Minute book, 1803-1885 (Little Conetoe Primitive Baptist Church, Edgecombe County, N.C.)

Constituting a church at Little Conetoe Creek meeting h Therefore we do humbly pray that you would take our case into your serious consideration grant us a dismission and assist us in becoming a constituted + seperate church, which would greatly achieve the wish of your very dear brethren and sisters

We the Church of Christ at Flatswamp have under the precious smiles of heaven been blessed with succe in our Lords work + worship [xout] so that to the honor of him who gathereth the outcast of Israel, we must say the Lord has made our cup to run over. And having received a petit from our beloved Brethren and sisters (names enrolled "That we would assist them in becoming a sepera church," and have considered the reasonableness of t request, do now in thankfulness to the Lord and tender love to them give them up to the Lord and each other, hereby declaring that whenever they do covenant + agree to walk together as a Church of Christ according to [illegible] order, then their membership have ceaseth; and they are become our sister church and to them we forever wish all manner of peace + prosperity. Signed H. Saturday before the first Lord's day in June 1805.

Joseph Beggs pastor Starling Rogers Dec

Church constituted 28th July 1805. Little Conetoe Creek meeting house.

We poor sinners having destroyed ourselves by sin yet brought through grace + everlasting love to look unto him on whom our help is laid; under a sense of our exceeding sinfulness mourn + repent before the Lord, and do here openly resign ourselves up wholy to Christ the compleat Saviour of sinners in church fellowship and communion, resolving and promising in his strength, to believe his promises, live by faith in him in whom the promises are all yea and amen, obey his precepts, serve him and each other according to all the laws, statutes and ordinances of his house, taking the written word for our guide + rule, aiming in all [xout] at the glory of Christ, our prophet, priest and king, each [begin xout] others [endxout] others edification in the tenderest Christian love, the increase of Christ kingdom, + the good of all mankind, under the special direction and assistance of the holy Spirit.

Having thus united for the purpose above mentioned, and having called on our worthy and much esteemed Eldus -Ministers of the Gospel - Joseph Biggs + Jonathan Cherry, as a presbytary who have obligingly gone through the necessary formalities of a constitution: We therefore enter into the following covenant.

Church Covenant

We whose names are underwritten being called as we hope by the grace of God unto repentance + faith in Jesus Christ, and being seperated from the world by the holy ghost, causeth us to confess ourselves pilgrims and strangers in a strange land, who seeketh a city that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God.

We therefore for the love we have toward each other in Christ Jesus are united in Christ fellowship recommending ourselves to the Lord who hath prom -ised to receive such + be their God, holding ourselves henceforth his + no longer our own.

We also voluntarially + mutually give ourselves to each other + the Lord, meaning hereby to become one body jointly to exist + jointly to act by the bonds of the Gospel, each esteeming themselves members of a spiritual body accountable to it, bound to obey it, subject to its controle [?] and no otherwise to seperate therefore than by consent first had or unreasonably refused, We also, voluntarially engage the Lord h [?] enabling us, to keep the faith once delivered to the saints which we do believe includes the following sublime and important doctrine. ( [illegible] ) The being of God, the Trinity of persons in the Godhead, the fall of Adam and his posterity the implication of his sin to his posterity, the conception of human nature and the impotency of man to do that which is truly, really and properally good, the electing love of God before the foundation of the world; the covenant of peace [?], particularly, redemtion, justification by the righteousness, pardon and reconciliation through his blood, regeneration + sanctify ing cation by the influence and operation