The Building of
a Faith—
Long lasting
Primitive Baptist
Church
Old Sparta, 1836
State of North
Carolina
Edgecombe County
Author Unknown
In the faith of those who have gone on before
Praise be forever
to God the Father.
Giving examples of a higher faith
The stage has now been set
For
man to carry on.
Preceding Quote By
Sandra Edwards Wheeler
Old Sparta, N. C.
—2008
The following documents were humbly
transcribed with the good of man in mind.
It is with great respect that they have been preserved in the original
format—in their entirety— Without corrections to grammar or spelling. The
transcript appears for the encouragement of the Believer, the sake of community
history, and the awareness of posterity.
*
* *
Transcribed from
Primitive Baptist
Church Journal
Old Sparta, N. C—1836
(Grammar
and spelling text left as is out of respect to the author. In the absence of punctuation the ellipsis)
Whose
names are herein after subscripted…have been in dark part of the world and in sin
but have been lately as we trust visited by God’s holy spirit…and we trust have
been called by his Grace and been received as members of Christ Church. Tarboro, Autry’s Creek and Coneto, the most
of us living at a considerable distance from said churches have petitioned for
letters of dis… have with mission… which was granted as follows:
To: James Carney—by church
To: Jinkens
Harrdy—at Conference, Dec. 18, 1836
To Mary Carney—At
Coneto
To: Joseph Oberry,
Tarboro Conference 1836
To: Mary Cobb, Autry
Creek—At Dec conference 1836
And
we the churches of Conetoe, Autry Creek, and Tarboro have and as the precious
smile of heaven been blessed with our Lord… works and worship… so that the
honor of him who gathered the outcast of Israel have been made to rejoice
together and our cups to overflow with love to God and each other …and having
received the sweet petition from our beloved brethren and sister whose names
are above stated to become a separate church…have considered the reasonableness
of said request do now with thankfulness to the Lord, and tender love to them
to give them up to the Lord and each other…heavenly declaring that whenever
they do covenant and agree to walk together as a church of Christ according to
Gospel ordinance, then there membership here at Conetoe, Autry Creek and
Tarboro closeth and they have become our sister church at Old Sparta and we
hope the Lord will visit them and bless them with all spiritual blessing that
they may forever live in peace and prosperity… done by order of the conference
of the above churches stated and assigned
by:
Nan Thigpen
Stephen Wooten
Cofield King
Church Constituted
January 10, 1936 at
Sparta
*
* *
We poor sinners having
destroyed our selves by sin… yet brought through Grace and everlasting love to
look unto him on whom our help is laid… and on a sence of our exceeding
sinfulness mourn repent before the Lord and do repent before the Lord…and do
hereby openly resign ourselves up holy to Christ the complete saviour of
sinners in church fellowship and communion…resolving and promising in his
strength to believe promised love by faith in him in whom the promises are all
yea and amen.
Obey his precepts…serve him and each other according
to all laws and ordinance of his house…taking the written word for our rules
aiming in all at the glory of Christ our prophet priest and King… each other
edification in the tenderest Christian love.
The increase of Christ Kingdom and the good of all mankind…under the
special direction and assistance of the Holy Spirit… having thus united for the
purpose above mention and having calling on our worthy and much esteemed
ministers of the gospel—
Jessie Bakers and
John Stamer
As a presbytery who
have gone through the necessary form ______ of a constitution we therefore
enter into the following covenant:
*
* *
A
church cordenate… we whose names are under written be called as we
trust by the Grace of God unto repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and being
separated from the world by the Holy Ghost causeth us to confess ourselves
pilgrims and strangers in a strange land who seekith a city that hath a
foundation whose builders and makers is God.
We therefore for the love we have for each other in Christ Jesus and are
united in church fellowship recommending ourselves to the Lord who hath
promised to receive such and be their God holding ourselves hence-forth his…no
longer our own…also voluntarily and mutually give ourselves to each other. The Lord meaning hereby to be come one body
jointly to visit and jointly to act by the bonds of the Gospel each spiritual
body accountably to it bound to obey… subject to its control and no other wise
to separate therefrom than by consent first had a reasonably _____.
We also voluntarily engage the Lord to enable us to keep the faith once
delivered to the saints which we do believe included the following sublime and
important doctrine. The being of a God…
the trinity… three of person in the Godhead…the fall of Adam and the imputation
of his sin to his prosperity…the corruption of human nature and the importance
of man to do that which is truly a call and properly good…the election love of
God from before the foundation of the world.
The covenant of Grace particularly redemption justification through his
blood regeneration and sanctification by the influence and operation of the
Holy Spirit the final perseverance of the saints Grace— The in resurrection of
the dead and the eternal judgment.
Finally we do voluntarily and jointly engage in the strength of the Lord
to do all things he has commanded us to do that he may be with us always
particularly to deny ourselves…take up our cross and follow him in all his
examples and precepts…assembling ourselves together to the worship of our God
as often as we conveniently can attend our church conference and keep up a
gospel discipline that we may love the brethren and submit to one another and
the Lord…and always honor maintain and obey those that shall have the will over
us it is fit in the Lord…this is the covenant that we now enter into before the
Lord and in fear of God…in testimony where of and in confirmation of the same
we have unanminantly set or ordered our names to be affixed.
This the 10th
day January 1836
James Carney
Mary Carney
Joseph Oberry
Mary Cobb
*
* *
Sept
27, 1836—
Francis
Knight was received and baptized— by Elder Cox
Sept
27 1836— Nancy Edwards was baptized by Elder Cox and so—
Meddy Cobb
Eliza Cobb
Emmily Stalling
*
* *
A Decorum or rules of Conference —1836
(Grammar original
spelling of words left as is out of respect)
We the Baptist
church of Christ at Sparta Meeting House are convend of the nessity of meeting
together as often as once a month to discharge our duty in a brother manner as
Christ hath commanded as in his injunction by the apostle Paul in his apistle
to the Hebrews 10th Chapter and 23 Verse. Where we are exorted not to forsake the assembling of ourselves
together as the manner of some is but so much the more as you see the day
approaching therefore we between the following rules are necessary to be
attended to:
1
The conference shall be formed of the members of the church with the members of
any members of our sister churches that is present Acts 4th chapter
23 Verse also the 13 chapter 6th verse
2
Conference ought to be opened and closed prayer or praise to almighty God—
Timothy 2 and 1st verse— Thesalone 2th chapter 17th and 18th
verse
3
One ought to be chosen to act as moderator to whom duty it is to accertain the
sense of conference on any question that before it or
there and strick to keep good order and harmony—1 Cor. 14th
chapter and 40 verse
4
The door ought to open for reception of members who ought hereby to relate
their experience or give an account of the work of Grace upon their soul and
when unanimous satisfaction should be obtained it should be the duty of the
moderator or Deacon to give the right hand of fellowship receiving them in due
form— 1st Peter 3rd chapter 13th verse
5
The members names ought to be enrolled and distinctly called over and a
significant mark set to the name of the absent
member— Act 1st chapter 13th verse
6 No complaint ought
to be brought into conference of private nature until
the agreed party have executed the direction given by the Lord in 18th
chapter of— Mathews 13th verse and 17
verse
7
One person ought deliver a speech at the times he rises from his seat— Cor 14th
chapter 40th verse
8
Every motion made and seconded ought to be taken under consideration
unless withdrawn by the person that made it every query presented out to be
their read before it is received for debate and if a majority for recommending
it ought to be received and assigned no intricate query ought to be received
9 If the minority
shall be aggreaved at the determination of the majority they ought to let it be
known immediately if satisfaction cannot be obtained in such case it may be
necessary to send for help from sister churches
10 Act 13th
chapter 6 verse 10 The minutes of Conference ought to be read before Conference
rises and consented if need be— Cor 14th chapter and 40th verse
11 The following
particulars are recognizable before conference 1th neglection to attend
conference second absenty with out leaves 3th whispering or laughing in time of
public speech 4th speaking more than three on one thing without leave 5th
speaking with the appearance of wrath or a degrading manner 6th the moderator
neglecting the rules of his duty 12 Amendment made to the above rules at any
time when conference may deem is necessary
—Personal Note:
Sandra Edwards Wheeler
Old Sparta
Primitive Baptist Church—1836-2008
The preceding
document was humbly transcribed with the good of man in mind. It was with great
respect to its writers that it was done so in it entirety without corrections
to grammar or spelling, for the encouragement of the Believer, for the sake of
community history, and for future posterity.
Return to Old Sparta
Page
Old Sparta Baptist Church
|
