DECLARATION OF WELSH TRACT BAPTIST CHURCH

The Baptist Church atWelsh Tract, to the Elders and Messengers composing the meeting of all Old School Baptist to meet on Monday after the third Lord's day in May, with the church at Black Rock, Maryland sendeth greetings:

Dear Brethren, you are about to assemble together to consult on the great interests of the Redeemer's Kingdom, we desire to meet you with our friendly epistle. Through the tender mercy of our Heavenly Father and the Divine influence of the Holy Spirit, we are yet enabled to stand together, contending for the ancient landmarks of Zion. We consider it Brethren, a day of gloom and darkness with the church, we have reason to fear that the darkest time is yet to come, we hear the watchmen in Zion saying, the morning cometh, the morning cometh. We would respond and say, Oh, that it has come, that the darkness may flee away,-but we rejoice that the foundation of God standeth sure, the Lord knoweth them that are his, though his people are called to pass through the deep waters of affliction, they have the promise that it shall not overflow them, or through the fire it shall not kindle upon them, he will be with them in six troubles, and in the seventh he will not forsake them. We are sorry that so many of the good old servants of our Divine Master are leaving the long-trodden path of the gospel truth, and are allured by the meteors that are floating around them. We have the pleasure of saying that peace and harmony prevail among us, and we are desirous of holding fast to the form of sound words and maintaining the faith once delivered to the Saints. Oh, that the Lord would lift up his banner, and draw souls to it, and we earnestly pray that he would make bare his arm of saving grace, that his people may grow as the corn, flourish, as the vine, and appear as tall cedars of Lebanon, and that rebels be made to submit to his authority, until the stone cut out of the mountain without hands shall subdue the power of the Beast and deface his image, and wax and fill the whole earth and the praises of our great High Priest and King resound wherever there are voices to extol his name.

We now commend you to God, praying that you may be preserved in this day of trial, and may you take sweet counsel together in things appertaining to the Kingdom of our dear Redeemer.

Done by order of the church, May 3, 1834.
William K. Roberson. Pastor
Joseph Griffith, Clerk