33S LIVES OF THE PURITANS. says, " Lshall propound this to the reader, to be considered and weighed by him whether England, gcotland, and Ire- land are not three kingdoms; and these three at one time, as to their privileges, laws, rights, freedoms, broken ? And whether this be not done by men who have the characters of the last apostacy upon them, .and such as call themselves a state and government, but never could formally put them- selves either into a kingdom or commonwealth ? I think this certainly may be asserted, that if the present state apostacy be not the little horn, it hath not yet risen. This horn takes two sorts of people for its greatest, enemies, the fifth monarchy-men, and the commonwealthmen.". We make no comment on these opinions, but leave the reader to exercise his own judgment. Mr. Canne afterwards published_a piece entitled, " A Query to William Prynne," 1659, printed with " An Indictment against Tythes," by John Osborne. The curious reader will doubtless be gra- tified with the following extracts from this work, which we give in the author's own words A fewmonths before the sitting of this present parliament," says Mr. Cantle, "I declared my opinion concerning the late government by a, single person, or the second state apostacy, how it should be pluckt up, root and branch, by the representatives of the people. These representatives of-the people, whoeVer they should be, (for I positively pitched upon none,) I took to be the earthquake in Rev. xi. 13. Now so it is, and blessedbe the Lord for it, we see the same is come to pass, to the great joy and comfort of all upright ones every where. " This blessed work of the Lord, which is marvellous in . our eyes, not only strengthens me in my former opinion, that the earthquake is begun ; but likewise what I.have there spoken concerning the effects of that earthquake, as to tithes, the carnal church, ministry, worship; and govern- ment, with all the corrupt laws of the nation, will, in some short time, be utterly overthrown. The sun may shine, yet not be seen, because it is under a cloud. I am persuaded the great works of the last day are upon us, and the spirit is moving' on the face of the waters, howbeit darkness covereth the earth. That I may not be mistaken when I speak of the earthquake, I would not be understood as fixing either persons, or time. For, as I said before, the earthquake, I think, is begun among us ; yet, for the instru- . Caone's Timeof theEnd, p. 141, 145, 166.
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