M I N U T E S

Of the

Muddy River Baptist Association

Begun and held at the

Little Spring Meeting House

Hamilton County, Illinois

Commencing on the Saturday

preceeding the Second Lords Day

and days following in September

A.D. 1836

Agreeable to appointment Elder William Gholson preached the introductory sermon from Acts 15th chap. and 14th verse. "Simon hath declared, &". The Association then convened and being opened with prayer by Elder William Gholson, proceeded to business.

1. Letters from the following churches were read and their messengers names enrolled.

2. Chose Elder Willeam Gholson, Moderator, Brother John Lockhart, clerk and Brother Johnathan Floyd, Assistant Clerk.

3. Received a Letter of correspondence from the Little River Association by the hands of their messengers Elder Foster Mason and Brother J. W. Young, who was invited to seats with us.

4. Received a Letter of correspondence from the Little Wabash Association by the hands of their messengers, Elder John Pearce, who was invited to a seat with us.

5. Received no Letters nor messengers from the Salem and Bethel Associations.

6. Appointed Brother Tucker to prepare a Letter of correspondence to the Salem Association, Indiana. Brother George Hamilton to the Original Little River Association, Brother William Burnett to Bethel and Brother William Allen to Little Wabash.

7. Called for the report of the committee who were appointed at our last sitting to visit the Church at Wolf Creek as an advisory council. The report was made and received. The Association is gratified to learn that that Church has adopted the abstract of Principles on which this Association is constituted. The Committee who were appointed at our last sitting to visit Big Bay Church report the cause of that Church not representing herself at that meeting was in consequence of sickness. The report was received.

8. Appointed Brethren William Burnett, George Hamilton, and A. Coffee, with the Moderator and Clerk, a committee of arrangement to report on Monday Morning.

9. Requested Elder Carpenter, Mason and Rondeau with Brother Young to occupy the stand tomorrow. Worship to commence at 10 o'clock A.M.

10. Adjourned until Monday Morning 10 o'clock.

1836

Ordained = O, Licensed preacher = L

11. Sunday worship was opened by Brother Young, chap. 1st and 9th verse of Paul's 2nd Episle to Timothy, "Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, &". Elder Mason from IX Psalm and XVII verse, "the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God, &:. Elder Rondeau from Deuteronomy chap. 33td. verse 29th, "Happy art those, O Israel, &". Elder Carpenter closed the exercises of the day by exhortation.

12. Monday met according to adjournment and after prayer by the Moderator, proceeded to business.

13. Requested Brethren Mason, Pearce and Moore to occupy the stand today.

14. Called for the committee's arrangement, which was read, received and they discharged.

15. Our next Association to be held with the Church at North Fork, Hamilton County, Ill., commencing the Saturday preceding the second Lord's Day in Sept. 1837. And that Elder Joseph Tucker preach the Introductory Sermon, and in case of failure, Elder William Gholson, worship to commence at 10 o'clock A.M.

16. Called for the corresponding Letters which were read and received, and requested Brethren Rondeau, Baker and Bourland to bear the Letter to the Original Little River Association, and Brethren William Gholson, A. Coffee, J. Hampton, William Allen, Wm. Henson, and Joseph Tucker to bear the Letter to Little Wabash, and Brethren Robert Johnson,, Jacob Breden, J. Hampton and Joseph Tucker bear the letter to Bethel. And request Elder John Pearce to forward the Letter to Salem, Indiana, if convenient.

17. Appointed Brethren Allen Floyd and Lockhart a committee of finance, who report that they have received from the Churches $8.06, and from Brother William Allen $2.50, making in all $10.25.

18. Request Brother John Lockhart to prepare these minutes for the Press, have 300 copies struck, reserve 5 for each corresponding Association and distribute the remainder among the Churches agreeable to their contributions, and that the abouve mentioned money be left in his hands to pay for the printing of the same, and retain the remainder if any to our next meeting.

19. Called for the Circular Letter which was read, received and ordered to be annexed to these minutes.

20. Request Brother William Allen to prepare a Circular Letter to be annexed to our next year's minutes.

21. Query "Is it good order for any Church in our Union to aid, assist, or sanction the present missionary system or any of the Benevolent Institutions of the Day, as are generally so called, after this Association has dropped the correspondence with the Clear Creek Association on that account?"

we say that the course pursued by the Benevolent Societies as is called do not meet with our approbation in as much as we believe they have become a matter of speculation and do not comport with Holy Writ in the manner and mode in which they are at present conducted.

22. The Association continues to recommend to the churches who have not adopted the name Regular to do so, for the sake of unanimity and report it in their next letter.

23. We discover an item in a minute put forth by the people who call themselves United Baptists, with the name of Wilson Henderson as Moderator, containing the following request to this Association. "We request the next Association to show their order in their minutes and we will show the course of those preachers leaving that body." This Association answers that the order referred to above, through omission of the clerk, was not put on record in our minutes of 1834, but was an act of the Association so to be, which may be seen was satisfactory by the 24th and 25th items in our last year's minutes.

24. Adjourned to the time and place appointed.

William Gholson, Moderator

John Lockhart, Clerk

Jonathan Floyd, Asst. Clerk

CIRCULAR

Dear Brethren,

The Muddy River Baptist Association having convened at the time and place appointed, and having gone through the business that regularly comes before it, we find that peace and union generally prevails in our churches, for which blessing we disire to return humble thanks from grateful hearts, to our Lord and Master, who has thus far favored us with his smiles and blessings. And we exhort you dear Brethren, to be thankful, watchful and diligent on your part, faithfully to discharge all duties, which your standing as church members requires at your hands. There, we exhort you to be constant and punctual in your attending your monthly conference meeting in singleness of heart, as acting for God and not man, striving to keep the Church pure and unsullied, free from error in Doctrine or Practice, and as every act of discipline is an immediate act of worship to the head of the Church, you should be faithful in this duty and strive to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace, and as no society can exist without rules of order, and as error in doctrine and practice is more prevalent in what is called the Church of Christ, than it has been for a long time, and as we believe most of the errors started from the Pulpit; it is undoubtedly the duty of every Christian to watch over their pure word of Truth from the lips of the disciples of Christ, with all lowliness and love, as the word of God and not of man, and endeavor by Prayer and supplication to hold up the true servants of Christ, Let them compare and measure every doctrine advanced by the word of inspiration contained in the Scriptures of Truth, as far as they record, with this guide receive them. And if they depart therefrom, if opinions and traditions of man are substituted for the word of God, reject it, And with all meekness to charity, strive to point out to your erring brother, his departure from the form of doctrine contained in the Scripture of Truth. If he is not puffed up with worldly wisdom and pride, you will reclaim your wandering Brother. But if he is and persists in his error, you must be faithful to purge out the old leaven from amongst you, as Paul says, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." and if he continue amongst you, great evil will be the consequence in the Church. In forming Parties producing contentions, whisperings, backbitings, and which are contrary to the word and Spirit of the Gospel, and furthermore, the more highly such an one has been esteemed and loved by the Brethren and Church, the greater is the danger of being led astray by him. Therefore the churches should put on the whole armor of God to withstand those wiles and mockinations for the evil one, not trusting in themselves or any arm of flesh, but on the Lord Jehovah, for strength and courage faithfully to discharge their duties in the house of God, which is the ground and Pillar of Truth. Dear Brethren, we entrust you to be faithful, as always in the Presence of a heartsearching and rein trying God, who has promised the assistance of his holy Spirit which shall guide his children into all Truth, and make them more than conquerors of Zion, that the Holy Spirit may be poured out on her watchmen, that all of them may be taught rightly to devour the work of Truth and give every one his portion of meat in due season that the sheep and lambs may be led into green pastures by the rivers of grace and receive the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. In conclusion, we are encouraged by his holy promises that if we ask anything on Him, in faith, we shall receive it. May we not then hope for the prosperity of Zion and that she will be made the Glory of the whole earth. If we thus act with an eye single to his honour and Glory.

Fare ye well.

Attest

William Allen, Recording Secretary