quently, when I went to the church door, I
found it barred, and the priest absent; what was I to do? My heart was
bursting for want of some religious help and comfort; what could I do? as
good Master Rees Pritchard observes in his 'Candle for Welshmen.'

"'It is a doleful thing to see little children burning on the hot coals
for want of help; but yet more doleful to see a flock of souls falling
into the burning lake for want of a priest.'"

"The Church of England is a fine church," said I; "I would not advise any
one to speak ill of the Church of England before me."

"I have nothing to say against the Church," said Peter; "all I wish is
that it would fling itself a little more open, and that its priests would
a little more bestir themselves; in a word, that it would shoulder the
cross and become a missionary church."

"It is too proud for that," said Winifred.

"You are much more of a Methodist," said I, "than your husband. But tell
me," said I, addressing myself to Peter, "do you not differ from the
Church in some points of doctrine? I, of course, as a true member of the
Church, am quite ignorant of the peculiar opinions of wandering
sectaries."

"Oh, the pride of that Church!" said Winifred, half to herself;
"wandering sectaries!"

"We differ in no points of doctrine," said Peter; "we believe all the
Church believes, though we are not so fond of vain and superfluous
ceremonies, snow-white neckcloths and surplices, as the Church is. We
likewise think that there is no harm in a sermon by the road-side, or in
holding free discourse with a beggar beneath a hedge, or a tinker," he
added, smiling; "it was those superfluous ceremonies, those surplices and
white neckcloths, and, above all, the necessity of strictly regulating
his words and conversation, which drove John Wesley out of the Church,
and sent him wandering up and down as you see me, poor Welsh Peter, do."

Nothing farther passed for some time; we were now drawing near the hills:
at last I said, "You must have met with a great many strange adventures
since you took up this course of life?"

"Many," said Peter, "it has been my lot to meet with; but none more
strange than one which occurred to me only a few weeks ago. You were
asking me, not long since, whether I believed in devils? Ay, truly,
young man; and I believe that the abyss and the yet deeper Unknown do not
contain them all; some walk about upon the green earth. So it happened,
some weeks ag