LIFE OV ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 261 



governments in the world, whether they be kingdoms 

 or commonwealths*.'' 



JVor is there to be observed in any other of 

 his occasional sermons upon fast and thanks- 

 giving days, nor even at the solemnity of the 

 late queen's coronation, any thing further said 

 of the then present state of the nation, than 

 was necessary to answ^er the ends of the ap- 

 pointment of sermons on those days. So care- 

 ful w^as he to shun the appearance of a party 

 man in the pulpit. For liow^ zealously soever he 

 might in his civil capacity espouse, or oppose, 

 w^hat was as yet in agitation and debate, yet he 

 could not endure to have the Cathedra Christi 

 made the stage of contention. He was grieved 

 to see it prostituted to the venting of private 

 resentments, or publishing reflections against 

 governors and administrations, and thought the 

 dignity of it debased, even when it was used to 

 a more excusable and plausible purpose, viz. 

 for the pronouncing panegyrics upon crowned 

 heads, and attempting vindications of their po- 

 litical counsels, although the characters drawn 

 by the preacher were ever so just, or his allega- 

 tions in defence and honour of their government 

 and administration ever so true. For besides 

 the impropriety of entering upon topics quite 



* Archbishop Sharp's Sermons, Vol. II. p. 47. 49. 



