172 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



" I am no enemy to reformation of manners, 

 (for God knows we too much need it,) nor to 

 any means that conduce to the promoting of 

 sincere virtue and piety, either in ourselves or 

 others. On the contrary, I would to the utmost 

 of my power encourage all lawful expedients 

 that can be desired for the serving of these ends. 

 But as for what is desired of me in this letter, 

 viz. that I would approve and license a quar- 

 terly lecture to be preached to this society, T 

 cannot readily give an answer to it, till I be 

 better satisfied about these two things. 



** First, whether I can lawfully do it, the re- 

 solution of which depends upon this question, 

 whether these kind of fraternities and confedera- 

 tions be allowed by the laius of this realm and 

 the constitutiofis of our church. As to which point 

 I must confess I am not sufficiently clear. 



" The other thing I must be satisfied about is, 

 the rules and orders of this society at Notting- 

 ham in particular. 



"These I undertand are not always the same 

 in all the societies that have been of late set up. 

 And what your rules are at Nottingham I am 

 perfectly a stranger to. And yet, methinks, they 

 ought to have been laid before 7ne, before 1 could 

 be supposed capable of giving an answer how 

 far I could concur with what is desired of me. 



" As for the first of these points, I must get my 



