LESLIE, Charles, a learned divine of Ireland, the time and place of whose birth is uncertain. He was educated at Inniskilling; and in 1664, was created fellow of Trinity-college, Dublin, where he continued till he became A. M. At the decease of his father he came over to England, and entered himself in the Temple at London. The study of the law very soon disgusted him, and he turned all his attention to theology, being admitted into holy orders in 1680. In 1687, he was chosen chancellor of the church and diocese of Connor, at which time he made himself extremely unpopular by his determined opposition to the tenets of the church of Rome. He imbibed the absurd and pernicious doctrines of passive obedience and non-resistance, by which his judgement was so much biailed, that he refused to take the oath of allegiance to King William and Queen Mary, at the revolution.
He was a strenuous champion for the cause of the nonjurors, in defence of which he published a work in 1692, being an answer to The State of Protestants in Ireland under the late King James's Government, written by Archbishop King. He also wrote a paper called the Rehearsal, originally published once a-week, and afterwards twice, in a folio half-sheet, consisting of a dialogue on the affairs of the times. It lasted during
fix or seven years. They were afterwards collected and published by an eminent writer, who observes that he pursues a thread of argument in them all, against the lawfulness of resistance in any case whatever, deriving the source of government wholly from God. He wrote against the Deists, Jews, Papists, and Socinians, all of which he collected together, and published in two volumes folio, with the exception of a very illiberal piece against the learned and pious Dr Tillotson.
The frequent visits which he paid to the courts of St Germain and Bar-le-Duc, made him obnoxious to the British government, which was increased by his "Hereditary Right of the Crown of England Asserted," of which he was the reputed author. He was sent to Bar-le-Duc by some gentlemen of eminence, to attempt to convert the son of James II. to the Protestant religion, who wished to see him settled on the throne. At Bar-le-Duc he was permitted to discharge the duties of the sacerdotal office, according to the forms of the church of England, where he endeavoured, but in vain, to convert the Pretender. It is the opinion of Lord Bolingbroke, that he was ill used by the Pretender, who not only refused to hear him himself, but sheltered the ignorance of his priests behind his authority, and prohibited all discourse concerning religion. At the close of the reign of Queen Anne, when the partizans of the Pretender were anxious to promote his interest in England, Mr Leslie wrote a letter from Bar-le-Duc, in which he dwelt at large on the graceful mien of the Pretender, his magnanimity of spirit, devotion free from bigotry, application to business, ready apprehension, sound judgement, and affability, so that none conversed with him, who were not charmed with his good sense and temper. In 1715, a rash and ill-digested enterprise took place in Scotland and in the northern parts of England, in favour of the Pretender, which ultimately terminated in the dispersion of the rebels; this obliged him to quit France, and retire to Italy, whither Mr Leslie followed him, and remained in that country till the year 1721. He met with so many difficulties and disappointments at this time, that he determined to return and die in his native country. Some of his friends acquainted Lord Sunderland with his resolution, who generously promised to protect him from the interference of government. On the arrival of Mr Leslie in England, a member of the house of commons waited upon his lordship with the news; but we are happy to inform our readers that he had no great reason to boast of his reception. On Mr Leslie's return to Ireland, he died in 1722, in the month of April, at his own house, in the county of Monaghan.
He was undoubtedly a man of great merit and extensive erudition, distinguished by his piety, humility, and integrity, among whose works are some masterly defences of the Christian religion, against Deists and Jews, and of the Protestant faith against that of the church of Rome. His opinions were rather singular respecting church government, but it must be allowed that he defended them with great ability and acuteness.