurch appointed many meetings of prayer , and invited several ministers to preach occasionally to them , and hearing of Mr . Andrew Harper ,
called him to minister among them . Mr . Harper came on trial and preached his first sermon in Cambridge , July 24 , 1726 . He continued preaching to this society from July 1726 to May 1727 , at which time old Mr . Sewell being a man of fortune and perceiving the people
diminish , quitted his office and left Cambridge . After his departure , the people offered to chuse Mr . Harper for their pastpr , and to unite his congregation with themselves , at Stone Yard meeting , on condition of their granting a mixed communion . To this , after warm
debates , the majority agreed , and removed to Stone Yard , Nov . 1727 . The Baptists now in possession of Stone Yard meeting-house , with a minister of their own denomination , could not withstand the temptation of once
more trying to introduce their favourite plan of strict communion . They had two great obstacles : Mr . Harper was rather unsettled in his opinion on this article , and the Pasdobaptists had their previous agreement from , which they ¦ were determined never to recede :
various views gave birth to various contests , some of them not to the praise of religion , and altogether contributed to delay their settlement . Disputes ran so high that Mr . Harper could not obtain
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leave to preach on adult baptism , or to administer it in public till August 16 , 1730 , when a vote passed that he might do both as occasion oflfercd , and for the first time , Aug . 26 , Mr . Harper preach * - ed on believers * baptism , at Fulbourne , * and publicly baptized three by immer - sion .
Mr . Harpers church consisted at first of only twenty-one members , ( thirteen men and eight women ) bat it considerably increased every year , under his ministry , which he continued till -I 741 * when he deceased on the i 6 th of March , and was buried at Fulboume , in Mr
R uff ' s , since Scott ' s , and now ( 1774 ) Green ' s burying ground , Mr . Royston , of Burwell , preaching )* is funeral sermon . Mr . Harper was a man of no learning , nor were his natural abilities remarkably brighjt , but his ministry was rendered exceedingly useful to many . It was neither a dry mprality nor a scho - lastic subtlety , but a scriptural appeal to the reason and sense of mankind . His
people loved him while he lived , remember him with gratitude since his death , and retain a savour of his service * to this day . After Mr . Harper ' s decease the church was . supplied by neighbouring
ministers till Nov . 13 , 1743 , when Mr , Geo . Simsqn , A . M . the pastor of the church at Floor , in Northamptonshire , preached to them by their desire , and was called to the pastoral office , July 14 th , 1 745 . The baptists having a majority , and a minister for strict communion also , they again proposed their
licences , ( as his lordship called them ) and as they did not profess themselves Dissenters , their certificates were illegal and he could not protect them ; to prevent any mistakes for the future he determined to grant none : since that tinous they have applied to the sessions , and have always obtained them with ease . . Of late the views and dispositions of the Bishops have been much changed in thia respect : apprehending the increase of Methodism must eventually prove a considerable accession of strength to the dissenting interest from the establishment , they encourage all the Methodist preachers to receive episcopal ordination , the present Bishop of London refusing none that come , * Fulbourne is a large village five miles east of Cambridge . Baptism was
usually administered there till November , 1764 . Since that time the river at Whittlesford has been the usual place There have always been many- Protestant Dissenters at Fulbourne , and they have been accustomed to occasional meetings , during the times oi Messrs . Simson , Harper , Hussey , 6 cc . At present ( 1774 J they nave a monthly week-day meeting , wnere , excepting in harvest time , about four hundred generally attend . Mr . Harper and Mr . Simson baptized sometime ! in the rivulet by the mill , and at other times in Scott * * orchard , in a spring head there . Besides these people , \\ icre is also a very small congregation of General Baptists , who meet at Wilbr ^ ham one Lord ' s day aud at Fulboqcuc another . They arc very few ;
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628 Yrotettant Dissenting Churches in Cambridgeshire
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Dec. 2, 1810, page 628, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1708/page/8/
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