LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 3 



whatever shape it appears, stands always entitled 

 to a just regard. 



Waving, therefore, any further notice of the 

 lives and characters of his progenitors, I shall 

 hasten to relate the great virtues and talents 

 remarkable in him, by which he raised himself 

 to be an ornament to that church in which he 

 held so eminent a station afterwards, and be- 

 came an honour and credit to his kindred, and 

 the family from whence he sprang. 



He was born at Bradford, on Shrove Sunday, 

 Feb. 16, 1644, and was baptised there by Mr. 

 Blazet, a person episcopally ordained. His 

 sponsors were Mr. Weddall, Mr. Drake, and 

 Mrs. Cordingly. The circumstances of those 

 times make the mention of these particulars the 

 more seasonable ; especially, considering what 

 was objected many years afterwards, though 

 unjustly, to another Archbishop, his cotem- 

 porary. He took satisfaction himself in know- 

 ing, that he had been admitted into the church 

 in this regular way. For though it was his 

 constant opinion that baptism, administered 

 with the proper matter and form, though by a 

 lay hand, ought not to be repeated ; yet it was 

 always with pleasure he observed, that this hap- 

 pened not to be his own case, at a time when 

 the irregular administrations of it were so fre- 

 quent in all parts of the kingdom. 



B 2 



