In 1879, Charlie Peace, a well-known criminal in London, faced execution by hanging. When he was marched to the gallows, a minister walked behind him. In keeping with custom, the minister read aloud this passage from a prayer book, "Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring." When the minister read these chilling words, Charlie Peace stopped marching, turned to the minister, and shouted, "Do you believe that?"
The startled minister stammered for a moment, then said, "Well, I suppose I do."
"Well, I don't," said the criminal. "But if I did, I'd get down on my hands and knees and crawl all over Great Britain, even if it were paved with pieces of broken glass, if I could rescue just one person from what you just told me."