The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 11, July 1907 - April, 1908 Page: 85

THE QUARTERLY
OF THE
TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
VOL. XI. OCTOBER, 1907. No. 2.
The publication committee and the editors disclaim responsibility for view
expressed by contributors to THE QUARTERLY.
THE RECORDS OF AN EARLY TEXAS BAPTIST
CHURCH.1
I.
1833-1847.
The Church Book, belonging to the Pilgrim Predistinarean Regular
Baptist Church of Jesus Christ
Constitution of said Pilgrim Church
Whereas the various sentiments on the subject of the Christian
religion now progressing in the world, cannot all be right and hav-
ing no doubt but that god has his church or kingdom now set up
in the world Who being all taught of the Lord speak the same
thing-and also believing that every attempt to unite in union the
advocates of any, or all of the various contradictory spirits or prin-
'The church to which refers the document here printed in part is still
in existence, its present location being near Elkhart, Anderson County.
It is probably the first Baptist church of Texas. The enumeration of
Baptists in Texas in 1837 by Rev. Z. N. Morrell (Flowers and Fruits, 72)
indicates that if there was an earlier organized church of this faith it
must have been the congregation of "Primitive Baptists" on the Colorado
near Bastrop, the pastor of which was Abner Smith. H. H. Bancroft
(North Mexican States and Tewas, II 547) attributes to Morrell the
statement that in 1837 began the existence of the first church in Texas