not such an appearance of seriousness or piety as became the new modelling of a church."

Leighton made some attempts to work up Sharp to two designs, which possessed him most: the one was, to try what could be done towards uniting the Presbyterians and them; he offered "Usher's Reduction," as the plan upon which they ought to form their schemes. The other was, to try how they could raise men to a truer and higher sense of piety, and bring the worship of that church out of their extempore methods into more order, and so to prepare them to a more regular way of worship; which he thought was of much more importance than a form of government. But he was amazed, when he observed that Sharp had neither formed any scheme, nor seemed so much as willing to talk of any. Leighton came very quickly to lose all heart and hope of doing much good by this change, because there appeared in the whole progress of it such cross characters of an angry Providence, that how fully soever he was satisfied in his own mind, as to episcopacy itself; yet it seemed that God was against them, and that they were not like to be the men that should build up the church, so that the strugglings about it seemed to him like fighting against God. He, who had the greatest hand in it, proceeded with so much dissimulation, and the rest of the order were so mean and selfish, and the earl of Middleton, with the other secular men that conducted it, were so openly impious and vicious, that it cast a reproach upon every thing relative to religion, to see it managed by such instruments.

Soon after their consecration, the bishops came down to Scotland all in one coach; but Leighton being weary of them, and finding they intended to be received at Edinburgh with some pomp, left them at Morpeth, and came to Edinburgh a few days before them. He hated all the appearances of vanity; he would not have the title of lord given him by his friends, and was not easy when others forced it upon him. This provoked the other bishops, and looked like singularity and affectation, and furnished those that were prejudiced against him with a specious appearance, to repre sent him as a man of odd notions and practices. The lord chancellor, with all the nobility and privy counsellors, then at Edinburgh, went out, together with the magistracy of the city, and brought the bishops in, as in triumph. Bur net says, "He looked on, and thought there was something

in

in the pomp of that entry, that did not look like the humi lity that became their function."

The session of parliament came on April, 1662. A piece of respect was put on the bishops, by sending some of every state to invite them to come and take their seats. They all came, except Leighton: and indeed he never came to parliament, but when there was something before them, that related to religion, or to the church.

For a proof of the loyalty of Presbyterian ministers, it was resolved to tender them the oath of allegiance and supremacy, that had been enacted in the former parliament: the ministers to whom it was tendered, agreed to take it, with an explication, which was presented to the house: but so soon as it was read, there were many hard speeches on it, as putting a restriction on the oath framed by the parliament. At this meeting, which was the only time that Leighton appeared in parliament, he with much zeal pressed that their explication might be accepted: "For, said he, the words of the oath were certainly capable of a bad sense; that, in compassion to Papists, a limited sense had been put upon them in England, and he thought that a like tenderness should be shewn to Protestants, especially when the scruple was just, and there was an oath in the case, in which the matter certainly ought to be made clear. To act otherwise, looked like laying snares for people, and making them offenders for a word." Sharp, in answer to them, said, "It was below the dignity of a government to make acts to satisfy the weak scruples of peevish men: it ill became them, who had imposed their covenants on all people, without any explication, and had forced all to take it, now to expect such extraordinary favours." Leighton insisted, "That for that very reason it ought to be done, that all people might see a difference between the mild proceedings of the government now, and their severity: and that it ill became the very same persons, who had complained of that rigour, now to practise it themselves; for thus it may be said, the world goes mad by turns." These ministers were committed to close prison, three in one chamber, and three in another, and nore permitted to have access to them for several weeks. Great pains were used with them to swear the oath absolutely, as it stood. Leighton was sent to them, who used all his eloquence, but without success: they charged and checked him with desertion, and laying stumbling blocks before his brethren.

In

In 1665, the proceedings in Scotland by the ecclesiastical high commission were so violent against all that would not conform, that Leighton would have no hand in them, but had rather framed a resolution to leave his bishopric: he went to London to give the king an account of these proceedings, which, he said, were so violent, that he could not concur in the planting of the Christian religion itself in such a manner, much less a form of government; he therefore begged leave to quit his bishopric, and to retire, for he thought he was in some sort accessary to the violences that were done by others, since he was one of them, and all was pretended to be done to establish them and their order. The king seemed to be touched with the state the country was in; he spake very severely of Sharp, and assured Leighton he would quickly come to other measures, and put a stop to these violent methods; but he would by no means suffer him to quit his bishopric. So the king gave orders, that the ecclesiastical commission should be discontinued, and signified his pleasure, that another way of proceeding was necessary for his affairs. In the west and south of Scotland great severities were used, but no violences were committed in Leighton's diocese: he went round it continually every year, preaching and catechising, from parish to parish: he continued in his private and as cetic course of life, and gave all his income, beyond the small expences of his own person, to the poor: he studied to raise in his clergy a greater sense of spiritual matters, and of the care of souls; and was in all respects a burning and shining light, highly esteemed by the greater part of his diocese: even the Presbyterians were much mollified, if not overcome, by his mild and heavenly course of life.

While he was at Dumblane he visited once a year all the churches of his diocese, preached and heard the minister preach, gave liberally to the poor; and if any of his churches were vacant, if he could, he supplied them himself. He connived at Mr. Pitcairn in Dron, heard him preach, but would not preach himself, lest he should have made Mr. Pitcairn's hearers take offence at him, they being all bigotted Presbyterians; so that by his favour Mr. Pitcairn continued at Dron till the test.

In the west of Scotland there was a set of ignorant and scandalous clergy; Burnet archbishop of Glasgow had ardained the most of them: they were so vicious that there was no supporting of them; many of then made bargains.

with their parishes, and left them, hoping to be provided in Ireland, Thus many parishes became vacant. Lord Twee dale, whom the earl of Lauderdale trusted most, strenu ously attempted to redress the many complaints that were brought against the clergy in those parts; and looking on Leighton as the greatest and best man among the bishops, recommended him to the king to be set at the head of all church affairs, that a set of men of another stamp might be sent to fill up these vacancies. At this time, 1667, Leighton was prevailed on to go to London, where he had two audiences of the king, and laid before him the madness of the former administration of church affairs, and the necessity of turning to more moderate counsels; he proposed a comprehension of the Presbyterians, by altering the terms of law a little, and by such abatements as might preserve the whole for the future, by granting something for the present. Burnet writes, that in 1669 Leighton talked to him of the measures of moderation and comprehension, and says, that he was the only person among the bishops that declared for them, and proposed that a treaty should be set on foot for accommodating differences, and changing the laws, that carried episcopal authority much higher than any of the bishops themselves put in practice. He proposed a scheme, which he thought might have taken in the soberest men of Presbyterian principles; reckoning, that if once the schism could be healed, and order restored, it might be easy to bring things into such management, that the concessions then to be offered should do no great hurt at present, and should die with that generation. He observed the extraordinary concessions made by the African church to the Donatists, and this made him go very far in extenuating the episcopal authority. At length wearried by the opposition of his colleagues, in 1672, Leighton resolved to retire and leave his see; for Sharp and his instruments, from Leighton's moderation, complained and at the end of 1673, the good man came up to London to lay down his archbishopric; and his resignation was, according to promise, accepted. Upon which he retired to a private house in Sussex, where he lived ten years in a most heavenly manner, and with a most exemplary conversation. In 1684, upon Dr. Burnet's writing earnestly to him for his presence upon a weighty occasion, Dr. Leighton left his recess in the country, and came to London. Upon his

coming his old acquaintance was amazed to see him at above seventy look so fresh and well, so that age seemed as it were to stand still with him. His hair was still black, and all his motions were lively. He had the same quickness of rethought, and strength of memory, but above all, the same alife and temper of devotion which he had before discovered. When Dr. Burnet took notice upon his first seeing him how well be looked, he told him, "He was very near his end for all that, and that his work and journey were almost done." This at that moment made no great impression on his friend. But Dr. Leighton was the next day taken with an oppression, and, as it seemed, with a cold and stiches, which was indeed a pleurisy. The next day he sunk so fast that both his speech and sense went away on a sudden, and he continued panting about twelve hours, and then died without pangs or convulsions.

There were two remarkable circumstances in Dr. Leightoton's death. He used often to say, that if he were to chuse a place to die in, it should be an inn, it looking like a pil. grim's going home, to whom this world was all as an inn, and who was weary of the noise and confusion of it. He added, that the officiousness and care of friends was an entanglement to a dying man, and that the unconcerned attendance of those that could be procured in such a place would give less disturbance. He obtained what he desired, for he died at the Bell Inn in Warwick Lane. Another circumstance was, that while he was bishop in Scotland, he took what his tenants were pleased to pay him; so that there was a great arrear due, which was raised slowly by one whom he left in trust with his affairs there. The last payment which he could expect thence was sent up to him about six weeks before his death; so that his provision and his journey ended together.

His works, though not designed by him for the press, do indeed most justly praise him in the gate. "The delight and edification (says the late Dr. Doddridge, in the preface to Leighton's Commentary on St. Peter) which I have found in the writings of this wonderful man, for such I must deliberately call him, would have been a full equivalent for my pains, separate from all prospect of that effect, which they might have upon others. For truly I know not, that I have ever spent a quarter of an hour in reviewing any of them, but even amidst that interruption, which a critical VOL. III.-No. 60. examination

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