May 05, 1839 – Silas Mercer Noel in the fifty-sixth year of his earthly journey was called home to glory. His remains were taken to Frankfort, Kentucky and buried in the family burying ground. On Aug. 12, 1783 Silas was born into the family of Rev. and Mrs. Theodoric Noel in Essex County, Virginia. At an early age he was placed under the instruction of Robert B. Semple, the famed Baptist historian who had been baptized by Rev. Noel in 1789. Later he studied medicine and law and was admitted to the bar before his twentieth birthday. When he was 21 he married Miss Maria Warring, and they parented 13 children. Silas prospered in the law profession until he came under the conviction of sin, when a great revival swept through Kentucky at the turn of the century. In 1811 he received full assurance of his salvation, and received believers baptism by Rev. William Hickman, an early Baptist preacher in Ky. Silas showed a great zeal for the Lord’s work, and was licensed to preach, and then ordained as pastor of the Church at Big Spring in Woodford County in 1813, and the work of God grew. Then he was called to pastor the Baptist church at Frankfort, and the church grew into a large, prosperous congregation. Also five other Baptist churches were started in adjacent communities. At this time Noel was appointed circuit judge of the Fourth Judicial District, but he gave it up to devote full time to the church, looking to the church to supply his needs. As pastor of the Great Crossing Baptist Church of Scott Co. he baptized 359 converts the first year of his ministry. He also founded the Baptist Education Society of Kentucky.
Condensed by Greg J. Dixon from: This Day in Baptist History II: Cummins and Thompson, BJU Press: pp. 246-48. [CF: William B. Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit (New York: Robert Carter and Brothers, 1865), p. 628.]
Noel was also a great opponent of the innovations of Alexander Campbell. He was the author of a circular letter to the Franklin Baptist Association of Kentucky in 1830 detailing Thirty-nine Articles on the errors of Campbellism taken directly from Mr. Campbell's publications "The Christian Baptist" and "The Millennial Harbinger." Dr. Noel was a stalwart in the struggle against Campbellism, which at that time was causing great schism in the churches of Kentucky. Campbell was a dissembler who subverted churches and over-threw the faith of some. Silas Noel rose to the challenge of his day and nobly defended the faith once delivered to the saints.
MT
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