A Word to both Houses of PARLIAMENT.  
THERE is a very great Malignity (considering which, see Rom. 1.29. for it arises from all unrighteousness, Covetousness, Maliciousness, Envy, Murder, Debate, Deceit, there mentioned) when people will not Obey God, and they refuse to come into the way of his Commandments. And this is so much the more provoking, and worthy of sorer Punishment, by much the longer and more continued it is. So that, Let none hence think that we recede or go aside from what we have received of God, nor do we hereby make that part of his Word (which is committed to our Ministration) low and precarious, Nor yet do We use it as an artifice or trick to get them off sooner from their Rebellion, when we make that Proposal and Overture of a General Act of Oblivion and Indemnity to all the Workers of Iniquity (See my Books Entitled, Things Plain and Weighty, etc. The Mystery of Iniquity somewhat laid open, etc.) That they shall be every one forgiven for whatever They have done as to Man's Punishment. Which offer they think that we therefore make, because we have not Power or Numbers to subdue them. But this is to suppose and talk after the manner of Men; for strong is the Lord God Almighty who will Judge them. Nevertheless because Sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily, therefore the Hearts of the Sons of Men are fully set in them to do evil, and they do in the mean while take up Proud Pharaohs Method and Resolution, as to lay more Burden and Oppression on the true Israelites (that they may Suffer if they will not sin, and cast in their Lot among us) and they think or say, Let us not regard vain words, Exod. 5.9. But they are not vain Words; for though the Kingdom of God is in Word, and is called the Weakness of God, 1 Cor. 1.25. It is also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance that it shall be all found me. For whatever some would imagine or desire, not one tittle thereof shall fail until all be fulfilled. Hereby is evident and also seen that God is stronger; for He doth continually send forth his Messenger u●…on the Pale Horse whose name is Death; which notwithstanding all their Multitude and Power doth●●…est them severally to bring them before his Judgement Seat. Is not this laid up in store with me 〈◊〉 sealed up among my treasures? To me belongeth Vengeance and Recompense: their foot shall slide in du● time (observe that) for the day of their Calamity is at hand, and the Things that shall come upon them, make haste, Deut. 32.34, 35. Dear beloved, Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto Wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord, Rom. 12.19. In these things Man hath nothing to do to take Vengeance or proceed to Punishment, and yet if any should be so Presumptuous as to intermeddle with this sealed Treasure and Prerogative of Almighty God, He will again recompense to such Person or Persons accordingly.  
So that whereas the People of this Nation did call their King to Account, and punish him with Depri●…tion for those unlawful things, He is supposed and charged to have committed (which yet by the La●… God and of this Realm they ought not to have done) I thought at that very time He was driven a●… from his Kingdom; That this Act of theirs would somewhat take off and lessen from what He 〈◊〉 unto in the Future Account, in that God would so overrule this Malice and Rebellion of M●… to change it into a Temporal Chastisement and Punishment of his Iniquity if He hath accepted it as such Levit. 26.41. As indeed to live in outward Mirth and Recreations, or to seek to recover his Kingdom again by Blood, is not consistent with that state of Humiliation and Waiting on the Lord, He should have been in all along and He should be in yet. Our God doth once more seem to show forth th●… shedding of Blood is not his Way and Method of bringing back his Anointed, as appears somewhat b●… the late Victory had over the French Fleet. But if still God is pleased to devise other means that h●… banished be not expelled from him, 2 Sam. 14.14. and He cause Judgement to return to Righteousness And this be done not by Power, nor by Might, but by his Spirit and the Manifestation of his Truth (which every Son and Daughter of God ought to strive to the utmost that it go forth continually; and every Soul that will not yield Obedience unto it, shall be Miserable for ever) Here again great heed is to be taken that the last Error be not like unto the first, for the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God, and therefore this hath nothing to do or inflict. And though our Nature, as it is Corrupt, may meditate of Vengeance, and as it is wise according to the Flesh. It may think some Punishment necessary as to Future Security and Prevention of the like Things; yet the Language of Faith and the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord saith on this wise, that the more We let alone and refrain from these Men, they will meet a more severe Judgement from the Lord, and there can be no such sure Establishment for the time to come as by Righteousness, and to Order it with Judgement and with Justice, according to the Rules and Directions of God's Word.  
If any part hereof doth seem somewhat strange or unintelligible, so may any any Truth when it is first brought to our sight and apprehension; or when that is throughly and clearly manifested, which was but imperfectly and confusedly Thought of before.  

A Word to the Members of the Privy Council, as they do Sat to Advise and give Orders in Matters of War.  
It is written, that after Herod killed James, He proceeded further to take Peter also, Acts 12.2, 3. and of one who strengthened himself in his Wickedness, Psal. 52.7. Which is done only by committing the several successive and repeated Acts thereof, for thus they are the more confirmed and hardened, yet and encouraged in an evil Matter. There is in Men by Nature an awful Apprehension of God; and they are at first fearful to offend againg him; But when they see others provoke him and no harm happen unto them; Yea commonly These  do prosper in the World, They increase in Riches, than they take heart by little and little to Sin against him; especially if they find no hurt upon themselves, as presently they do not, and when they are some what habituated and accustomed to it, They go on to Transgress more and more. As it is said in the Proverb, Over Shoes, over Boots, when once they are throughly in, they think that must and they do go on in the same. When an Army is once blooded (as we say) than they are more desperate and cruel, and they having been used to so much Murder already, they do not refrain from any kind of Slaughter. This seems to be the very Reason why at this day they do not cease from, but they go on still in the Prosecution of the War, notwithstanding it hath been declared unto them that the Lord will make Inquisition for Blood, Psal. 9.12. And He will require at the hands of such (who have the outward Power to proclaim War or treat of Peace) the life of every man Gen. 9.5. which hath been already, or shall yet be lost in these unnecessary Wars. For so they are in as much as they might have been avoided at first, and even now, or at any time an End may be put unto them. Nevertheless Our chief Men and Rulers do not regard the Word of God, nor what is here truly alleged from thence concerning the Future Account themselves must give for the same, but they go on still in their own ways after their own Wisdom and Will, and they think or say, We will venture the Consequent thereof. Some of them know that their own heart is disobedient to the Law of God in other things, and so they are as it were blinded and do not throughly understand what this means; Others brave it off with a high hand of Presumption, Contempt and Disobedience.  
It is a sad and marvellous thing to consider, that now The Sword, the Sword is drawn (the Holy Ghost ●…th twice Repeat it, because of the continuance and succession thereof) for Slaughter it is furbished, to ●…sume because of the glittering: Whiles they see Vanity unto thee, whiles they Divine a Lie unto thee, to ●…ing thee upon the Necks of them that are slain of the Wicked, whose day is come, when their Iniquity ●…ll have an End, Ezek. 21.29. This again is to be applied to our Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and to the other Writers and Teachers; for (these exactly like the false Prophets there intended) do suit and model their Doctrine and Discourse (which they deliver in their Pamphlets, Sermons and Personal Conversation) according to the Corrupt Will and Do of the Rich and Mighty People.  
But now be it known unto you all (which yet ye will not believe, though a Man declare it unto ye) That God hath sent forth a Word and published a Truth by his Servant, Richard Stafford, which if throughly understood and universally received: It would cause the Sword to return into his Sheath, Ezek. 21.30. and preserve Life, Gen. 45.5. according to that Expression of the Patriarch. God doth send out his Truth by some Instrument or other to save the lives, vers. 7. of those who are not yet killed. Now in that Case if they had Imprisoned Joseph a second time for Prognosticating evil Things to their Country, and if they had given no heed to his Words, than all, or most of the Egyptians had perished in the seven Years of Famine. 
Mark this well.  But this the Heathen did not do, whereas contrariwise the People of this Generation and Nation have done both with Me, for when they ought to have obeyed the Truth of God, which I wrote down and published, They did by the Instigation of the Dev●… cast me into Prison for the same. And thus, They are of their Father the Devil, and the Lusts of their Father they will do (Observe that) He was a Murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth, because their is no Truth in him: When He speaketh a Lie, He speaketh of his own, for He is a Liar, and the Father of it, John 8.44. For the making and averring of a down right Lie, was the Pretence whereby they held Me almost Eight Months in Bethlehem-Hospital. During all which time I was for a Stone of Stumbling, and for a Rock of Offence to both the Houses of England; for a Gin and a Snare to the Inhabitants of London; God permitting it so to be for a Proof and Trial, whether They could know and put a difference between the certainty of the Words of Truth, and the Imaginations of a disordered Understanding. But it was therefore thus pervertly done with Me of set purpose, That the Residue of the People who are Men of War might be consumed, because they Obeyed not the Voice of the Word of the Lord. And then by putting Me down into a dark lowermost Room, That the Sound and Voice of my Words should not be heard distinctly and clearly, was that Scripture fulfilled? It cast down the Truth to the Ground, and it Practised and Prospered, Dan. 8.12. Which word Prosper (though it is harped upon so mightily, and in their way of Blasphemy and evil Speaking ascribed to God's Blessing, wherein they think him to be altogether such an one as themselves, Psal. 50.21.) imports to be further enabled to shed more Blood. For who gets the Victory, but he that kills most? and then by committing further Sin and Transgression, They do only heap upon themselves more Gild, sad Account and Misery for the last days. Shall the Sword devour for ever? know We not it will be bitterness in the End?  
Now the Sword is as certainly a Judgement of God as the Fire, Plague or Famine. When a Fire is broken out, People do whatever lies in their power to extinguish it again as soon as they can. They provide against a Famine, and seek Remedies for Prevention or Cure of the Plague. But wherefore do they not in like manner endeavour to stop the People from pursuing to follow their Brethren and Fellow-Creatures, and to cause the drawn Sword to be put up, and that the Grievousness of War might cease. The Reason of this great Diversity may be hence conceived and understood, because Satan (the Executioner of God's Wrath and Judgements) doth here make Men themselves the Instruments for carrying on the Destruction of one another; and in order to that he doth instil such and such things into the Minds of Men to the contrary.  
And whereas some say, Let it alone till that day comes, or we will venture the Consequent thereof; Would ye know ye vain deceivers of your own selves! That day will as certainly come, as it is certain that ye now live or shall one day die. There is no great daring in all this; for through their Ignorance and Unbelief every Persecutor, Oppressor, Murderer, Robber; Yea all the Sinners and Transgressor's thoughout the Earth, do run the venture of their own Damnation. But I must tell ye all in sober truth and sadness, That this is the most dreadful Adventure in the World for any one to run, either God must love a Liar, or those that do such and such things shall go into Hell. They might as safely throw themselves into the Fire to try if it will not burn; for our God is a consuming Fire, and so He will at length appear to devour his Adversaries.   

A Word to all Soldiers.  
There are many People who fulfil the Scriptures when they know not that they do so; and even whilst they Act perversely against God and disobedient to his Law; It comes so upon them according as He hath ●…re spoken of in his Word. As by those at this day who are employed in carrying on the War, It is found 〈◊〉 what is written, And thou Son of Man, thus saith the Lord God, speak to every feathered Fowl and to every Beast of the Field, Assemble yourselves and come, gather yourselves on every side to my Sacrifice that I do Sacrifice for you, even a great Sacrifice upon the Mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood: Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the the Blood of the Princes of the Earth, Ezek. 39.17, 18. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me, Take the Wine cup of this fury at my ●…nd, and cause all Nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be MAD, because of the Sword that I will send among them, 25.15, 16. For the Indignation of the Lord is upon all Nations, and his Fury upon all their Armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their Carcases, and the Mountains shall be melted with their Blood, Isa. 34. 2, 3. The Kings, Princes, and Rulers of the Earth do not Read and Consider throughly of all this, as they are raising Men, making Pre●…tions for War, and forming out their Camps. Therefore I will number you to the Sword, and ye shall ●…w down to the slaughter, Isa. 65.12. For so is the Eternity, Prescience and Omniscience of Almighty God, that He speaks of as already past what is yet to come; And He knows before hand those Persons by their Names, with the other Circumstances of Time, Place and Manner who have been already, and shall yet be killed in War. And they shall go forth, and look upon the Carcases of the Men that have transgressed against me: and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh, Isa. 66.24. The Prophet here seem to allude unto a Field after a pitched Battle hath been Fought therein; where is to be seen a great number of Corpses every way mangled and defiled with Blood and Excrements, which cause a stink and noisomeness and then they are but little weak vile Bodies made of dirt and clay and covered over with that ghastly look Death hath cast upon them; All this put together raises an Abhorring. And this happens unto them of both sides, as to the Cause and Occasion of their Fight and Murdering one another, because they have transgressed against the Lord.  
As commonly the Actors herein are trained on, disciplined and led blindly to this kind of End by gross Ignorance of the Things of God, Vain Swearing, Whoredom, Drunkenness, Pride, Revenge and Quarrelling: Which do more chief abound in them than in other People. For as throughout the whole Book of the Lord War is let forth by way of his Indignation. Isa. 34.2. upon the Inhabitants of the Earth; so his reasonable Creatures would not willingly make choice of this kind of Employment, unless such as are given up to these or the like Sins and Abominations.   

Another short Warning to him hereafter Named.  
Whereas it is said in Page 6 of my Printed Book, Entitled, The Mastery of Iniquity somewhat l●… Open, etc. That though God had rejected Saul from that day forward (see 1 Sam. 15.26.28.) in which Samuel spoke after this manner; Yet he continued King over all Israel until the day in which he was s●… in the Battle against the Philistines. And therefore from what is there further said and alleged, 〈◊〉 Lords and Counsellors, if they be his real Friends, should even weeping beseech (whom ye call) K●… William, Yea, Those near about him should take hold of the Skirt of his Garment, as not to suffer 〈◊〉 to go out any more to Battle, nor adventure himself therein by Sea or Land, lest it should be not 〈◊〉 with the certain hazard, but yet greater danger of his Life. For it is said in the Proverb, The Pitcher 〈◊〉 not go so often to the Well but it is broken at last; and Himself may learn by the Examples of Schom●… Walker, and several others of his own Knowledge and Experience (who escaped as many near immi●… Dangers as ever he did, and yet were at last killed in War,) That the Sword devoureth one as well as other, and the Bullets fly promiscuously amongst them all: and therefore he only is safe who doth meddle with nor come near them. And here if it should so happen (whereof He is again hereby wa●… As He hath hitherto lived therein, so He would die in his Sin and Iniquity: But rather let him co●… Repentance, and seek for Peace only by Righteousness, (See Psal. 72.3. the Bible Translation, & 〈◊〉 7.2.) for there is no other way under Heaven, whereby we may come to it.  
In this Case it is thought that it is vain to give Warning; For say what we will, The Destiny wh●… they are Worthy will bring them to their End; and as Josephus the Historian saith, Destiny is such a 〈◊〉 which the Wisest Man cannot avoid: But certain I am, it is not so much their Destiny, as their and their Ignorance, and their 〈◊〉 Folly, which lead them. For the foregoing Things are manifestly in●… own Power, as in the present Instance, He (of whom we speak) may go out to War, or He may go out: He may 〈◊〉 break off his Sins by Righteousness, and thus lengthen, yea secure his own Tranq●… if He will.  
The Wrong getting and Unjust keeping of an Earthly Kingdom, or of the greatest Worldly Profit few Months or Years longer, cannot be a sufficient Compensation for the Loss of Heaven, and falling Hell for all Eternity.  
Most of this Testimony was finished March 25. 1692. and if it had then been made known unto and Obeyed by them whom it doth more especially Concern, the Truth contained herein would have saved those Lives which have been lost in War this Summer, and it would preserve them for the time to come, if they will do accordingly.  
FINIS.