A copy of two letters which Richard Stafford had intended to have delivered unto the King and Queen but not being admitted by the yeomen of the guard, he left them on the rails of the back- stairs at White-Hall, on January 26, 1689/90 : in each of which was inclosed a printed paper, entituled, A supplemental tract of government, referred to the consideration of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, January 4, in the year aforementioned. Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703. 1690 Approx. 9 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2012-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 2). A93735 Wing S5114 ESTC R42691 38875598 ocm 38875598 152394

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A93735) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 152394) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2295:19) A copy of two letters which Richard Stafford had intended to have delivered unto the King and Queen but not being admitted by the yeomen of the guard, he left them on the rails of the back- stairs at White-Hall, on January 26, 1689/90 : in each of which was inclosed a printed paper, entituled, A supplemental tract of government, referred to the consideration of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, January 4, in the year aforementioned. Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703. [2] p. s.n., [London : 1690] Caption title. Includes on second p.: The Case of Richard Stafford humbly offered to the consideration of both Houses of Parliament. (Not in Wing 2nd ed.) Place and date of publication from Wing (2nd ed.). Reproduction of original in: Bodleian Library.

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 eng Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703. -- Supplemental tract of government. Church and state -- England. Great Britain -- History -- William and Mary, 1689-1702. 2020-09-21 Content of 'availability' element changed when EEBO Phase 2 texts came into the public domain 2011-07 Assigned for keying and markup 2011-08 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2011-09 Sampled and proofread 2011-09 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2012-05 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
A Copy of two Letters which Richard Stafford had intended to have delivered unto the King and Queen, but not being admitted by the Yeomen of the Guard, he left them on the Rails of the back-Stairs at White-Hall, on January 26. 1689/96. In each of which was incloſed a Printed Paper, Entituled, A Supplemental Tract of Government, referred to the Conſideration of the Lords and Commons Aſſembled in Parliament, January 4. in the Year aforementioned.
To his Excellent Majeſty, King William. May it pleaſe your Majeſty;

THe incloſed Paper doth contain a Manifeſtation and Application of Things out of the Word of God, which is true, and will be fulfilled. When it is ſuggeſted in a common matter, that by keeping unto a leſſer good one is in danger to be deprived of a greater, here is no Hatred or Indignation, but thanks for the Admonition. The Kingdom of Heaven doth as much exceed all the Kingdoms of this World, as the Son doth the Light of a Spark, which only aſcends a little height and expires into nothing: So whatever is moſt Great, Beautiful and Enduring here (if for ſome years) is not ſo much in compariſon to Eternal Glory and Happineſs. Every thing is to be laid aſide, which may forfit our Title to that; the Principles of Reſtitution and Juſtice are to be obſerved, if a man would have the favour of God, and be a partaker of his Crown and Reward: But he that doth wrong, ſhall receive for the wrong he hath done, and there is no reſpect of Perſons.

To her Excellent Majeſty, Queen Mary. Madam;

THe incloſed Paper doth ſhew that God is diſhonoured by the breach of his Law; a right ſence of, and zeal for his Glory may juſtifie any one in taking notice of it. Alſo it is Charity and Kindneſs to exhort and admoniſh one another to ceaſe from Sin and Tranſgreſſion, to prevent his Indignation here, and Puniſhment in the World to come. My earneſt Prayer and Deſire is that all People may uſe the right means to obtain Salvation; and that your Self would (above all things) make ſure of the real and enduring Happineſs.

The firſt Letter was again carried to the Court at Kenſington on Fe • ruary 22. (and being ſent to a Lord of the Bed-Chamber in order to be preſented unto the King, it was by the Officer thrown into the Fire and 〈◊〉 burnt. Such is the Policy of Satan and his Inſtruments to hinder Men See 56. 23, 24. •• om coming to the Knowledge of the Truth that they might be ſaved.

The CASE of Richard Stafford humbly offered to the Conſideration of both Houſes of Parliament.

WHereas Richard Stafford hath been, and ſtands yet indicted at Common Law, and hath ſuffered a Weeks Impriſonment in Newgate for certain Papers, entituled, A Supplemental Tract of Government, &c. which he delivered in to the late Parliament on January 4. 1689. to which he made an Appearance at the laſt Seſſions at the Old-Bayley, and had Oyer of his Indictment, which did run in theſe words, viz. That the ſaid Richard Stafford did intend to raiſe difference and diſcord between the King and Queen, and their Peers and Great Men, and the Commons of this Kingdom of England in Parliament lately aſſembled, &c. He the ſaid Richard Stafford did offer to this by way of Anſwer and Plea, That what he did was in full Parliament, and that he was introduced according to Form and Order into the Houſe of Lords, the Houſe then ſitting; and the Subſtance and Matter of the ſaid Paper, was referred to the Conſideration of the Lords and Commons; And if it did tend to breed difference and diſcord between the King and Queen and Them, Themſelves were the more proper Judges of what lay in their own breaſt, and whereof a Jury of 12 inferiour Men were not ſo fit to judge and determine. And further it was alledged, That this Caſe did come within the reaſon of Stat. 1o. Gulielmi & Mariae, for declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, and ſetling the Succeſſion of the Crown; wherein amongſt the ſeveral inſtances of mal-adminiſtration of the late Reign there recited, one was, By Proſecutions in the Court of the Kings-Bench for Matters and Cauſes cognizable only in Parliament: And it was a like Error there to proceed in a more inferiour Court for what belongs to their Conuſance. Though this Clauſe was inſerted in as to the Caſe of Mr. Williams, who was illegally proceeded againſt in the Kings-Bench, for what he did as Speaker in the Houſe of Commons; yet no publick Statute expreſſed in general words, is made to reach only one ſingle and particular Caſe, but it takes in all others of the like Nature and Reaſon. It is agreeable both to the Statute and Common Laws of this Kingdom, and to right Practice and Uſage, That things ſhould be heard where they are done: And that great and weighty matters (whereof the preſent, according to the Indictment, is the greateſt that can be, and may be ſtiled a Caſe of many Generations) ſhould be determined in the higheſt Courts of Judicatory. The reaſon why ſome things of this nature have been tryed at Common Law, is becauſe ſometimes of the long interval and ſpace of time between Parliaments, (and with this, if I miſtake not, they did palliate the proceedings againſt Mr. Williams) and ſo the Offender might eſcape Juſtice in the mean while, which would be a great inconvenience: Or if he lie only under ſuſpicion and doubt, his Tryal would be deferred; or if he be falſly accuſed and charged, he is delayed from clearing and vindicating his own innocence in the mean while, which is a very great prejudice & trouble to himſelf.

But here by a ſtrange Art and moſt wicked Corruption, of calling evil good, and good evil; of juſtifying the wicked for reward, and taking away the righteouſneſs of the righteous from him, Iſa. 5. 20. 23. by turning of things upſide down, Iſa. 29. 16. the aforeſaid Richard Stafford is charged to do a thing unlawfully, unjuſtly, and wickedly, when he doth only lay the Laws of God before Men; He doth endeavour (according to his Duty and the Grace committed unto him) to turn them from Iniquity unto Righteouſneſs. He doth ſay and affirm, That all the Words mentioned in the aforeſaid Papers are True, Significative, and will be certainly fulfilled. He doth come in the Name of Almighty God, and will make evident his Commiſſion, that he is really ſent, and hath more words to ſpeak out in Perſon viva voce, unto the Honourable Houſes of Parliament; Hoping that they will not be like their Forefathers, a Rebellious and Stubborn Generation, which refuſe to hear the Law of their God. It is Gods conſtant Method to ſpeak unto the World by thoſe of the ſame likeneſs with our ſelves; and he doth commonly raiſe up mean Perſons to convey forth his Truth unto Men, That the excellency ſhould be of God, and not of us. I dare not abuſe nor trifle with his Name, but am ready to explain the nature and meaning thereof, if I may be heard out throughly without any interruption. And ſo likewiſe, ye ought to take heed how ye reject it, for you will admit of things of leſſer moment. If another ſhould come from an Earthly Prince, or diſcover ſome new thing, or in a matter of Peace and War, of Rights or Priviledges, him will ye hear: But ye are apt to refuſe or diſregard, what hath relation to the immediate Government of him who is the Great King over all the Earth, and in ſubordination to that, is not only for the real Peace and Security of this whole Nation, but of the Kingdoms round about. If I ſpeak falſhood or folly, as I ſhould then be liable unto the Wrath and Judgment of the great God for taking his Name in vain, and making vile his Majeſty; ſo in the mean while, I contentedly ſubmit to be made an Example of your utmoſt Severity and Puniſhment, for diſturbing and interrupting your Counſels. But if I ſpeak Wiſdom and Truth, I ought to be hearkened unto.