The doctor was, of course, glad that one penitent was making the “good
confession,” and announced that on to-morrow morning at eight o’clock,
just before the day’s exercises would begin, they would repair to the
creek and “baptize the brother into Christ.”
At this juncture Rev. Mr. Newgent arose and asked if he might say a
few words. The permission was granted. “Doctor,” he said, “I have been
taking it for granted that you were sincere in advocating that the
penitent’s sins were pardoned only in the act of baptism. Now, here is
a dear brother desiring to flee the wrath to come. Suppose he should
die before eight o’clock to-morrow morning, and thus be lost. Who would
be responsible? He is getting old. Aren’t you running an awful risk in
exposing his soul to eternal death until to-morrow? Doctor, don’t you
think it would be safer and more consistent to take this brother at once
to the creek and baptize him into Christ?”
The doctor admitted that he was right, and ordered the candidate to
be baptized immediately. A small bodyguard took him to the creek and
reluctantly performed the task. Thus evaporated the scheme from which the
opposition had hoped to reap so largely. They did reap largely, but not
what they expected. In his opening remarks the next morning, Newgent
recited with dramatic effect the story of the exploded plot, taking
ample time to do it justice. The story was told with many a humorous and
oratorical flourish, producing roar after roar of laughter from the great
audience. The house thus built upon the sand fell upon the heads of the
unwise builders with most disastrous effect.
As an illustration of his peculiar power over the minds of his hearers,
the following tribute from a titled minister of the Campbell faith will
serve well. He was taking his usual rest during the noon intermission,
when the reverend gentleman who wore a D.D. and a silk hat, approached
him, and after introducing himself, said:
“Rev. Mr. Newgent, they have told me that you attended school but three
months in your life, and also that this is your first debate. I am
convinced that in this you have been misrepresented. I heard Doctor Holt
deliver his opening address to-day, and I thought no man on earth could
answer his argument. But when you got up to speak, you had not proceeded
five minutes until the people had forgotten all he had said. The same was
true of the second address, and I saw at once that our man was beaten.”
Newgent told him that he had had but meager school advantages. In a
former chapter it is stated that he attended school three terms of three
months each. But as school attendance then was very irregular at the
best, the gentleman’s information was not far from the truth. He informed
his friend, however, that he had always been a hard student, and thus had
atoned in some measure for the meagerness of his school advantages.
“Well,” said the doctor of divinity, “I expected to remain until the
close of the debate; but I see that our man is fighting a losing battle,
and I do not care to stay and see him defeated.” And after a few further
remarks, he bade Rev. Mr. Newgent a courteous good by and left the
grounds, not desiring to see the end of a contest that boded no good
thing for his cause.
The gentleman’s unwilling prophecy was fulfilled, no doubt, to a larger
degree than he himself anticipated. Newgent seemed to gain power and
momentum to the last. When the great contest closed, defeat was plainly
written upon the countenance of every Holt sympathizer, while Newgent
was showered with compliments and congratulations from his admiring
friends. A delegation of Baptist brethren, headed by the pastor of
the First Baptist Church of Terre Haute, rushed forward and placed a
ten-dollar hat on his head in behalf of that denomination. Commendations
and substantial tokens of approval came from representatives of a number
of denominations. And the occasion ended pleasantly for all, except the
number whose theological bias was plainly and painfully indicated by
their crestfallen spirits.