LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 77 



they gave is not known. In the mean time the 

 Doctor was more sensibly touched with a do- 

 mestic affliction, for he lost two of his sons in 

 two days, and buried them both on the third 

 day ; and on the day that followed that, the 

 King sent his letter to the Bishop of London, 

 which was delivered to his lordship at Fulham, 

 on Thursday, June 17th, by Mr. Atterbury the 

 messenger, and was as follows : 



- JAMES R. 



*' Right Reverend Father in God. 



<< We greet you well. Whereas we have been 

 informed and are fully satisfied that Dr. John 

 Sharp, Rector of the parish church. Saint Giles's 

 in the Fields, in the county of Middlesex, and 

 in your diocese, notwithstanding our late letter 

 to the most Reverend Fathers in God, the Arch- 

 bishops of Canterbury and York, and our direc- 

 tions concerning preachers, given at our court 

 at Whitehall the 15th day of March, 1685, in 

 the second year of our reign. Yet he the said 

 Dr. Sharp, in contempt of the said orders, hath 

 in some of his sermons since preached, presumed 

 to make unbecoming reflections, and to utter 

 such expressions as were not fit or proper for 

 him, endeavouring thereby to beget, in the minds 

 of his hearers, an evil opinion of us and our go- 

 vernment, by insinuating fears and jealousies 



