High Church and somewhat ascetic in his principles, in the beginning he had admired celibacy, and in secret dedicated himself to that state.

But at heart Thomas was very much a man, and of late he had come to see that which is against nature is presumably not right, though fanatics may not hesitate to pronounce it wrong.

Possibly this conversion to more genial views of life was quickened by the presence in the neighbourhood of a young lady whom he chanced to admire; at least it is certain that the mere thought of seeing her no more for ever smote him like a sword of sudden pain.
***** That very night--or so it seemed to him, and so he believed--the Angel of the Lord stood before him as he was wont to stand before the men of old, and spoke a summons in his ear.

How or in what seeming that summons came Thomas Owen never told, and we need not inquire.

At the least he heard it, and, like the Apostles, he arose and girded his loins to obey.
For now, in the hour of trial, it proved that this man's faith partook of the nature of their faith.