Some Notable OBSERVATIONS UPON THE LATE summons By the Earl of Newcastle, of the Town of MANCHESTER.  
Written by a Worthy Member of the House of Commons, and appointed to be printed.  

Imprimatur  
JOHN WHITE.   
LONDON, Printed for Edward husbands, and are to be sold at his shop in the Middle-Temple, 1643. August 4.   

The Earl of Newcastle Summons to MANCHESTER.  
I Presume you are not Ignorant of the success it hath pleased Almighty God to give his majesty's Army under my Command: and the great desire I have to avoid the effusion of Christian blood, which makes me before I proceed any further towards you, to make you offer of His majesty's Grace and Mercy, if you will submit yourselves, lay down your arms so unjustly taken up in contempt of the laws of this kingdom, and immediately return to your due Allegiance, His majesty is graciously pleased to authorise me to receive you into His Favour vnd protection, which I am as willing to do, as to reduce you by force to your Obedience if you shall refuse.  
I cannot but wonder, whilst you fight against the KING and His Authority, you should so boldly presume to proffer yourselves for KING and Parliament, and most ignominiously scandalize this Army with the title of Papists, when we venture our Lives and fortunes for the preservation of the true Protestant Religion, established in this Kingdom:  
Be no longer deceived, for that blood that shall be shed in this quarrel, will assuredly fall on your own heads; I have no other end in this, but to let you see your Errors if you please, (for my Condition is such, that I need not court you) if not, let me receive your answer by this Messenger: And this, you may expect to find little favour, if you force my Nature, but such as is due to so high contemners of His majesty's Grace and Favour now offered to you, By  
W: Newcastle. Bradford, 5. July   

Some Observations upon the aforesaid SUMMONS.  
THe lofty Summons of the Earl of Newcastle sent to Manchester, marcheth in the steps of the summons sent by the great Assyrian Monarch to Jerusalem; Know ye not what I & my father have done unto all the people of other Lands? and if it conclude in the like end, it will make good that ancient truth, a high mind goes before a fall. But withal he assumes, that his desire to save the effusion of christian blood should be as notorious, as his Conquests; but what other business more than the effusion of blood hath that person that fights against a just cause? and against men more righteous than he himself? against men that desire only to keep their own; their own Religion, Liberties, and possessions? and is it a sign of a sparing blood to put into his Army a multitude of those men, who are the sons of that Scarlet whore, which is drunk with the blood of the Saints? and who are Burgesses of that city, wherein will be found the blood of all that are slain upon the earth? and yet it seems to call the success of such a popish and scarlet Army a gift (of favour) from Almighty God, but herein we may greatly mistake; such success is indeed a chastisement upon those whom God doth both covet and love: but to him and his army, it may only be so much favour as to make them rods of anger, whose end is commonly in the fire; It is the very doom of heaven, upon such a Rod, The Lord of hosts shall send among his fat ones leannes, and under his glory shall he kindle a burning, like the burning of a fire.  
But why doth he look so far as heaven, to find out a God for his popish army? for they have gods nearer at hand, even portable, manual, and eatable gods, which they carry in their hands, or put into their pockets, or eat in their mouths; witness that god of bread which the priests held up in their hands before the people, and after eat with their mouths; and witness that golden god found in the pocket of the Earl of Northampton; wherefore it had been more suitable for the head of an idolatrous and popish army, to have imitated the ancient Idolators the Lords of the Philistians, who when they had gotten (that which the E: calls) success against Samson, they gathered together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand, but withal let that be remembered which follows: the house fell upon the Lords, and upon all the people that were therein, this was the close of the success of Idolators.  
And here he wanted memory or modesty to hold him from speaking of arms, taken up in contempt of laws, for had he but called to mind the list of his papists, he must needs have remembered withal, and been ashamed by remembering it, that his own army was condemned by his own words; having plainly taken up arms in contempt of laws: but no wonder if those that fight against the Parliament itself, do fight against the laws made by Parliament, the wonder lies here, that they should be said to fight by the King's authority that fight both against the Parliament, and Laws made by Parliament; for if the King's authority be greatest in Parliament, than they fight against the Kings greatest authority, that fight against the Parliament; as on the contrary, they fight most for the King and his authority that fight for the Parliament wherein his authority is most eminent.  
And now he takes it unkindly that his army should be scandalised with this truth, that it is a popish army; a truth which himself hath taken so much pains to make good with an apology, and it being believed from himself, that he hath a popish army, he could not well lay a greater, and more true scandal on his army then here he hath done; by his confuting a supposed one: for he lays this ground, that papists cannot fight for the preservation of the true Protestant Religion, which being easily believed, it will be as soon believed (this belief being advanced by his own apology) that Papists being embodied into his army, and joining with him in the support of one and the same cause, this cause c●nnot be the preservation of the true Protestant Religion, and indeed the very sound of the words, as well as the sense would carry an absurdity in the face of it, that papists should fight for the Protestant Religion: But from themselves also, as well as from this argument may we know their own meaning, in their Massacres (rather than wars) in Ireland they professed to fight for the Catholic, (or Antichristian) cause. And in their council here, for raising sums to maintain the late wars against the Scots, they professed that the War concerned them not only as Subjects, but as Catholics; and now to make up a right popish war throughout all the three Kingdoms, without question they fight (as the Earl himself confesseth) not for the Protestant Religion but for Popery; if they have not changed their opinions in the war of the third Kingdom, which they professed in the war against two.  
And if it be so that his popish army fights for popery against the Protestant Religion, then let him, and his army take to themselves, the guilt of the blood that is shed in so ungodly and unjust a quarrel; blood and Idols have been ancient companions, and this Popish army carries the guilt of both in the bowels of it. And it is to be believed that the great revenger will in his own time execute judgement upon these gods, and their worshippers, and will avenge the blood of his Servants which hath been shed upon the earth.  
And now he swells, because his arm (or army) of flesh is swollen into some greatness, and in this carnal confidence he tells them that he needs not to court them, but to take down this swelling, it may be read (if it be lawful in a popish army to read Scripture) Woe to theme that go down to Egypt (or Rome) for help, and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they are very strong: but they look not to the holy one of Israel, neither seek the Lord. Now the Egyptians (or papists) are men and not God, and their horse's flesh, and not Spirit; when the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is the holpen, and they shall both fall together.  
Lastly, the Summons concludes, that if they force his nature, no favour is to be expected: not to say any thing of the nature of the soil itself, but this certain, that if a piece of ground be forced, husbanded, and improved, by Romish Principles, or persons, that ground will easily turn into a field of blood, little favour is to be expected from that nature, which is animated & actuated by the dragon, who was a murderer from the beginning; This appeared evidently in the Powder-treason, wherein some fair natures were forced into the bloodiest and foulest of Treasons; so a nature needs not to be forced to cruelty by the constancy of Protestants, that is so near the leaven of Popery, and Papists; but it were rather to be wished that his nature ●eing improved by grace, would abhor the guilt of ●lood-shed, even the shedding of righteous men, defen●ing themselves in a righteous cause, and so show fa●our to his own soul, as well as to their lives; A victory being not a blessing, but a fearful judgement; when they that overcome by killing, are murderers, and they that die, are Martyrs.  
FINIS.