Having found, as I have already said, peace and joy in that word of
God which I had received with my whole heart, I immediately felt the
desire and the need of intercourse with gospel Christians; I was
convinced that such there were, because the Saviour had promised "that
the powers of hell should never prevail against his church." But not
finding them in the Roman Catholic church, which presented to me
nothing but a religion of tradition, equally degenerate in doctrine
and worship, I was greatly at a loss where to find the real Christians
for whom I was in search.

For the first time in my life the thought occurred, Is it possible
they may be among the protestants? But instantly I repelled an
idea which early prejudice had rendered revolting to me. In places
inhabited exclusively by Roman Catholics, where the doctrines and
worship of the protestant Christians are little known, the term
protestant is regarded by most as synonymous with heretic, blasphemer,
and reprobate. The people generally are imbued with these prejudices,
which are diligently kept up and disseminated by some among them, and
I myself was at that time too much under their influence to admit, at
once, that the protestants could be the true Christians for whom I was
seeking.

Soon, however, the thought returned; and as I reflected on that
declaration of St. Paul, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus
shall suffer persecution," 2 Tim. 3:12, possibly, said I, these
protestants may be calumniated on the very ground of their religion
being more in accordance with the Gospel. Many other passages of
Scripture presented themselves to my mind, which led me to believe
that this supposition might be correct. I therefore determined to lose
no opportunity of clearing my doubts upon this point.