A Warning to the Court, Parliament, and Army. From a true Lover of his Country, and of all that love the Truth in Righteousness. Hearty desiring the Peace and welfare of these poor Nations, with Freedom and an Impartial administration of Justice, that Righteousness might run down our streets like a flood, and truth be exalted.  Then will our God crown the labourers in, and doers of his work, with glory and honour, and at last Immortality. 
LEt not any man's impatience, prejudice, or strong affection, carry him to the practice of, or an endeavouring to a settlement of the Nations on such Foundations, as may and will prove absolutely prejudicial to the safety, peace and welfare of us, and our posterities.  
We have for a long time prayed to our God in these words; Led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from all Evil; which is to be taken in a double sense: As,  
Not to act Iniquity, from or by a Law, but to prevent it: and to be upon our watch, is in some measure, the answer of that part of the Lords Prayer.  
Have not the English Nation, and the good, wise Senators therein experienced, how a single Persons Government, hath point blank crossed their prayers, & their good intents when they were ready to put them into Laws for the good of posterity.  
The whole prayer called the Lords Prayer, is not understood, nor do most men understand what they do, when they use it: for if they did but once understand what they pray for, they would act accordingly; Thy will be done O Lord, on earth as it is in Heaven, etc. And yet men, nay wise men, that daily use thiss prayer, will daily act contrary things, and lead themselves into temptations, to act one part of the Lords prayer.  
But they will thrust us into the highest temptations that possible can be on earth, and cunningly creep after themselves: What greater temptation was ever any man led into, than the late Protector was; was he not led from one degree to another, till he grew so great and mighty, that his looks and threats could fright all men but fools.  
Was he not a dread and terror to that very Army, that raised him from the mean condition he was once in, to all his greatness: 
What is the L. Fawconbridge! & what has Thurloe done, but help subvert the Right, Liberty & Privilege of the people of England.  And could he not reward men at his will & pleasure, some that never did the least service for the Nation, nor ever did venture a hair of their heads, nor spend a penny of money in the Parliaments Cause with great places of trust & profit, others that ventured their lives and estates, and received wounds and scars, 
First Mr. Hollis, Maj. Gen. Broun, Cor. Joyce M.G. Harrison, Quarterm. Courtney, Mr. Can Sr. H Vain, M.G. Overton, Col. Ock●y, and many others.  did he reward with Ignominy and Reproach, Prisons, Banishment and great threats to others, that did but speak for a righteous Government; What may otherways be now expected?  
Was he not led into Temptations, when neither Law nor Justice could reach him.  
Have men eyes & will not see, & ears & will not hear; & still go on in hardening their hearts: Friends, My advice is, consider and take heed, lest God come unaware & smite us with a curse, and destroy our Nation for our hypocrisy, and sinning against light and our own prayers.  
Was not his case sad, when his temptations led him to sin against God, and his own prayers; also the light of his understanding and conscience; his prayers and appeals to the righteous God standeth registered in Heaven and on Earth also; and yet will men follow his steps, and lead themselves into temptation: such men I would advise to leave of praying, and dissemble no more with God nor your Countrymen.  
Was there ever any man in our days raised to that name and fame of Religion and profession, and led into somany snares and temptations. It's true, Christ Jesus was taken up to a Pinnacle, and showed all the glory of the Earth; Then said the Devil, all this I will give unto thee, if thou wile fall down and worship me, It's worth our remembrance at this time.  
Who would now be led or thrust into temptation; Is it for nought, that God raiseth up some poor worms to remind you of these things: Consider, ye wise in heart, and prudent in understanding, and harden not your hearts in the days of temptation, when your fathers tempted you, lest God's signal hand of judgement follow you and yours.  
Was he not fed by the subtlety and craft of some that knew his disposition and temper, and heightened by them, 
For that was good Law and Justice, that formerly was Treason, Injustice, and breach of Privilege, etc.  until his Kingly Domination and stroke fell on their heads.  
And is not the like now in this our day, hath not the subtlety of some begotten Addresses from several parts; as if they were to the son of God, whilst others nearer home are leading him into temptations, or thrusting him upon them; remember what is said before: And it may be in time, you that are most eager for a fingle Person, may feel the first stroke in body or soul, if not in both. 
* Princes enthroned, when once their turns are ended, hue down those stairs by which themselves ascended.  It was the late Protectors own Distitch. It's true, if you can touch Pitch, and not be defiled, you may do well; it's a hard matter; did not the late great Governor ensnare some of all sorts that ever came to him; and had he not a kind of virtue that did run into men by his presence, & had not the late King the same virtue, for no sooner had any man kissed their hands, & talked with him, but presently cried him up; & is not the same virtue still in one man when so lifted up; is he not cried up for a brave man and so forth, though he may be a Devil at heart: Led us not into temptation, nor your posterities, I beg.  
How many degrees beyond the ordinary sphere, 
Will you build again, that God once destroyed.  have you thrust good nature into; and will you still go on, & bring him into all manner of temptations, & hereby besot or bewitch the poor & ignorant men, makes me wonder & ask what's God doing.  
But it's like you will set him as high as you can, and get gradually after him, and at length teach him to do as bad things as the old man did and his Predecessor, I mean the late King, until the poor Nation be in the like condition, as it was, under Oppression and Tyranny, against which was much blood and treasure spilt, & is like now to be contracted on them that did it: 
And many of ●ou were Law makers for it.  by the craft and subtlety of such as would be above or beyond law and reason, and unto this will the Lawyers lend their assistance; that so their work might increase, 
For the greatest part of the Lawyers did assist the King against the public interest of the good people; also they that pretended to the good old cause, are since corrupted.  and will ere long draw up Indictments against all and every particular man that fought against the late King, for and in the Cause of the late Parliaments quarrel against him, there being law enough, say they, to hang every one of those that so fought or lent monies; and is not this the best that is like to come to us, a setting men together by the ears, one family against another, till at length we come to misery and confusion, ruin and desolation.  
Led us not into temptations, but deliver us from all evil O Lord.  
And from a Lord above Law, though (never so just etc.) he pretend to protect us; lest his little singer prove heavier than his father's hand, which was bad enough.  
The old man's principles, are not his sons; and that wise men see and know. 
〈◊〉 am persuaded that the ●●…e Protector ●as the wisest ●●d best that ●●er England ●ill have.   
Which makes men at this time struggle and strive, who shall lead him by— one is for this, & another for that; good reason will tell us, & also lead us out of Temptation, & not put us further into it: I pray confider & agree, put of the works of darkness & put on the Armour of light, who is for things & not men.  
My meaning is this: God hath by a signal stroke of Justice taken away your King; and by his divine hand of Providence your Protector; and yet will you thrust yourselves and one another into temptations, Make your heges and diches, bars, gates and styles, never so strong, and he shall leap over them if not wholly beat them down; and spoil the best laws you can make, and men will be tempted to lift him up, (which need not) and he, when lifted up and settled, will pull them after, which is no new thing: such is & will be our opression.  
Your sons must go to Court for preferment, your daughters must do the like, and doth not this lead into temptations: Gallantry is a snare, voluptuousness is a snare; wantonness is a delight, and natural to a Court though of the meanest rank or stamp, what iniquities is there, and you have not done it, and led us into? Pray consider, before it be too late; time tarries for no man; do not die while you are alive: I speak to all of all sorts and all Powers: Your Fathers are dead, and some of us had been happy if we had never seen this day, and had been taken away from the evil, that is and is like to come; but a word to the wise is enough, only let me mind you of one thing more, & then I shall by the mercy of God & his assistance be at rest, & wait Gods further appearances & follow him.  
The wise and praying man forseeth an evil and preventeth it; also God hath said, the secrets of the Almighty are with them that fear him; and they shall not fear what man can do unto them; nor create fears and jealousies to themselves as some do, nor subtly make Bug-bears to fright poor ignorant men, as some do while some great ones act Machivel, & turn Atheists under a pretence of good, piety, & preservation of the Liberty of God's people; which Gods people hope they can trust God with all; and so must do when all vain hopes fail and fair pretences deceive us.  
Let now our just Rights and Liberties be Asserted, and then no one single Person can hurt another, then if he kill or hurt any, the law will hang the Murderer, though he be a mighty man; and if he steal away our moneys and estates the Law will defend us; and the true genuine Law is and aught to be such, and so settled and secured, that no man should be above it, or out of the reached thereof; but all men should be put into such a capacity, as he would they should do to him, so he to do to others, rest.  
Your true friend Gregory Trewman.   

POSTSCRIPT.  
FOr Zions' sake, I will not hold my peace, nor can I be silent, when I see my Countrymen like to be misled and hurried into a seeming settlement, such a one as will destroy them, that carrieth on so horrible a design against God and their own Consciences; And will not yield to be governed, as well as to govern: which is the most Tirannical and destructive principle that can be in man; and that all good men fought against; or else why was the King put to death? I shall now put the Reader in mind of some notable and remarkable passages and practices, that have not commonly been known nor heard of.  
To prevent my Countrymen in Parliament and elsewhere, from further temptations & snares, or thrusting others into slavery: take the King from his evil Council, was our former Parliamentary, & Soldiers cry, also the Country cry; but it seems now to be forgotten or asleep; also that Reformation, which was once eminently pointed at, and hoped for, by all sober and good men. If a King or chief Magistrate shall be misled by a fine thing, or a Thurling crafty and blustering sword, or by the cunning and craft of such Instruments; led into such a deportment as some great ones once were, though it is more his dissition to be Hawking, Hunting, etc.  
My advice therefore is: 
 First, To you Army-men great and small, build not again the things God by you hath destroyed. Secondly, To you Country men, that are entrusted with your Country's Laws, Liberties and Estates; 
See how angry that angry party is, which was against bringing the King to Justice and had conjunction with Charles the Second.  be not cheated nor frighted; God is at work discovering men and things. If this question should be asked, what is the man or his name, that goeth about to subvert the Liberties of the People of England, and would have Iniquity, or the thing God hath destroyed, settled by a Law? What service did he ever do for this Nation, but wickedly help to break the late Protectors heart; and ever more laid snares for men to destroy them; may, such men as had been as eminently faithful to the Parliament and their Cause as any. Be warned ye great ones, that have the least dram or spark of honesty, or fear of God before your eyes, orlove to your Country. For the cunning and craft of some men, is to do the Devils work, and to establish his Government and Kingdom, and to make his visegerent on earth. God is making a further discovery of men and things, and will break the hearts or necks of those that shall go on to settle Iniquity by a law against light, nay against their own Prayers, and solemn Appeals made to God in the days of old, when they were in distress, and knew not what to do.  
Your Iniquities were almost done away, and you were once a sweet savour in the Nostrils of all good men, and the Lord owned you, and the hearts and prayers of God's people were the walls and bulworks, and God gave you great deliverances.  
But now your iniquities begin to be like scarlet, double died in contracting all the blood that hath been spilt on your own and your posterities heads; and putting yourselves into a blood thirsting posture again; for the witness of God and good people hath been and is still going out against you and your acting, and will not hold their peace, nor keep silence any longer. Your Idol when set up must be worshipped and adored, your voluptuousness and wantonness must be maintained, and all out of the people's labours; you will first take their moneys, than their goods, and lastly their flesh from their bones.  
Who would not now be a Courtier, when he is like to be above all Law or Justice, and out of the reach of both.  
The Gentleman must think to breed his sons at no other place, nor to marry his daughters to any other Trades men but Courtiers; and then see what glorious reformation we are at last like to have.  
I pray you my Lord Fleetwood and Major General Disborough, and the rest, leave off praying, and dissemble no longer with God and yourselves and good men, and say to us in plain terms, you will have all our Estates, our Lives, our Wives at your wills and pleasures: or be honest.  
And remember that after a little while God will Call you to an account and you must die as the late Protector did, and go to judgement, which I fear you little think of.  
Also God may suddenly say, bring those mine enemies before me, that would not have Christ to reign over them, and slay them before my face.  
Remember God's appearance to Solomon once and twice; and he slighted the call or voice of God, and see what followed: And when he was going to leave all his glory and honour, which was much more than yours is or ever will be, he said all was vanity and vexation of spirit: (some said with men in our days) and hard to leave off and forsake; but I had rather be a door keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell with the workers of iniquity (from whom good Lord deliver me and all thy dear and precious ones) their snares, baits, and temptations are many, and of the most glorious colours; golden baits, such as the Devils instruments do fish with all to catch and bewitch men.  
And were it not for some such smooth stuff, speciously guilded over with glorious words, and fair pretences, & sometimes with frights and Bugbears; 
A great place and a gallant Incomb out of the poor country man's labours, which makes them forget God and oppress this Nation.  Gods work would go swifter on, and men would trust God more in the work of God, while it's called to day: For time tarrieth for no man, nor can this day be to morrow, or another time; therefore up and be doing, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give the life and strength, if thou wilt but trust him in the use of means; and in him I rest,  
Thine for truth and Justice till death.