THE ACCOUNT AUDITED Or the Date of the Resurrection OF THE WITNESSES Pretended to be demonstrated by M. Cary a Minister Examined by a Friend to the Truth and Ministry LUKE 21.36 Watch ye and pray alwayes that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and to stand before the Son of man LONDON Printed for T.R. E. M. in the yeere 1649. The Account Audited OR The date of the RESURRECTION of the WITNESSES pretended to be demonstrated by M. Cary a Minister WHen I first saw the Title Page of M. Cary's Book posted up professing a clear demonstration that the Resurrection of the Witnesses spoken of in Revel 11. was accomplisht I was glad to see a Treatise of that nature come forth partly as supposing that the Lord might have brought to publike view some more satisfactory Exposition of that difficult Scripture then had yet seen the light but chiefly as conceiving some hopes that peradventure the sad season might be already past for the slaying of the Witnesses the neer approach whereof is much feared by many of the Saints And as naturally men are apt to believe things to be as they desire to have them so did I finde more willingnesse in my mind to dispose me to close with the Authors judgement then I found reason in that Book to perswade me to it for when that Treatise came to my hands I read it over with much greedinesse and expectation till I came to that place where the commencement with the expiring of the time for the Witnesses prophesying in sack-cloth is stated which if rightly placed would have been the Key to unlock the Controversies of the Text but being misplaced serv'd only to check my expectation for if specious allusions of which the Au hor is not destitute could have cleared the text without the right clue of Chronology the taske had been long since performed by divers others who not only with as good colour for the phrase of the context but also with much morâ— exâ—ctnesse for the Historicall application have published their conjectures upon it This Author professes to go a way different from all others for in the Epistle to the Reader I finde these words That which I chiefly aime at in this discourse is that which is not yet printed by any other and whether any other have yet observed it I know not And yet so confident is this Female-Minister M. Cary in her sole invention as if there might not be so much as roome left to doubt whether she had performed her undertaking for thus I finde in the Post-script that the Witnesses are indeed slaine and risen and do stand upon their feet is altogether unquestionable because as appears by the foregoing discourse this prophesie of the slaying of the Witnesses and of their rising c. is in every particular jota and tittle of it most exactly accomplished the like confidence she discovers in the Epistle Dedicatory and in the Preamble and in divers other passages of the Book And truly it is pity that a woman of her parts should build with so much confidence upon so rotten a foundation the discovery whereof is the drift of these following lines As there are many things in that Book which are good and of which a Christian improvement may be made so are there divers passages both in her exposition and also in her application which are liable to just exception yet that part concerning the time of the Resurrection of the Witnesses is that which I purposely chose to debate 1. Because the Authors maine confidence lies there 2. Because most of the other mistakes in that Treatise will stand or fall with the date of the Resurrection as being either strained to comply with it or drawn by inference from it 3. Because the ordinary Reader may be most apt to passe over those passages of the Book without search 1. through credulity not suspecting what the Author obtrudes for granted or 2. for want of skill in ciphring not being able to cast up the Accompts of years and dayes mentioned by the Author or 3. through want of History not being furnisht with such Books as handle the matters of fact which the Author relates which things as I have diligently searcht into for my own satisfaction concerning the time stated in M. Cary's Book so I judged it my duty having seen the Authors mistakes in that point to publish briefly somewhat to keep others from being carried away in those mistakes That the way of my proceeding may be the more clear I shall desire the Christian Reader to take notice of thus much the time of the Resurrection of the Witnesses which is the matter in difference between us is that of which we read Revel 11. ver 11. in these words And after three dayes and an half the Spirit of life from God intred into them and they stood upon their feet M. Cary in her exposition upon this verse in the 100. page of her Book writes thus The fifth day of April 1645. did the Witnesses the Saints stand upon their feet having a Spirit of life from God put upon them This is the Authors assertion whose ground I shall recite and examine Only by the way if any should ask what is meant by the two Witnesses Wilson in his Dictionary for the Revelation resolvs it in these words two Witnesses a competent number of faithful Preachers which testifie against the errors of Antichrist and for the Doctrine of Christ thus he and this so farre as I can learne is the most received interpretation for my own part though I will not now engage to determine what sort of persons the Witnesses are yet I shall acquaint the Reader with this that by Patrick Forbes in his Commentary upon the Revelations page 88. is hinted to us as also it is by others though M. Cary takes no notice of it and indeed it makes not for her purpose viz. that Elias and Moses those two which appeared with Christ at his transfiguration Matth. 17. are held forth as the types of the two Witnesses and thus much is intimated to us in the description of the Witnesses in Revel 11. v. 5 6. which I shall thus make out to you by comparing Scripture with Scripture 1. Elias is hinted in verse 5. in these words If any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt them he must in this manner be kild This description hath reference to Elias who also is called Elijah thus much is clear from 2 Kings 1.10 And Elijah answered and said to the Captaine of fifty if I be a man of God then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty and there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty Luke 9.54 and when his Disciples James and John saw this they said Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come downe from heaven and
consume them even as Elias did Elias also is hinted in ver 6. in these words these have power to shut heaven that is raine not in the dayes of their prophesie that this description hath reference to Elijah will be easily gathered from these texts 1 Kings 17.1 Elijah the Tishbits who was of the inhabitants of Gilead said unto Ahab as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand there shall not be dew nor raine these years but according to my words James 5.17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not in the earth for the space of three yeers and six months 2. Moses is hinted in the following part of the 6. verse in these words and have power over waters to turne them to blood that this is spoken with reference to Moses is cleare from Exodus 7.17 Behold I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river and they shall be turned to blood Exod. 17.5 the Lord said to Moses go on before the people and take with thee of the Elders of Israel and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river take in thy hand Moses also is hinted in the next expression of the 6. verse in these words and to smite the earth with all plagues that this is spoken with reference to Moses is cleer from Deut. 34.10 11. There arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face in all the signes and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land The variety of Plagues wherwith Moses smote the earth is more at large declared in the History in Exod. to which I refer the Reader And now I shall give you the account which M. Cary laies down to make good her opinion that on the fifth of April 1645. was the day of the Resurrection of the Witnesses which that I may deale fairly both with the Author and the Reader take thus at large in her own words Page 81. and 82. that term of time which the Beast was to continue and the Saints to be trodden under foot and to prophesie in seack-cloth is a thousand two hundred and threescore yeers as appears pag. 62. Now this 1260 yeeres being added to the yeere wherein the beast received his devilish power and seat and great authority in the reigne of Phocas the Emperour which was as say Historians in the year 404. I say adding to this 1260. it makes up 1664. and this yeere 1664. should be the yeere wherein the Witnesses should finish their giving testimony clothed in sackcloth if this 1260. yeers should be computed according to the rule of Astronomers allowing 365. dayes to a yeer and to every fourth yeer adding a day more but we finde that the holy Ghost in this prophesie not observing that rule doth allow but 360. dayes to a yeere and according to that rule 1260. dayes to three yeers and an half and therefore in computing the time of the Witnesses prophesying in sackcloth we are to observe the rule which the holy Ghost here laies down to allow 360. dayes to a yeer and so the time of the Witnesses prophesying in sackcloth is to expire eighteen yeers and almost an half sooner then as by the other account and so the beginning of the yeer 1645. was the time c. And page 98. and 99. on the 23. day of October 1641. did the beast begin the war in Ireland and he continued overcoming the Witnesses the Saints of Jesus Christ in Ireland and in England untill the fifth day of April 1645. and from the 23. of October 1641. unto the fifth of April 1645. there is just a thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which according to the Scripture account though not according to the heathen account is three yeers and a half compleat and when this three yeers and a half were expired which was I say on the fifth of April 1645. then was the Resurrection of the Witnesses for they having lain dead for three yeers and a half before then the Spirit of life from God entred into them and the yeer 1645. as it is the yeer wherein the Witnesses were raised from the dead so it is the yeer wherein the terme of time in which they were to prophesie in sackcloth and to be trodden under foot was to expire and the yeer also wherein the prevailing power of the Beast over the Saints was to expire as is made evident in the opening of the 2 verse page 60. c. Now that on the fifth day of April 1645. the Saints Witnesses and Servants of Jesus Christ were raised up and that then a Spirit of life from God entred into them appears thus on the fifth day of April 1645 the Parliaments Army who had stood for the defence of the Saints against the Beast and had been before that time exceedingly overcome and were brought into a very low condition at that time being new modelled and having a great many precious Saints in it both eminent Commanders and inferior Officers and common Souldiers and being then put under the conduct of Sir Thomas Fairfax they then began to march against the enemy and then had a Spirit of life from God that entred into them c. Upon this account the Author is confident that her new tenet is sufficiently demonstrated to which I enter my dissent and now come to show you upon what grounds I am unsatisfied with what I have transcribed out of that Book and shall desire the ingenuous Reader to weigh the following exceptions which I shall lay down according to the order wherein the things I except against are laid downe 1. Exception The Author tels us page 81 and 82. That Historians say the yeere 40â— was the yeere wherein the Beast received his devilish power and seat in the reigne of Phocas the Emperour This being the first root of the Account deserves throughly to be examined as being of greatest influence into the present controversie I shall therefore debate it fully wherein we might have made a more short cut if the Author had told us who are those Historians and where they say so I have upon this occasion perused variety of Historians but all that I have met with do make the History of Phocas at least 200. y. later In the fourth Book of ancient History which out of several Authors treats of the Roman Emperours for above 700. yeeres after Christ I finde but one Emperour Phocas mentioned and no other of that or the like name concerning him I there read thus That Mauricius the Emperour being by dreame forewarned of a conspiracie against him by Phocas a Commander of some forces in the borders of Sarmatia this Mauricius sent for his son in Law Philip and acquainted him therewith Philip wondring at it told the
I have cast about in my thoughts to see how a mistake of this nature could in an Author of such abilities be interpreted more favorably then a wilfull misreckoning and two wayes I doe apprehend that possibly the mistake might be entertained unawares 1. Peradventure the Author might have read in some History book the yeer 404 misprinted for 604. for misprinting of one figure might happily fall out in some Copy pend of that subject though I have not yet met with that misprint in any one of those Treatises or in any of those Editions which I have sought out and diligently compared on set Purpose 2. Peradventure the Author might not have read the History of Phocas but only received it upon hear-say and so she might either have mistook the Relator or swallowed down the relators mistake and this later conjecture I look upon as the most probable in that it suits bâ—st with her own words for shee doth not say as historians write but as say Historians Thus have I given my Reader the best light I can to furnish his charity with a favourable construction of the foresaid mistake which may in part excuse the Authors credulity but will not be able to justifie her confidence nor her cause for the correcting of this mistake if the rest of her account hold good wil make the Resurrection of the Witnesses to fall out 200. yeers later then she counts for namely in the yeer 1845. and this shall suffice for my first and principall Exception 2. Exception The Author pag. 82. deducing from the astronomicall years five dayes in a year and one day every fourth yeer for the space of 1260. yeers doth abate for it 18 yeers and almost in half which if it be meane of astronomicall yeers which are the yeers that she doth substract doth not amount to so much for five times 1260. dayes and 315. dayes put together make but 6615 which is not 18. astronomicall yeers and a quarter no nor half a quarter for it is but â—0 dayes over the 18. yeers 3. Exception The Author pag. 82. from the yeer which in ordinary account is 1664 deducing 18. yeers and almost an half for the difference betwixt the astronomical account and the account which she followes tels us that then the account will fall in the beginning of the yeer 1645. the falsehood whereof I shall thus discover to the beginning of the yeer 1645. adde almost half a yeer and it will be about the midst of the yeer 1645. to which adde the 18 yeers and it will be in the 1663. not in 1664. the deduction therfore of 18. y. and almost an half though we should begin the deduction from the very first day of the yeer 1664. will make the account to fall out after the midst of the yeer 1645. which is about halfe a yeer later then M. Cary counts 4. Exception The Author pag. 98. makes the time of the Witnesses lying dead for three yeers and a half to begin on the day when the War began in Ireland which how it will stand with what the Author sayes elsewhere I know not unlesse we should make the Saints in England to ly dead from the first day of the War in Ireland which how rationall it is let indifferent men judge yet thus it must be upon her grounds for by the Witnesses she understands at least principally the Saints in England for thus she explains her self pag. 87. as the War in England and Ireland was made by the Beast so it was made by him against the Witnesses the Saints and precious ones of Jesus Christ for that which is done against the most considerable number of Saints is done against the whole as being the way to prevaile over all Now in England there are a more considerable number of the faithful servants and Witnesses of Iesus Christ then in any Kingdom in the world as one truly said England is the richest ship in the world for God hath more of those precious jewels in it then he hath iâ— any other Kingdom in the world 5. Exception The Author pag. 98. makes the fifth of April 1645. to be the day of the Resurrection of the Witnesses wherein she contradicts her own account pag. 82. but because this exception hath affinity with the third I shall say no more to it but this that if she had made her day for the Resurrection of the Witnesse a yeer later she would have agreed with her own account which now she doth not for her abated 18. yeeres and almost a half added to April the fifth 1646. would have made the day to have faln out in the yeer 1664. as the 1260. added to her 404. makes up the same account 6. Exception The Author pag. 98. makes the time of the Resurrection of the Witnesses and the expiring of the time for prophesying in sack cloth to be all one and so the time that the Witnesses lye dead must be three yeers and an half before the finishing of their testimony which how contrary it is to the Scripture will easily appear Revel 11.3.7 I will give power unto my two Witnesses and they shall prophesie 1260 dayes clothed in sack-cloth and when they shall have finished their testimony the Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make war against them and shall over come them and kill them I shall here only insert a passage out of Brightman on the Revelations printed in the yeer 1644. his words in pag. 372. of that impression are these Thi time of three dayes and a half beginneth not before the 1260. dayes be ended for so it is said afore and when they have finished Besides the Prophets lay kild and unburied for these three dayes and a half but the time of the 1260. dayes is the time of their prophesying in sack-cloth so that they can by no means be referred to the same time 7. Exception The Author pag. 99. makes the Resurrection of the Witnesses to be an army businesse which I see no reason for but rather reasons against it which I shall briefly propose in behalf of my Exception My first reason is taken from the context in Revel 11. when the Witnesses are in slaying the slaying of them indeed is described as an army businesse ver 7. in these words shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them but when the holy Ghost speaks of the Resurrection of the Witnesses it is in another strain ver 11. and after 3. dayes and an half the spirit of life from God entred into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them that saw them Here is no warlike word used though it is said that a great fear fell upon others at the Resurrection of the Witnesses yet it is not said it fell upon the Beast that slew them or upon their enemies but it is said indefinitely it fill upon them that saw them for such an astonishing work of God as that