I stayed only during the trial of one who was brought thither that morning, but I was told that the other cases were dismissed with great speed, as the justices had some appointment elsewhere which they wished to keep. The man who was tried while I was there was called James Ireton, whose name, I was told, went much against him, seeing that Colonel Ireton had been hanged by the king only a little time before. He was only a young man, it may be of twenty-five years of age, and looked a harmless sort of fellow, although I saw by the look of quiet determination in his eyes that he was not one who would be easily turned aside from his purposes. He was a blacksmith by trade, and one, I judged, of tremendous strength of arm and body. The indictment brought against him was in these words: "James Ireton, you are accused of devilishly and perniciously abstaining from coming to church to hear divine service, and for being a common upholder of several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom, and contrary to the laws of our sovereign lord the king." The man replied that he did indeed attend a meeting of godly people for praise and prayer, but that it was held in an outhouse nearly half a mile from the king's highway, and that there was not a dwelling-house near it. "But do you know that such a meeting is unlawful?" cried the magistrate. "I find nothing in the Word of God against it," replied the man. "I do not mean the Word of God, of which you are ignorant," replied the magistrate, "but the laws of this country." "I always put the laws of God above every law," replied the blacksmith, "and there I do find I am commanded to continue in prayer." "Ay, and the law hath provided the church for you to pray. Do you go to church?" "Ay, I do go to the Church of God," replied the man. "What church?" "A church composed of those who meet together in Christ's name," replied he. "Ah, some conventicle! That is no church. How can you call that a church?" "I have Christ's own words," replied the man. "He said, 'Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them,' and it is Christ that makes the church." "I cannot allow this blasphemy," said the justice. "The question is, do you go to the parish church?" "No," replied Ireton, "I do not." "And why?" "Because I do not find the Scriptures faithfully proclaimed, because many Romish practices are performed, and because I get no good to my soul." "Thou art a naughty, law-breaking varlet!" said the justice. "Nay, that is not so. In truth there was a time when this was true of me; for I was a drunkard, and I treated my wife with great cruelty. For this I was not punished; but now that I am trying to obey God's word, and to lead others to holy life, I am e'en haled before you." "But didst thou go to church when thou wert what thou sayst?"