The Church of Helwys, Murton, and Lambe : an argument for continuity

Abstract

Baptist historiography has generally assumed that the church at Bell’s Alley, London, led by Thomas Lambe, was a continuation of the first Baptist church, which returned to England from Amsterdam under the leadership of Thomas Helwys and was later led by John Murton. No evidence was adduced for this assumption, however, and it has recently been questioned on the basis that there is good evidence against it. I argue that the evidence against is less convincing than has been claimed, that at least one historical event strongly suggests continuity, and that there are in fact shared beliefs and practices that provide further evidence for continuity.