392 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SHARP. 



entered his protestation *. Five of the bishops bench 

 were with him, twelve against him. 



And when the Scotch act of pacification was 

 to be committed, he again spoke, and opposed 

 it, though he had none of the bishops with him except 

 London, Bath and Wells, and St. Asaph, the last 

 of which, namely Dr. Beveridge, had been con- 

 sulting with him, and desired him to consider of 

 the point, whether the bishops of the Church of 

 England could lawfully give their vote i7i parliament 

 for the Scotch ratification, viz. '* an act of the 

 Scotch parliament for securing the Protestant 

 religion, and Presbyterian government, to be 

 ratified and confirmed and approved by her Ma- 

 jesty with and by the authority of the parliament 

 in England, as a term of the union ; when in this 

 act it is declaixd that the Scotch religioji is the 

 true Protestant religion, and that the Presbyte- 

 rian government is necessary. So that although 

 this be only a Scotch act, yet the question was, 

 whether the ratifying it would not make it an 

 English act." Some thought that by ratifying 

 it could be meant no more, but that thereby the 

 Queen and parliament of England should give the 

 fullest assurance, that they would for ever after 

 the union allow this Scotch act to have the force 



* This protest may be seen in the History and Proceedings 

 of the House of Lords, Vol. ii. p. 165. 



