52 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



Dissenters separation from the Established 

 Church, which his lordship desired might be 

 printed ; and so it was ; and is now the first 

 sermon in his Collection. In this discourse, he 

 shewed a great deal of sound reasoning, and a 

 great deal of temper too, more than men at their 

 first setting out into the world, and especially 

 at his age, are usually masters of. He under- 

 took in it the proof of the following proposi- 

 tions. 



I. That every Christian, upon the very ac- 

 count of his being so, is a member of the Church 

 of Christ, and is bound to join in external com- 

 munion where it can be had. 



II. That every one is bound to join in com- 

 munion with the Established National Church 

 to which he belongs, supposing there be nothing 

 in the terms of its communion that renders it 

 unlawful for him to do so. 



III. That the being a member of any Church, 

 doth oblige a man to submit to all the laws and 

 constitutions of that Church. 



IV. That we can have no just cause of with- 

 drawing our communion from the Church 

 whereof we are members, but when we cannot 

 communicate with it without the commission 

 of a sin. 



V. That though we have a just cause to re- 

 fuse communion with the Church whereof we 



