My Reasons for Becoming a Baptist- by Rev. Stephen N. Hilbun. 30 Jan 1851
The following is a transcription of an article which appeared in the Alabama Baptist paper, Southwestern Baptist, on January 30, 1851, written by Rev. Stephen Newberry Hilbun. This same article was also published in the Tennessee Baptist paper the following month. These articles can be found on Newspapers.com with a subscription.
Stephen N. Hilbun’s great-great grandson, Rev. Joel P. Hilbun transcribed the article. It follows:
“On a certain occasion I stood, as a spectator, on the water’s edge, where the solemn ordinance of Baptism was to be administered by a Baptist minister. He declared that believers are the only subjects, and immersion the only mode, of baptism known in the New Testament; and although I had heard as much affirmed many times before, on this occasion a powerful impression was made on my mind. Is it a fact that the Scriptures furnish neither precept nor example of Baptism by sprinkling or pouring, nor of infants as subjects? Would Baptists constantly and openly affirm such a thing and no one be able to put them to silence, if they have not the Word of God to sustain them? Is the prejudice of education—is the force of circumstances of associations—sufficient to shut our eyes to facts as plain and palpable as Baptists say they are, in this case? Thus, perplexed and reflecting, I turned to the New Testament and sought carefully, patiently, and I think, honestly, for the truth, willing to know and practice it as far as capable. The result of that investigation was, I came fully and satisfactorily to the following conclusions.
1. The Baptism of John, the disciples of Christ, and the apostles was, without the least possibility of successful contradiction, immersion only, and that of believers, in the name of the holy Trinity.
—For instance the baptism of Jesus in Jordan—John ‘baptizing in Enon near to Salim because there was much water there”—Philip and the unoch both went down into the water, &c. In short whatever the manner of the baptismal action is hinted at, it is most clearly to my mind immersion. And as to the proper subjects. The Bible contains not one most distant allusion the baptism of infants, or any but believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. But believers, “both men and women,” Acts 8:12—“those who had received the Holy Ghost, Acts 10:47—Lydia, hearing Paul preach by the “river side” and her household in which it is not likely there were many infants, and certainly no proof, Acts 16:14, 40—the Jailer ‘with all his house rejoiced believing in God’ 34—Chrispus ‘believing in the Lord with all his house,’ Acts 18:8—Stephanas and his house, who ‘addicted themselves to the service of the saints,’ 1 Cor. 1:16—these were baptized & such as these, but no infants, in apostolic times.
2. There being no Bible authority for infant baptism or any other mode of immersion, the usage of the Baptist church in this respect, is consistent and Scriptural. I am acquainted with the logic of learned Pedo-baptists; but it can not satisfy minds that take an intelligent and impartial view of both sides of the question. But I do not say this to question or impeach the candor and honesty of my brethren whom I have left. I doubt not their honesty; but I think they have looked at only one side of the question, or looked through colored glasses as I did.
3. With these views, honesty and candor compelled me to dissolve my connextions with the Methodist Episcopal church, and seek a connexion with that church which clings to the Bible and repudiates the doctrines and commandments of men, in ecclesiastic faith and practice.
Thus, beloved brethren and friends, I have given in a few words, my principle reason for becoming a Baptist, and, I think honestly, as in the sight of God. For the last twenty years I have been a Methodist, and nine years of that time have been trying to preach the Gospel. I was contented in that church, and have been satisfied with her usages and doctrines, and enjoyed the consolations of religion, as well as I expect to in the Baptist church; but a sense of duty, and a conviction of truth, have influenced me in this step, and I feel that God is with me, and his word sustains me in the confident belief that I am right.
I do not by any means, discard infant salvation because I do infant baptism. Baptism is no Saviour—Christ the Lord of glory crucified, is the only Savior; & we must obey him as King in Zion & Head of all things to the church, even if his commandments do clash with our prejudice & education. Unconscious infants cannot obey, nor is there any commandment in the Scriptures addressed to them, or obligatory upon them until they are capable of understanding something of its import; & a proxy obedience to a divine law or requirement, is either inconsistent, or else for all I can see, might be extended as in the Catholic church, to supererrogation, so that the son or daughter might be saved for the righteousness of sponsors or parents.
May the Lord help us by his Word and Spirit to live to his glory, and when our pilgrimage has ended, save us in his kingdom.”
Stephen Hilbun
Brooklyn, Ala., Jan. 30th, 1851
Transcribed by Rev. Joel P. Hilbun, great-great grandson of Stephen Hilbun.
Brief Biography of Stephen Newberry Hilbun (1805-1888). Part 1.
Written by Joy Hilbun Mohr
My third great-grandfather was Stephen Newberry Hilbun. The majority of members of this Hilbun/Hilburn Facebook page are descended from him! The other members I believe are descended from cousins of Stephen’s father.
Stephen N. Hilbun was buried in the Big Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Jones County, Mississippi. His tomb simply says, “Rev. S. Hilbun.” At the time of his death, in 1888, he was living with his son JohnWesley Hilbun who was the step-father of my great-granddad Stephen F. Hilbun.
According to the Bible record of his father, Frederick Hilbun, Stephen was born in December 1805. Stephen (SNH), was the last of eight children born to Frederick and Nancy Hilbun. Unfortunately, Nancy died in April 1810, when SNH was not yet five years of age. Frederick remarried and had at least seven more children and moved from Burke County, Georgia to Montgomery County, Alabama sometime in the 1820’s.
In 1828, Stephen married Priscilla Hannah in Montgomery County. They had twelve children, one of whom was my 2nd great-grandfather William. Priscilla died in 1846 and a few years later SNH married Sarah Smith. They had seven children and later settled in Pike County, Mississippi. Many descendants of this branch settled in southwest Mississippi and in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana.
From the 1850 Federal Census Record of Butler County, Alabama, we know that SNH was a blacksmith. He also must have felt a calling by God to preach as he was ordained by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1849.
Earlier in 1843, his older brother Joseph Hilbun gave land for a new church to be built in Butler County; this church was Bethel Methodist Church. Stephen and his older brothers, John, Joseph, and William Hilbun, were mentioned in that deed transfer as “trustees” of this church. The fact that these Hilbun men were part of the beginnings of this new church causes one to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ and His church were important in their lives.
The minutes of Bethel Methodist Church have largely been lost but in a remnant found from 1836, only two Hilbuns were listed as members- Henry Hilburn and his wife Keziah. It stated that they “removed “in 1836, suggesting that they moved elsewhere. We do know that Henry Hilbun was in Randolph County, Georgia in 1840.
SNH must have been a deep, contemplative man as just a few years after having been ordained by the Methodist Episcopal Church, he came under conviction that baptism of infants was in error. He became a Baptist and in 1851 was ordained in the Baptist church. Shortly before his ordination, he wrote an article, “My Reasons for becoming a Baptist”. This article was published in the Alabama Baptist State Paper in February of that year. Upon reading this article, it is obvious that my 3rd great-grandfather Stephen Newberry Hilbun was well educated!
His article has been transcribed by my father, Rev. Joel P. Hilbun, also a Baptist pastor.
William Hilbun 1831-1863- researched & written by great-grandson, Joel P. Hilbun.
NOTE: Feel free to use this information but please acknowledge the source- manuscript by Joel P. Hilbun.
William Hilbun was the third child of Stephen Newberry Hilbun (1805-1888) who was the eighth child of Frederick Hilbun (1768-1850). William was born July 7, 1831 in Lowndes County, Alabama. He married Susan Elizabeth Beard July 3, 1855 in Monroe County, Alabama (Monroe County, AL Marriage Book A) and security was provided by Joseph C. Lambert. Susan was the oldest child of Moses Beard and was 22 years old when she married William. Moses Beard was found in the 1850 census of Monroe County, Alabama. Susan Beard’s sister, Martha married William’s younger brother, David Frederick Hilbun and they also moved to Wayne County and later to Laurel, Mississippi.
William and Susan Hilbun had three sons: Andrew Jackson, born in Alabama in 1856; Steven Filmore, born in 1858, and William P., born in 1860. The youngest boys were both born in Wayne County, Mississippi.
William purchased land in Wayne County, Mississippi, on September 8, 1857- 43.20 acres in Township 10 North, Range 7, Section 31, NE4 NW4, for $108, record # 13632. This land joined that of his father-in-law, Moses Beard. A certificate for a Land Patent was issued by the Augusta Land Office on November 10, 1859. On the certificate his name appears five times as “William Hilburn” with the “r” scratch through each time.
On January 9, 1861 Mississippi was the second state to secede from the Union, and on April 12 of that year the War Between the States began with the firing on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. As many men began enlisting to fight for the Confederacy, on March 8, 1862, William and his younger brother, John Wesley, enlisted in the Shubuta Guards of Clarke County, Company E with T. T. Howze, a Clarke County farmer, as captain. Organized March 1, 1862, the regiment was first called the 37th Mississippi Volunteers. Shubuta, the nearest enlistment station, was just a few miles from where he lived in Wayne County. On April 28, 1862, ten companies from the counties of Clarke, Jasper, Lauderdale, and Smith, rendezvoused at Columbus, Mississippi, and there they were mustered into the Army of the Confederate States of America as the 37th Mississippi Infantry Regiment with a total of 888 men, including field officers and staff. The date on William’s service record states that he enlisted on May 13, 1862, by Col. Orlando S. Holland, who had been editor of a newspaper in Enterprise.
William’s unit participated in the Battle of Iuka on September 19, 1862, after which his company was moved into position for the defense of Corinth as a major railroad center. On October 3 there began a three day siege by Federal armies. William’s service record dated October 13 records that he was absent from his company, the reason being that he was wounded in action at Corinth, Mississippi on October 3, 1862 and sent home. His Company Muster Roll for November and December recorded him “absent, wounded in action, Corinth, and in hospital.” The January and February records show “absent, in hospital.” There is a Hospital Muster Roll of General Hospital at Enterprise, Miss., that says “to February 28, 1863, dated February 28, 1863, listing William ”present” as a patient.
Sometime after February 28 William rejoined his regiment which was alrea
dy engaged at Vicksburg. In the fierce fighting that led to the surrender on July 4, the casualties of the 37th were 17 killed and 56 wounded. One of those wounded was William. He was captured and taken as a Prisoner of War on July 4, 1863 but was paroled on July 6.
The Company Muster Roll for April 30 to October 31 states “Died in hospital, Vicksburg, Miss., July 15, 1863.” He was buried near Vicksburg in Cedar Hill Cemetery, in a section established in 1866 for Confederate Soldiers called Soldiers Rest, in the Mississippi Section. His grave marker is inscribed:
“PVT WILLIAM HILBURN
CO E MISS INF CSA
JUL 7 1831 – JUL 15 1863.”
(picture- author and daughter Kaye at William’s grave)
William’s younger brother, John Wesley, was discharged by order of General Johnston sometime between April 30 and October 31, 1863. After he returned from the war, he married William’s widow, Susan Elizabeth, probably in 1865. In about 1879 the family moved from Wayne County to Jones County, Mississippi. An oral tradition has it that they were intending to move on to Texas, but were caught in west Jones County by a very unexpected snow storm. Stranded there for some days, they were treated so well by the Wade family that they decided to just settle in Jones County.
John Wesley Hilbun raised William’s sons and had more children with Susan- Lula, Theodocia, Mary Katherine, John T., and Daniel Benjamin.
William’s son, Stephen Filmore Hilbun grew up in the Big Creek area of Jones County and in 1881 married Mary Almedia Wade, daughter of Daniel Webster Wade and Cornelia Knight Wade. They had the following children- Doctor Franklin, Charles William, Nola Lavada, Persada, Bruce Sharp*, Daniel Wesley, and William Hobson.
*Bruce Sharp Hilbun married Cammie V. Miller and they had the following children, Billy S., John C., Charles C., Joel P., Robert B. and Thomas E.
Hilbun 