CANNE. 339 ments whom the Lord.will make use of to carry on this work, it is known only to himself. So the time. though I humbly conceive it shall gradually go forward, and have no more such a death upon it as it had before ; notwith- standing, like the hand of a watch, the motion may not easily be discovered." Mr. Canne next considers some of-the glaring evils which arise from paying tith6, which he expected would soon be abolished and which he thought would be the first effect of the earthquake. " There hath been of late discovered," says he, " such horrid oppression and cruelty in tithe- takers, as, I think, the like was never heard of in any former generation. It is almost incredible what 'inhuman and most unchristian cruelty hath been lately exercised upon many poor people, for relusing, of conscience, to pay tithes. There seems to be a great desire among the godly, on all sides, to have all ignorant and scandalous ministers rejected. I think, by this time, it cloth appear to every one who understands the present state of the nation, how im- possible it is, that such unsavoury salt should be cast out upon the dunghill, while tithes do stand. Those who get rid of rooks, as an annoyance to them, destroy their nests. If England be- ever freed from such unclean birds, viz. ignorant and scandalous priests, tithes must be taken away. This is that which keeps them in -their places, as the nests do the rooks. So long as such a way of maintenance Stands, the most unworthy wretches will creep into public places, whatever care be taken to prevent them. " By wishing to have tithes put down, we are so far," says he, "from seeking to stop the progress of the gospel, that one main end why we desire the removal of them, is to have the gospel thereby advanced, and ignorant and carnal people the sooner turned ..from the error of their ways. Doubtless, whensoever this shall come to pass, the truth of God, and the power of it, will more increase and spread abroad than ever it hath done since the rise a the beast. Though we are against tithes, we are not against a godly gospel ministry ; but would have it in all places encou- raged, and care taken that the people every where through the nation may be inkructed in a way agreeable to the gospel." Mr. Canne dates the above piece from his own house without Bishopsgate, London, the 13th of the 5th month, 1659. Kennet confounds him with one John Camm, a quaker, and says, he was sent to prison? in 1658, from the
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