Appendix A: Pilgrim Church to Hopewell Church

The Pilgrim Church of the Predistinarian Regular Baptist Faith and order
To her sister Church at Hopewell meeting House, Nacogdoches County Republic of Texas, of the same faith and order
Send the Christian Salutation
Beloved Brethren

We lern that, there be some who troble you, and are like to bring you into disorder, corrupting you both in faith and Practice, We alude to Elder Bryant together with the members composing what is called a church, in Sparkes.s Settlement north of Nacogdoches. We much regreet, That Elder Bryant and the members with whoom he stands connected ware not sound in faith and in order as a Church. That they mite be Profitable to you and us, in the gospell of Christ. But from what we lern they are of the Seperate Baptist faith, with whom we have no connection, and as to their Church Capasaty, we consider them in disorder (first) Becous they were constituted by an unoutherised Presbytary, 2d The Reception of Elder Bryant, we think ware not done in good order. 3d. The Church called on Elder Bryant to administer the gospel ordinances for her, without restoring him to the ministeral function in a gospel or legal way, Which leave all the members Baptised by him in disorder— Dear Brethren should these facts exist, as we lern they do, We warn you aganst thim as a disordely unsound People, with whoom we should have nothing to do, in a religious or Church capasaty. When they become sound in the faith and corrects their Disorders, Then and not tel then can we hold Christian union and fellowship with them, without partaking of their Disorder and Biding them god.s speed in their unsound Disordely corse. — Beloved Brethren, from us you received your existence and Power as a Church, Therefore we clame Christian union and relationship with you, and a right to call on you to adhere to the faith upon which you were constituted, and united without deviation, and to correct any disorder that may be amoungst you and we will not exchange truth and gospel order for the flattery, errows, and friendship, of any man or People on Earth, and when ever you change or alter even one Itom of the articals of faith upon which you were constituted, you no longer exist as a church, by the authority which constituted you,— To bare this, and to transeact any business on our Part with you, We have sent our Beloved Brethern Daniel Parker, and Garrison Greenwood, Both or Either of them to act— Whom we hope you will receive as an expretion of our Christian love to you. May the grace, and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirits and guide you into all truth, Is the Prayr of of your Sister in Christ, done at our meeting of business, May 11th 1839 and signed by order of the Church—
John Grigsby Cl. Daniel Parker, Mo.

See the “The Records of an Early Texas Baptist Church, 1833-1847” in The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 11, No. 2, October 1907, pp. 118-119.