LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 191 



strive to be himself what he proposed to make 

 others. And therefore he frequently repeated 

 this lesson to his clergy, that the main part of 

 their business as pastors was to be themselves 

 sincerely and substantially good : that if they 

 were so, and withal were punctual in observing 

 the rules prescribed them in the rubricks and 

 canons, they took the most certain and effectual 

 methods to render themselves useful in their 

 ministry, and eminently serviceable, under God, 

 to the cause of Christ and his religion. And 

 therefore his principle aim in the choice and 

 designation of persons for the service of the 

 church (so far as that fell to his share and be- 

 came his immediate concern,) was to find out 

 those whose private lives and characters did 

 best correspond with this idea of a successful 

 pastor, viz. that he himself be a true and faith- 

 ful servant of God. 



Thus it is observable when he recommended 

 clerks to patrons, the sufficiency of their learning 

 was but one, and the least material part of their 

 character. He laid the main stress upon their 

 life and temper, and thought himself secure in 

 warranting a person of regular life, right honest, 

 and well teywpered, to be a good parish minister. 

 In large and populous towns indeed, where a 

 greater degree of learning and prudence is usually 

 necessary, he was careful to have regard to those 



