LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 45 



make no comparisons between the Magistrate's 

 office and the Minister's, nor take upon him to 

 determine which of them gave the better oppor- 

 tunities of reforming mankind, and promoting 

 true virtue and goodness; yet this he would say, 

 without offence, that unless men's minds were 

 informed and imbued with serious and good 

 notions, which was the Minister's province, as 

 well as their actions regulated by the laws, 

 which belonged to the Magistrate to take care 

 of, thei^e could be no true reformation. 



And no man could be better qualified than 

 himself for the office of catechising ; for he had 

 not only a faculty of making such things as are 

 not obvious and easy to be understood without 

 explanation, clear and familiar to the slenderest 

 capacities, but he had also a very kind, warm 

 way of talking upon such matters ; which pre- 

 vailed much towards engaging the attention, as 

 well as informing the understandings of his 

 catechumens. His lectures on these occasions 

 were extempore, save that he always had a 

 little paper of memorandums, or heads of dis- 

 course, that he might proceed in order, and not 

 omit any thing that he judged material for their 

 information. 



And, as to visiting the sick, and adjninistering 

 the sacrament in private, though he had suffi- 

 cient curates, (able men and ably provided for,) 



