〈◊〉 that to many People, I have seemed to falsify my Word and Promise, which I made 〈◊〉 my being discharged out of Bethelem Hospital; whereupon I am now liable to the Im●…ation of a Liar and Deceiver (which lies as a very great Prejudice against the Things I ●…ve heretofore written, and Published to the World) I shall therefore here add the very 〈◊〉 thereof; Together with what is here observed thereon.  

To the Right Honourable Daniel Earl of N. Principal Secretary of State. 〈◊〉 Humble PETITION of Richard Stafford, a Prisoner in Bethlehem Hospital.  
SHOWETHS,  
THAT your Petitioner hath been detained here for almost these eight Months, By an Order of the Board of Green Cloth, for disturbing Their Majesty's Household at Kensington; By my delivery of certain Books there, on Nou. 3. 1691. for which this my Act of Inadvertency, I am hearty sorry; And I do hereby with all due Respectfulness and Humility beg Their Majesty's ●…on, for what Offence I have hereby given to them. And seeing that by so long and tedious Imprisonment, ●…e been, and am still detained and kept from the public Worship and Service of Almighty God: As 〈◊〉 from the Comforts and Ends of Humane Life. My humble Prayer is therefore unto your Lordship, ●…t you would intercede with Her Majesty, That She would be Graciously pleased, out of Her Princely Fa●…r (and upon this my Acknowledgement, and future Resolution) to give Command or Direction, for my ●…ease and Discharge out of this House of Confinement and Shame; and to grant me my former Liberty ●…d Freedom (which last Words, though they were not expressed, yet they were intended in my Mind) And 〈◊〉 I do hereby promise before God, and upon the Word of a Christian man, That I will never any more ●…ne within the Gates of White-hall or Kensington Court: Nor, will I Writ and Publish any thing more against ●…e Government, as it is at present Established. Adding this withal, That if ever I should Transgress or Vio●…e in the least particular against what I do here declare, and faithfully promise, I would then willingly sub●…t to be Immured up here, or elsewhere during Life. Or to be proceeded againgst in a Regular and Le●…d way, with the utmost severity, according as your Righteousness and Wisdom shall think fit. But my mentions being now Real and Unfeigned, as above-specified. I do hope that I may for this once partake of ●oyal Mercy. And that your Lordship would be pleased io Represent and make this known, is the most earn 〈◊〉 Desire, and Supplication of  
Your most Obedient Servant, And Humble Petitioner, Richard Stafford.   
These Words, To be Immured up here or else where during Life. I did like the eloquent Orator me●… Isu. 3. 3. put in to make this my Petition more Persuasive. But not with an intent to concluded 〈◊〉 to be dealt withal accordingly  
This Petition was carried and presented unto him, On June 20. Upon which the day following 〈◊〉 following Order was sent, and directed unto Sir William Turner, and to the other Governors of 〈◊〉 Hospital.  
June 21. 1692. Gentlemen,  
The Queen is willing to discharge Mr. Richard Stafford out of Bethlehem Hospital to deliver him up to his Father.  
Your Humble Servant N.  
BY this General phrase of delivering me up to my Father, there was no such Grant of my former ●…ty and Freedom; Upon which my solemn Promise was founded.  
But (not laying so much stress on that) then besides, If a Promise is as it were forced and extorted, as it w●… with me by Grievous foregoing Bondage and Oppression, in putting me down into a low, dark, narrow, and 〈◊〉 Room, for seven Weeks and three days. And so in like manner, in the former Times of Usurpation, Their 〈◊〉 did weary out Judge Jenkins, by long Imprisonment. By which they forced him to sign a Paper, 〈◊〉 he did much more acknowledge their Government that then was, than I have done as to the present 〈◊〉 form of Petition. Or if the matter of a Promise is unlawful, as here it is to hinder the Word of th●… and to stop that free course thereof, which it ought to have. In both these cases it ceases to oblige; As 〈◊〉 yet more clearly understood from the Contents of the following Letter, which was delivered in and 〈◊〉 the Penny-post, on July 29 last past, and directed to him at Cleveland. House, near St. James, but superscribed.  
To the Right Honourable Daniel Earl of N. Principal Secretary of State, and t●… other Members of the Privy Council.  
Richard Stafford, a Scribe of Jesus Christ, sendeth Greeting.  
THese are to acquaint Your Lordships, and the present Rules, That I have had very great Tr●… and Remorse of Conscience (being afraid and sensible, That I have offended God in an high de●… for that Petition which I sent unto Your Lordship, on the 19th of June last passed: Wherein I did pra●… my discharge out of Bethlebem Hospital, and you were pleased to send an Order accordingly for it the following; which, though it was an Act of great Goodness in yourself to be instrumental towards the e●…ing of it; and it was, and is still very acceptable unto me: And I do hereby resent it with all due Tha●…ness; Yet the terms upon which I did desire it, were in me sinful and unbecoming such an One who is employ●… the ministration of the word of the Lord unto the Inhabitants of the Earth. For whereas rather from the dic●… of some other than from mine own Sentiments) I did there set forth and promise, that what I had done as to 〈◊〉 occasion of my Commitment was in me an Act of Inadvertency; And that I would write and publish no 〈◊〉 against the Government as it is at present Established (I do not write against Government in the Gene●… but against Sin, Iniquity and Transgression in the present Governors) That aforementioned dropped, was as it were forced from me by Humane Infirmity, and out of my impatient desire of Release from that 〈◊〉 and tedious Imprisonment, under which I did groan. But now upon my serious and innermost Thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Truth acknowledge so. And I learn from the Example of Jeremiah, That when through the fore●… Harrassing and Persecution of Men, He came to this Resolution, Then I said (which implies some●… an outward Promise) I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his Name. But his 〈◊〉 was in mine Heart as a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could ●…y. Jer. 20. 9 In likemanner, I since finding such strong Impulses of this Nature upon my Spirit, and by 〈◊〉 may be further gathered from Numbers 30. 2. Seeing that the Spirit of God in my Heart did at the ●ime disallow what I did herein, as He did at the very same moment to the Spirit of my Mind: Not 〈◊〉 of those Vows or Bonds wherewith I have seemed to tie myself shall stand; and the Lord shall forgive 〈◊〉 because his Spirit did disallow what I did herein, as he did at the very same moment to the Spirit of my 〈◊〉 For the Vow of a Woman or Wife shall not bind her, if her Father or her Husband doth disallow the 〈◊〉; much more all those Promises made unto Men shall no further oblige, than saving our Duty to the 〈◊〉 God over all.  
●nd though in Probability if ye had known as much before hand, ye would have still kept me Captive, and let me go, as now upon my giving this Notice hereof, Ye will be apt to relapse me into the same or a 〈◊〉 Condition; Yet I should have all along, and I am still to commit my Cause unto God, with only warn●… 〈◊〉 all of thus much before hand, viz. seeing that all which I have done as Relating to public Affairs ●…dy Reproof of Transgression, and exhorting People to come again into the way of God's Commandments. 〈◊〉 set his Laws before Mankind, and I do Publish his eternal Truth. I do nothing more, beyond, or besides 〈◊〉; which again I do not out of mine own Head, but only from of the Statute Book of the Lord God. If 〈◊〉 think that I deserve to be imprisoned for this Doing, and ye will be instrumental to Confine me, God, will ●…e that ye and the other People do deserve Damnation, for not obeying those his Laws and Commandments, which from out of the same Book of Scriptures I have set before Ye and Them. And ye will re●…e yet greater Condemnation, and be beaten with more stripes for your thus doing towards me his Crea●…e, who was sent and employed by him in the Ministration of his Word and Truth. This ye will be likely 〈◊〉 find severally, as soon as your Breath is out of your Nostrils, and your Souls are departed from your Bo●…es. God will proportion his Punishment, and Recompense according to the number of the days in the ●…ch ye have already, or shall yet hold me in adversity, and according to what ever degree, or manner of Persecution ye have already, or shall use yet towards me.  
Though I will most strictly observe that part of my Engagement, as never to come again within the Gates of White-Hall or Kensington-House, unless I am sent for; Yet I would again appear boldly in Person. But what ye lately did towards me, was a mere Act of Violence, viz. such as was neither Law nor Reason for, ●…t only Gotten Power, and the Will of Men. It was so done merely because ye were stronger; and it could be so done. If I may use such a trivial Similitude, It was like a Company of Boys who did take one of their Fellows, and bind him Hand and Foot, and lock him up in a Room by force. Which, what sometimes they do for once out of Novelty and Play; Ye did it for several Days and Weeks successively with me; and this ●…s called the Government of Reasonable (or rather unreasonable) Men; and herein I may lawfully use those necessary and prudential Preventives in keeping out of your way.  
If by the Words of God's Grace and Truth I might be somewhat instrumental to bring that to Right, which is now overturned already, and to settle Peace in your Consciences, who now live in fear and doubt, until ye miscarry to all Eternity (unless ye come to Repentance and Restitution) than I shall neither harm nor disturb ye. And if ye would refrain from hurting my outward Person, ye would have less guilt in the mean while, and less punishment in the World to come, which we are all just entering into.  
To this end is the enclosed Written Paper sent unto ye. The Words whereof (whether stifled or published) will be for some Witness and Testimony. By reason of my poor wretched Condition; and also Mr. Robert Stephens hath given such strict Orders from ye to the several Printers against doing any thing for me, That the will of Man is of more force in this World, than the Command of God, as to the going forth and publication of his Eternal Truth. I do doubt, and am afraid, that I shall never get it printed (and yet blessed be God who performeth all things for me) it afterwards was printed, and is Entitled, A Word to both Houses of Parliament, and to the Privy Council.  
However ye may Order it to be Printed, or a sufficient Number of Copies of to be Transcribed. I send it on Purpose that those Lives might be 〈◊〉 which are now going to be lost in their Invasion of a foreigh Country; for 'tis 〈◊〉 sits at the Council Board, who do cause, contrive, and carry on the War; those many Men, Ships, and Horses may be turned about according to the Orders of ye who sit at the Helm, whithersoever the present Governors list.  
Fellow Peace, and Righteousness, and true Holiness; for there is no other under Heaven whereby ye may be saved; and in the mean while,  
Farew●…  
FINIS.