primacy. He had the recommendation also of other persons to fill the different vacant sees; but Leighton was the last man he would ever have thought of pointing out, as he shrunk from approaching a character so upright and virtuous, in every way superior to himself. But Sir Elisha Leighton, already referred to by Burnet, having an eye to his own interests, considered that by having a brother, over whom he had already gained some ascendancy, high in the church, much might be expected. As he affected to be strongly attached to popery to please the duke of York, whose secretary he was, he vainly thought, as his relative was on many occasions known to evince a great respect for some good men connected with the church of Rome, that in time he might be gained over to pro-
mote and adopt that faith. Blinded by selfish ambition, he was incapable of
perceiving, like the illustrious Burnet, that of all men Leighton was the least
likely to favour a religion which he characterized as "earthly, sensual, and devilish, with nothing in it of the wisdom that was from above, and was pure and peaceable." Indeed it was a matter of considerable difficulty, as it will appear, to prevail upon him to join the episcopalians. The king, though pleased at finding Sharpe and others subservient in all points to his wishes, still knew that their characters must stand degraded in the eyes of the people, as they were men neither of piety nor moderation, and that it would be, above all, necessary to strengthen their ranks by those who stood high and worthy ill the eyes of the world ; for this reason he personally solicited Leighton to accept of a mitre.
The earl of Lauderdale, and his brother, and some of the most moderate and respectable of his countrymen, exerted themselves to gain the same result, but all seemed of no avail. Leighton still refused, as he evidently mistrusted the men to whom the government of the new church was to be confided, and he could not but see that the methods they resorted to were violent and repugnant to the principles and desires of the people of Scotland. "It was at last mentioned to him, that the king had issued positive orders for him to yield, unless in fact he regarded the episcopal office as unwarrantable." To that extreme he would not go, as he all along was favourable to that order, if divested of its useless pomp.
He was at length persuaded that a regard to the interests of the church rendered it his duty to accept it; but in order to demonstrate to the world that avarice was not his principle, he made choice of Dumblane, as of small extent and little revenue. He was consecrated, along with Sharpe and two other Scottish bishops, at the Abbey church of Westminster, which occasion was celebrated with great feasting and pomp. Leighton could not help remarking, "that it had not such an appearance of seriousness or piety as became the new modelling of a church." It is with considerable hesitation we are obliged to remark, that in this instance the conduct of Leighton exhibits a want of the Christian consistency and simplicity generally displayed in his character. Admitting that his reason for joining the episcopal church, was the virtuous intention of softening down the asperities of two rival systems, which had long struggled for ascendancy; yet the time was unseasonable, when selfish and bad men were endeavouring, by all crooked means, to build their fortunes on the ruin of their country and their shameful apostasy. He was induced, too, to lend the weight of his virtuous name in countenancing the acts of a reckless and unprincipled tyrant, who was bent on the total subversion of those forms of religion connected with his earliest associations, and in whose defence his father had almost suffered martyrdom. That he was free from all interested motives every one must admit; and in justice to the character of one so pious, we shall give the following extract of a letter written by him in reference to his appointment:— "There is in
