John Canne facts for kids

John Canne (died around 1667) was an English minister and printer. He was known for being an "Independent" minister, which meant he believed that each church group should be self-governing, rather than being controlled by a larger church system or the government. He spent many years living and working in Amsterdam, where he preached and printed books. Canne was also famous for creating a special Bible with many helpful notes in the margins.

John Canne's Life Story

Early Ministry and Time in Amsterdam

John Canne became a minister for a group of English separatists. These were people who wanted to separate from the official Church of England. After their previous minister, John Hubbard, passed away in Ireland, the group returned to London and chose Canne to lead them.

After a year or two, Canne moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. There, he took over as the leader of another group of English Independents. He stayed in Amsterdam for about seventeen years, preaching, writing books, and working as a printer.

Returning to England and Challenges

In 1640, John Canne visited England again. He preached to a newly formed group of Baptists in a place called Broadmead. He preached both inside churches and outdoors. He returned to Amsterdam later that same year.

It's thought that Canne stayed in Amsterdam until 1647. By 1650, he was in Kingston-upon-Hull, a town in England. He worked as a chaplain, which is like a minister for soldiers, for the governor, Colonel Robert Overton. Canne was popular with the soldiers because of his preaching.

However, Canne faced some challenges in Hull. Another preacher named John Shawe was also there, and they didn't get along. Canne's friends helped him get paid for his work as a chaplain. He didn't stay in Hull for a long time. In 1653, he wrote a book where he criticized Shawe.

Later Years and Difficulties

Canne faced personal sadness when his daughter, Deliverance, passed away in December 1656. His wife, Agnees, died soon after in January 1657. Both were buried in Hull.

Around this time, Canne started to support the ideas of the Fifth Monarchists. This was a group of people who believed that a new, religious government should take over. This was seen as a dangerous idea by the authorities. In 1657, Canne published a book called The Time of the End. Other Fifth Monarchist leaders also wrote introductions for his book. These people were reported to the government for meeting and possibly planning an uprising. This happened shortly after another attempt at an uprising by a different Fifth Monarchist leader had been stopped.

Canne complained bitterly about being forced to leave Hull. In April 1658, while he was preaching in London, city officials arrested him and some of his followers. Canne admitted to the mayor that he wasn't happy with the government. He and others were eventually released later that month.

The exact date when John Canne left England for the last time is not known. He was in Amsterdam in 1664, where he republished his important Bible with Marginal Notes. This Bible later became the basis for another famous Bible called Samuel Bagster's Comprehensive Bible. John Canne is believed to have died in Amsterdam in 1667.

John Canne's Important Writings

John Canne was a very active writer and printer. His books often talked about his religious beliefs and the challenges faced by his church groups.

Early Works and Debates

His first known book was The Way to Peace, published in Amsterdam in 1632. It was about solving disagreements within the church. Two years later, his major work, A Necessitie of Separation from the Church of England, was published. This book explained why he believed it was necessary for his groups to be separate from the official Church of England.

In 1639, Canne published A Stay against Straying. In this book, he argued that it was wrong to listen to the ministers of the Church of England. Other writers, like John Ball, wrote responses to Canne's ideas.

The Congregational Discipline and Bible Notes

In 1640, Canne published his Congregational Discipline, which was about how independent church groups should be organized. He also wrote Syon's Prerogative Royal, which argued that every church group should be independent.

One of John Canne's most important works was his Bible with notes. This special Bible, with many helpful explanations in the margins, first appeared in 1647. It was dedicated to the English Parliament. Canne received a special license in 1653 that gave him the exclusive right to print his Bible with notes for seven years. He even planned to publish an edition with even more notes, but it seems that never happened.

Other Publications

In 1649, several of Canne's books were published in London. These included:

• The Improvement of Time
• The Golden Rule, which supported the legal actions against King Charles I.
• The Snare is Broken, which argued that a national agreement and oath were not lawful.
• Emanuel, or God with us, which celebrated a military victory.
• The Discoverer, which supported military leaders like Fairfax and Cromwell.

Later, in 1653, he published A Voice from the Temple to the Higher Powers, followed by A Second Voice from the Temple. In 1656, he wrote Time with Truth.

In 1658, Canne published The Time of Finding. In this book, he described himself as an "old man" and talked about the difficulties he had faced, including the deaths of his wife and daughter, which he blamed on the persecutions he had endured. In 1659, he published A Seasonable Word to the Parliament Men and A Twofold Shaking of the Earth. He also wrote a paper about tithes, which were payments to the church.