Last updated July 28, 2010

The Primitive Baptist Library of Carthage, Illinois

A Conservative Old-Line Primitive Baptist Website

Defending Our Doctrinal Beliefs and Articles of Faith

The Cause of Truth Defended, and the Lambs and Sheep Fed
A Record of Our Participation in Public Debates
An Expository Series on the Articles of Faith of the Primitive Baptist Church
Articles of Faith of the Carthage Primitive Baptist Church with scriptural references
Ancient History of the Primitive Baptist Church from Apostolic Times to its Establishment in America

Our Historical Research, and Tools to Assist Researchers

Index to Primitive Baptist Church and Family History Research in Fifty States, Washington D.C., Canada, and Europe
Index of Surnames for which there are Obituaries in our Church Papers
A Study of New Harmony Church, Colonel Levi Williams, the Militia, and the Expulsion of the Mormons from Hancock County, Illinois
Abraham Lincoln and the Primitive Baptist Church at Lincoln's New Salem
Historical Facts Presented and Missionary Baptist Claims Refuted

Hymnals, Library Quarterly (free), CD's & DVD's

The Primitive Baptist Hymn Book, by D. H. Goble; Primitive Baptist Hymn & Tune Book, by Elder John R. Daily; and a paperback supplement
Recent Issues of the Library Quarterly, Free Upon Request

Digital images have been made, and copied to CD's or DVD's, of the records of the following: ILLINOIS: Bond County: Bethlehem; Shady Grove; Brown County: New Salem; Clay County: Crooked Creek; Coles County: Little Bethel; Crawford County: Grand Prairie; Oblong; Edwards County: Birk's Prairie (partial); Fayette County: Four Mile Prairie; Liberty; Sharon; Hamilton County: New Hope, Rector; Hancock County: Friendship; Rock Creek; Jasper County: North Fork, Hickory Creek; Lawrence County: Little Village (in progress); Perry County: Nine Mile; Pope County: Grand Pier (in progress); Sangamon County: Liberty; Fancy Point; Shelby County: Union; Warren County: New Hope (partial); Williamson County: Bethlehem; Mt. Zion; Pleasant Hill; White County: Mt. Pleasant; Carmi (in progress); Lick Creek (in progress); Sangamon Association of Illinois. OHIO: Muskingum, Scioto, Owl Creek Harmony, and Sandusky Associations (printed minutes); Pleasant Run, Walnut Creek, and Van Buren Churches, and Miami, Sandusky, Muskingum, and Scioto Associations (manuscript records). INDIANA: White Water Association. VIRGINIA: Ketocton Association (1792-1834 printed minutes); New River Association. WEST VIRGINIA: Naomi Church; New Liberty Association. KENTUCKY: Goshen, Winchester (1825-2004). PENNSYLVANIA: Southampton, Bucks Co.. MISSOURI: Bear Creek, Hannibal (1821-1904). PERIODICALS: "Primitive Monitor" (1886-1888), Vol. 1-3; "Western Predestinarian Baptist" (1842-1845), Vol. 1-3; "Church Advocate" (1877-1878, 1892-1893, 1894-1897); "Messenger of Peace," 1904-1905. RARE BOOKS: Jean Leger's "Histoire Generale Des Eglises Evangeliques de Piemont ou Vaudoise," originally published in 1669.

The Library's Holdings, Gifts Received, and Rare Material We Hope to FInd

Information About our Permanent Collection, and Items We are Seeking

We lack the following issues of "The Comforter": May 2005 to the present.

Wanted to find: "Walking About Zion," by Elder Isaac N. Vanmeter, Macomb, Ill., published in installments in Zion's Landmarks in 1868-1869, then in pamphlet form in 1870.
Wanted to find: A pamphlet against a salaried ministry, by Elder Peter L. Branstetter, in which he arraigns from Bible authority the modern salary system and methods of raising money. It also contains a portrait of Elder Branstetter. It was being sold for 10 cents postpaid in 1915.

Sharing Our Joy and Thanks: A Listing of Gifts Received

Remembrance, Restoration, and Preservation of Our Heritage

Remembrance of our heritage
A Journey of Remembrance by Flatboat, December 2-16, 2006, Marking Elder Wilson Thompson's Journey in Late 1810; and the 200th Anniversary of Bethel Church, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, organized July 19, 1806

Restoration and preservation of historic churches and cemeteries
Old Brick Middle Creek Church and Cemetery, near Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois, restoration work from 2004 to the present
The Old Stone Church, called Bear Creek, near Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri
The Old Stone Church, called New Providence, near Ursa, Illinois
The Old Stone Church, called West Liberty, near Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa
The Old Stone Church, called Providence, near Lena, Illinois
The Nine Mile Church, near DuQuoin, Perry County, Illinois

Library Hours

Our regular hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but visitors from a distance should make previous arrangements.

The Primitive Baptist Library of Carthage, Illinois, was organized in June 1988, by Elder Robert Webb, and three other trustees (members of Primitive Baptist Churches in Hancock County, Illinois), with a constitution and by-laws.

The Primitive Baptist Library is a reference library, rather than a loaning library, but the Library has republished several books which are available for purchase, and its collection of books and records are available for use by Primitive Baptists and others (including descendants of members) who are doing research either on the church or on family members who were connected with the church. Over 64,000 names have been entered into a computer database, of past and present members of Primitive Baptist Churches, the majority of these being for churches in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. Over 13,000 association minutes from various parts of the United States are also part of the Library's collection. We recently began making an all-year computer index of obituaries, from the annual indexes published in some of our old church papers; so far, we have over 29,000 names entered. See the link above for more details.

COPYING POLICIES

The Trustees of The Primitive Baptist Library of Carthage, Illinois, have adopted the following policies regarding church records:

1. We will pay for the microfilming, xeroxing, or digitizing of the records of any Primitive Baptist Church (active or inactive) in the State of Illinois (and other states as funds permit). 2. Microfilms and CD's or DVD's of church records in our collection may not be copied in whole or part without express, written permission from the specific church; or if the church has ceased to exist, from the Library trustees. 3. Microfilms may be viewed on our film reader in the Library except where restrictions apply. Such restrictions are presumed, and will be honored by this Library in connection with filming done for any church of which we maintain a copy. 4. The policies stated above for microfilm will also apply to our original church record books (or bound photocopies, CD's, or DVD's) held in safekeeping in the Library.

We reserve the right to study and use in our on-going historical research any material which is loaned or given to us to keep or to reproduce.

In Memory of Elder Lemuel Potter

"It is impossible to preach salvation by grace, and at the same time preach that the sinner has any claim on the Lord for that grace; or, as many in this age say, an offer of grace. If the sinner is saved by grace, it must be that he might have been justly lost without grace. If he could not have been justly lost without grace, then he could have been justly saved without it." - Labors and Travels, pages 331,332.

Tribute to Early Primitive Baptist Ministers in Hancock County, Illinois

Tribute to Early Primitive Baptist Ministers in Schuyler and McDonough Counties, Illinois

Tribute to Early Primitive Baptist Ministers in Southern Illinois