LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 5^ 



deservedly) placed in one of the highest digni- 

 ties of our church. This," says he, " pro- 

 duced that elaborate book, entitled, Separation 

 of Churches from Episcopal Government, as 

 practised by the present Nonconformists, proved 

 Schismatical." 



Indeed, Mr. Dodwell confesses as much in 

 his preface to his book of Schism, where he says, 

 that '* it was at first designed as a defence of 

 that sermon, but having made some entrance 

 upon it, he did not think it so convenient to be 

 confined to another's method in delivering his 

 own sentiments, nor to concern any particular 

 author in the controversy ; but rather to under- 

 take the whole subject in a method most natural 

 to his own conceptions of it. And the rather 

 so, because most of the answerer's objections 

 would have no place on his way of stating the 

 controversy; and he could not think it worth 

 his while to spend time on such things as were 

 grounded on misunderstandings. But," says he, 

 ** I speak not this with the least design of dis- 

 paraging the performance of the adversary, for 

 the misunderstandings are no other than such 

 as are common to him with the generality of the 

 dissenting party." 



And from hence we have a very good account 

 how it came to pass that Mr. Sharp never re- 

 plied to Mr. Wadsworth, or whomsoever it was 



