80 LIFE OF ARCHBI.SHOP SHARP. 



clare him suspended, but would of necessity- 

 impeach his Majesty's ecclesiastical supremacy, 

 if he refused or disputed his commands herein. 



It may easily be supposed these suggestions 

 might have weight enough with the King at that 

 time, to persuade him that his orders to the 

 Bishop were of sufficient authority, since they 

 have had weight enough s'mce that time with 

 some people, to induce them to think they would 

 in great measure justify his letter. But the 

 Bishop himself was of another opinion, so were 

 all the men of the law whom he consulted. 

 They held it undoubted that Dr. Sharp could 

 not legally be punished hy suspension without 

 being first achnitted to make a legal defence. 

 That his Majesty's command being directed to 

 a judge, and in consequence being a command 

 to act as a judge, was rendered inconsistent, 

 and obedience to it made it impracticable by 

 requiring him to act not as a judge, but arbitra- 

 rily and contrary to law and justice. Nothing 

 could seem harder upon the Bishop than such 

 an injunction. The utmost compliance that 

 could be made, or the most effectual obedience 

 that could be paid to it was this, to desire or to 

 advise the Doctor not to preach till they saw 

 some issue to the present difficulty. For a 

 Bishop's advice is in some sense an admonition, 

 which has the face of a judicial proceeding, and 



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