LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 205 



and women have a natural right to it, yet whe- 

 ther any who are not initiated in Christianity, 

 ought to have the solemn benediction of the 

 Church (as it is upon that account that the 

 Clergy have any thing to do with marriage), is 

 a thing fit to be considered. Add to this, that 

 there is something in the Church office which 

 supposeth that both the married persons are 

 baptized. For, according to the rubric, it is 

 " convenient that they receive the holy commu- 

 nion together at the first opportunity that pre- 

 sents itself." And therefore they must be in a 

 condition of receiving it, which unbaptized per- 

 sons are not. 



*' Pray ask yourself what you would do in 

 case a person excominunicated should desire you 

 to marry him. Methinks the case is much the 

 same. 



'* I do think, upon the whole, it is not advisa- 

 ble to depart from your first resolution, unless 

 the party will be first baptized, which I am not 

 against your doing as privately as may be. 



** I am. Sir, &c. 

 ** Jo. Ebor." 



Another thing for which the Clergy might 

 certainly depend upon him, as often as they 

 stood in need of it, was the support and assist- 

 ance of his episcopal authority, in restraining 



