_Call to the Ministry—First Sermon—The Boy Preacher—Answering
a Fool After his Folly—Turning a Camp Meeting Tide—Quieting a
Skirmish—Takes a Wife._
Providence seemed to ordain that there should be one preacher in the
Newgent family and that that one should be Jack. As has been observed,
his religious zeal from the time of his conversion at the age of ten,
was exceptional. Just when the first impression looking toward the
ministry came to him he could scarcely tell, such impressions having been
associated more or less with his religious experience from the beginning.
By the time he was thirteen the conviction that he had a “divine call” to
preach the gospel became clear and definite. And the conviction deepened
with the passing of time. Of course, no one dreamed of the emotions that
were stirring the boy’s breast, and to him the ministry was so high and
sacred a calling as to seem infinitely beyond his possibilities. Hence,
he dared not express his feelings to even his most intimate friends, and
so received no sympathy or encouragement from any human source. He went
about his Father’s business in his own way, rendering such service to
the cause of his Master as a boy of his years was capable of. His zeal
knew no abatement, and such diligence is sure to lead to recognition and
reward.
The minister who first took a special interest in him was Rev. Ira Mater,
an able preacher and a sympathetic discerner of the thoughts and intents
of the heart. Between the man and the lad there sprang up a beautiful
friendship, suggestive of that between Paul and Timothy. Rev. Mr. Mater
frequently invited his young friend to accompany him to his appointments,
and by way of stirring up the gift that was in this prospective Timothy,
sometimes called upon him to open the service, to exhort after the
sermon, or perform such other public ministrations as were convenient.
Rev. Mr. Newgent has always gratefully acknowledged his indebtedness to
this spiritual father.
This association with Rev. Mr. Mater was during his sixteenth and
seventeenth years. He was small and rather delicate for one of his age.
His entire youth was a continual conflict with disease, the entire
category of which seemed to try their hand upon his slender frame.
But while his body was frail, his mind was strong and alert. That
his positive temperament and seeming disposition to never give up had
somewhat to do in staving off the grim monster, death, is not at all
unlikely.
His first regular discourse was preached at the Stedd School House
near Fontanet, in Clay County, Indiana. The school house was used as a
preaching point and weekly prayer meetings were maintained. He was a
frequent attendant at these services, and one evening, on entering the
house, he was met by the leader who said, “Jack, the people are expecting
you to preach to-night.” That he was to preach was simply a surmise, his
association with Rev. Mr. Mater being the probable foundation of it.
But some one surmised out loud and the rumor gained currency. Observing
his surprise at this intelligence, the leader continued, “You had
just as well begin here and now,” in a manner that indicated that it
was a foregone conclusion that preaching was to be his life business.
And Jack preached. At any rate, if the effort could not be classed as
preaching, it was a splendid substitute for it. He announced as a text,
“If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the
sinner appear?” The congregation was visibly affected by his fervor and
earnestness, some of the more demonstrative ones giving vent to their
feelings in shouts of praise. He was urged to preach the next night, and
the meetings were continued for more than a week, being held at various
private homes, Newgent preaching at each service. The divine seal was
thus placed upon his ministry, and the meeting marked the beginning of a
new epoch in his career.
A few weeks later the Rockville quarterly conference granted him a
license to preach. The action was taken in his absence. J. P. White
was the preacher in charge and Thomas M. Hamilton was the presiding
elder. The action of the quarterly conference was almost a superfluous
formality, as he was now so greatly in demand that he could not well
avoid preaching.
The boy preacher was a popular character. To see a man on the _ante
meridian_ of life in the pulpit was at that time quite unusual. The
popular prejudice was in favor of men who had spent the major part of
their lives on the farm or in business, thus acquiring a competence
that would enable them to proclaim that salvation is free without being
embarrassed or embarrassing their congregations on the money question.
Hence, a diminutive lad of seventeen, weighing only about eighty pounds,
exercising the ministerial function was in itself sufficient to attract
the multitudes. Wherever he preached he was greeted by immense audiences.
By many he was regarded as a prodigy, though he could not be classed as
such, prodigies seldom accomplishing more than to afford amusement for
curious spectators. It is true, however, that he displayed qualities
unusual for one of his years, though it must be admitted that the greater
part of his power lay in his intense religious zeal and earnestness.
Some characteristic incidents in this part of his ministry will not
only be of interest in themselves, but will at the same time serve to
illustrate his unique individuality. He went on one occasion to fill
an appointment at what was known as the Rough and Ready School House.
The name was justified by the prevailing social conditions. Like Paul
on Mars Hill, he found that at least some of the people were very
religious, though their religious energy was not always directed to the
best advantage. Not infrequently does it transpire that men will fight
for their religion even when they are utterly averse to the practice of
it, a fact which had a forcible illustration in this particular service.
He preached with his usual energy. The house was crowded and the sermon
seemed to be well received. There happened to be present a minister of
what was designated as the Campbellite persuasion. Evidently the sermon
did not coincide with his theological bias. He asked permission to
say a few words as the speaker took his seat. The permission granted,
he sallied forth with a tirade of abuse and denunciation of the young
preacher and his theology in which his passion played a larger part than
either his judgment or his conscience. When he finally ran down, Newgent
arose in a calm manner and said, “Brother, with your way of applying
Scripture, I can prove that Eve was the mother of a turkey buzzard.”
“Prove it, then,” shouted back the irascible theologue. “Well, the Bible
says that Eve was the mother of all living, and that includes turkey
buzzards. Let us be dismissed,” and calling the audience to their feet,
he pronounced the benediction before his assailant had time to reply.
At another time, with his brother, John Newgent, he happened to drop
in at a Methodist camp meeting in Sullivan County. They arrived just
in time for the morning service. A number of ministers were seated on
the platform, among them being Rev. Hayden Hayes, the presiding elder.
Rev. Mr. Hayes had met Newgent on a former occasion, and as soon as he
saw him enter the camp, rushed back and taking him by the arm, led him
to the platform. Hayes was a strong, portly man, and the delicate lad
was helpless in his grasp; thus he was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
and was informed that he must preach. Though he vainly sought to be
excused, yet he was equal to the emergency. He had proceeded about ten
minutes with his discourse, when a man sitting a few feet in front of the
platform was converted and began to shout. He continued, and four others
in the congregation broke loose in like manner, all of them having been
converted through the effect of the sermon, and the discourse disappeared
in a whirlwind of praise that completely drowned the speaker’s voice. Up
to that time there had been no move in the meeting.
John Newgent was imbued with the old-school Baptist doctrine and had not
sympathized with his brother’s preaching propensities. After resuming
their journey they rode for a time in silence. Finally the older brother
said, “Jack, you know I have always opposed your preaching. But I want to
say that I have no further objection to it; but,” he added with quivering
lips, “I want you to pray for me.” The sermon had touched his heart.
Though urgent demands were made upon the boy preacher to stay and assist
in the meeting, he was unable to do so, and heard nothing further from
it until after he had returned from the war, when by chance he again
passed through the vicinity. He stopped at the home of a Mrs. Mayfield,
on whose farm the camp was located, to get his dinner and his horse fed.
As he was taking his leave, having paid his bill, he chanced to observe
the camp ground a short distance away. Up to that time he was not aware
that he was in the immediate vicinity of it. He inquired of his hostess
concerning the camp meetings. She told him that but one such meeting had
been held, though the intention was to make it a permanent institution.
The unsettled condition of times during the Rebellion prevented the plan
from being carried out.
“How was that meeting?” Newgent asked, as one who had a peculiar interest
in it.
“Oh, it was a grand success. There was a little Baptist preacher from
near Lafayette happened in and preached one morning, and just set things
on fire. From that time on the meetings were powerful.”
“What was the fellow’s name?” he asked, but she could not recall it.
“Was it Newgent?” She said that sounded like it.
“Well,” he said, “I know him. He isn’t considered much of a preacher up
there where he lives, but,” he added, “you are mistaken about his being a
Baptist. He is a United Brethren.”
She looked at him curiously for an instant and said, “I believe you are
the fellow.” And his smile told that she had guessed aright.
His money was returned at once, and she insisted that he stay and preach
at the Methodist church near the camp ground that night, assuring him
that he would have a good hearing as there had been much talk about the
little preacher who had “set the camp meeting afire.” This he was unable
to do, but promised to return at a later date.
A short while after the camp meeting, he filled an appointment for his
pastor, Rev. J. F. Moore, at the Leatherwood church, which was a part
of the Rockville charge. The pulpit arrangement of this church was in
strict harmony with the fashion of the times. It consisted of a sort of
wall which shut the preacher in almost completely from the congregation,
suggesting a military fortification. Newgent, being small of stature,
could with difficulty peer over the top of the ramparts. He was led to
believe, however, that the fortification was a necessary precaution,
for his artillery had been turned loose but a short time when it was
evident that there was a hearty response. Bang! Some sort of a missile
struck the rampart just in front of him with a loud report. It was
followed immediately by another, and the bombardment, continued until
six discharges were fired. The preacher withdrew within the breastworks
that small fraction of his anatomy that was exposed, and waited for
hostilities to cease. The congregation was at once thrown into a
state of confusion and excitement. When the preacher finally surveyed
the situation after the heavy batteries were silenced, he saw that a
hand-to-hand skirmish was on between two men in the rear of the room.
One was making a desperate effort to get the other to the door and out
of the house. With the help of the congregation, he succeeded in putting
down the rebellion, and going back to his fortifications he finished
the discourse and the service was concluded in fairly good order. The
difficulty was only a side issue, the culmination of a grudge between
a couple of natives. The missiles were not aimed at the preacher, but
were fired from ambush through the open door; the man for whom they were
intended happened to be sitting in range with the pulpit.
Rev. Mr. Moore resigned the Rockville charge during the year and Newgent
was appointed to serve the unexpired term. This was his first experience
in the pastorate. His brief term of service here was characterized by a
revival of extraordinary results at Otterbein, his home church. Converts
were numbered by the scores and the community was shaken by such a
spiritual upheaval as it had never known.
[Illustration: REV. ANDREW JACKSON NEWGENT