94 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



the publishing or declaring things in the Church, 

 is the Rubric in the Communion Service which 

 follows after the Nicene Creed. * Nothing shall 

 be proclaimed or published in the Church dur- 

 ing the time of divine service, but what is pre- 

 scribed by the rules of this book, or enjoined 

 by the King, or by the Ordinary of the place.' 



*' I take it, that by this Rubric we are equally 

 obliged to publish in the Church what is en- 

 joined us by the King, as what is enjoined us 

 by the Ordinary. And I have reason for this 

 conclusion, because, as parish ministers, we have 

 taken an oath to obey our Ordinaries in all 

 lawful and honest things ; and a higher obligation 

 cannot be laid upon us to obey the King. 



*' Taking now this for granted, I would ask, 

 whether supposing our Ordinary should enjoin 

 us to publish some declarations of his about 

 matters, which we were convinced in our judg- 

 ment to be against the hiown laws ajid cojtsfi- 

 tutions of this Church and realm, and likewise 

 to be highly prejudicial to the interests of the 

 Protestant Religion, which we do profess, we 

 should think ourselves obliged by our oath of 

 canonical obedience, to comply with such an in- 

 junction of our Ordinary? If it be said, we 

 should not think ourselves obliged, I then say, 

 neither can we think ourselves obliged to pub- 

 lish such a declaration if it comes from the King. 



