LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 81 



to silence him by such admonition, came the 

 nearest, (and was indeed, if submitted to, tan- 

 tamount) to the suspending him from preach- 

 ing, which was all that the King had required. 

 Therefore this method was agreed upon by the 

 Bishop and the civilians, and Dr. Sharp was 

 ordered by his Lordship to meet him at Doctors' 

 Commons on June the 18th, (the day after the 

 King's letter was delivered.) He did so, about 

 noon the same day, and the Bishop giving him 

 to understand his Majesty's displeasure, desired 

 and advised him to forbear the pulpit till the 

 King's further pleasure was known. Which 

 the Doctor though already determined so to do 

 of himself, did promise the Bishop in form. 

 Whereupon his Lordship wrote the following 

 letter to , Lord Sunderland, President of the 

 Council, and dispatched it by the hands of 

 Dr. Sharp. 



" My Lord, 



*' I always have and shall count it my duty to 

 obey the King in whatever commands he lays 

 upon me, that I can perform with a safe con- 

 science. But in this I humbly conceive I am 

 obliged to proceed according to law, and there- 

 fore it is impossible for me to comply, because 

 though his Majesty commands me only to exe- 

 cute his pleasure, yet in the capacity I am to do 



G 



