98 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



Neither did Dr. Siiarp quit his allegiance to 

 King James, or cease to acknowledge him to be 

 his sovereign, till both Houses of Parliament had 

 declared his desertion of the government and 

 kingdom to be properly an abdication of them, 

 and had thereupon filled the throne, in which 

 settlement he acquiesced. Of this he gave a 

 remarkable instance upon an occasion that suffi- 

 ciently tried both his principles and courage. 

 The convention opened Jan. 24th ; during the 

 debates upon the great and important subject of 

 the King's abdication and vacancy of the throne, 

 he was appointed to preach on Sunday, Jan. 

 27th, before the Prince of Orange, and on Wed- 

 nesday the 30th, before the House of Commons. 

 And in his prayer on both occasions he did as 

 usual pray for King James. His doing so upon 

 the first occasion was not so much, because 

 neither of the Houses had yet come to any de- 

 claration. But his doing it on the Wednesday 

 following, after the Commons had passed their 

 vote that King James had abdicated, and the 

 throne was vacant (which vote passed on Monday 

 Jan. 28th) was taken amiss by several members 

 as a contradiction of their vote ; though it should 

 have been remembered that as vet the Lords 

 had not concurred with them, and as yet the 

 sei^vict of the Church was not altered by au- 

 thority. However, after some warm disputes 



XI 



