LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 93 



were summoned to appear before the Ecclesias- 

 tical Commissioners, to shew cause why they 

 had not obeyed the King's orders with respect 

 to the Declaration. The orders had been given, 

 July 12 ; and were directed to all Chancellors, 

 Archdeacons, Commissaries, and Officials, to 

 enquire strictly within their respective juris- 

 dictions, in what churches or chapels his Ma- 

 jesty's Declaration had been read or omitted, 

 &c. And to transmit an account thereof. 



The 16th of August was the day appointed 

 for their respective appearance. Upon this the 

 Archdeacons met at Doctors' Commons, and 

 consulted together on the 14th and 15th : and 

 there it was agreed by the majority, that none 

 of them should appear on the day following. 

 Upon which Dr. Sharp, on the 17th, retired 

 again to Norwich. What his sentiments were 

 about the order for reading the Declaration will 

 best appear from a short paper, drawn up by 

 him about this time, either for his own defence, 

 or for the conviction of such as applied to him 

 for advice on this occasion : wherein, though 

 he acknowledges the King's prerogative to be 

 higher in licitis el honestis, not only than the 

 Bishop's, but than the Metropolitan's too, yet he 

 doth not allow the aforesaid order ought to be 

 complied with. The paper is this. 



'* All the law that I know of, which relates to 



