LEIGHTON, ROBERT, D.D., Archbishop of Glasgow, born in 1613; a divine whose sermons and other tracts are held by many persons in great esteem, but who has secured for himself a reputation by having acted in a manner the most opposite to that by which repu tation is most commonly secured. In times of excitement he was the steady advocate of peace and forbearance. One story of him so completely illustrates his character, that, though it has been often told, we must repeat it. A question not unfrequently put to the Scottish clergy at their assemblies was, " Whether they preached to the times 1" When Leighton's turn came, his reply was, " When all my brethren preach to the times, suffer me to preach about eternity." The times spoken of are those of the Commonwealth, or a little before, when he had a church near Edinburgh ; but he found that moderation would not be tolerated in a minister, so that he retired into privacy, from whence however he was called to preside over the University of Edinburgh. When Charles II. resolved to make the attempt at introducing Episcopacy into Scotland, Dr. Leighton was nominated to the bishopric of Dumblane. His conduct was the reverse of that of Dr. Sharpe, who was ostentatious in the display of an ecclesiastical rank which was displeasing to a large portion of the Scotch nation. Leighton on the contrary conducted himself with
that moderation which he had before manifested, so that he won the affections of even the most rigid Presbyterians. The bishops gene rally took a different course, and this induced Leighton to offer to resign his bishopric: but the views of the Court changing in respect of the attempt to bring the Scotch nation to accept an Episcopalian church, and it being intended to proceed more in the way of persuasiveness and gentleness, he was induced to accept the arch bishopric of Glasgow. Still he found it an affair of contention little suited to his habits or turn of mind, and accordingly he resigned his archbishopric, and retired in 1674 to the house of his only sister, Mrs. Lightmaker, at Horsted Keynes, Sussex. Ho died, whilst on a journey, at the Bell Inn, Holborn, London, in February 1684 ; but was buried in a small chapel (now destroyed) adjoiniug the chancel of the church of gorsted Keynes. The best edition of Archbishop Leighton's works, with an account of hie life, was published in 1808, 6 vols. 8vo.