Leigh, Hezekiah G., D.D., an eminent minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, was born in Perquimas County, N. C, Nov. 23, 1795, was converted in 1817, joined the Virginia Conference in 1818, was set off with the N. C. Conference in 1836, was a delegate to every (ieneral Conference from 1824 to his death, and died in Mecklenburg Co., Ya., Sept. 18, 1853. He was also a member of the Louisville Convention at the or- ganization of the M. E. Church South, and as one of the founders and first agents of Randolph Slacon College, and one of the organizing committee of Greensboro' Fe- male College, N. C, he rendered long and very important service to the cause of education in the Church. He re- ceived a good academical education while young, and throughout his life was a diligent general student. Most of his ministry was spent in the office of presiding elder in Virginia and N. Carolina. His character was noble and attractive, and his mind fuU of lofty ardor for the welfare of Christianitj'. His influence was wide and controlling for many years. He was an earnest and use- ful minister of the Gospel, and will long be remembered in the Carolinas. — Summers's Biograp)h. Sketches, p. 165. (G.L.T.)
Leighlin, Synod of, was held in Campo-Lene, Ireland, near Old Leighlin, A.D. 633, with the purpose of settling the time as to the observance of Easter. A few years before (630), Honorius I had addressed an ex- postulatory letter to the Irish olergy on the paschal question ; and it is worthy of remark that this was the first notice taken by the bishops of Rome in regard to the Church founded by St. Patrick, and was about 200 years after its commencement. At this period the Irish were divided on the time of keeping Easter, some advo- cating the Roman practice, others the Irish way of ob- serving the 14th day of the first vernal month (if a Sun- day), instead of adopting its celebration on the Sunday following the 14th, and the matter even resulted in a controversy. Laurentius of Canterbiu-y relates that Du- gan, an Irish bishop, when in North Britain, declared that he woidd neither eat, drink, or slec]i under the same roof with those Avho held to the Roman practice. Cummian, who for twelve years had been an abbot of lona, was greatly troubled about it. and in its investiga- tion he said, " I turned over the holy Scriptures, studied history and aU the cycles I could find. I inquired dili- gently what were the sentiments of the Hebrews, Gre- cians, Latins, and the Egyptians concerning this solem- nity." A deputation was sent from this synod, of which most probably Cummijin was one, to ascertain from per- sonal inspection whether, as they had heartl in Ireland, other nations kept Easter at the same time that the Romans did. The object of this deputation has been greatly perverted in the interest of Romanism. It was not to get a decision from the pope, for this they had had for years, and had not obeyed it; but it was, as be- fore stated, simply to determine for tliemsclves. They remained at Rome or in the East about two years. On their return they reported that all they had heard in Ireland they had seen in Rome — even more (ralde certi- ora) than tliey had heard. But even this report was not decisive, for the \"encrable Bede says, " Though the south of Ireland partially conformed, the northern prov- inces and all loiia adiicred to their former practice." This and other questions of nonconformity were for a long time jiressed and resisted. In A.D. 664. when The- odore, the Italian archbishop of Canterbury, by order of the pope, came to establish the entire regime of Roman
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Catholicism in North Britain, the paschal and many other questions were again so fiercely lu'ged that Col- man and most of the former clergy left and returned to Ireland. Agam, in 1070, when Malcolm Canmore brought Margaret, his Saxon wife, to Scotland, she was shocked to find the faith and public worship of her new subjects so different from the Catholic Church of Eng- land. After laboring long to induce her husband to ado[>t the rites and order of the Saxon Catholics, she had a three days' discussion with the existing clergy and the Culdees of lona, she speaking in Saxon and her husband interpreting in Irish. See Todd, Irish Church, chaii. vi; Usher, Brit. Eccles. Antiq. cap. xvii {Worlcs, vi, 492-510),
Leighton, Alexander, a Scottish divine, was born at Edinburgh in luG<S. He was professor of moral phi- losophy in that city for several years prior to 1613, when he removed to London, and obtauied a lectureship. For libellous or offensive expressions against the king, queen, and the bishops, in his book called Zion^s Plea (1G29), he \\as piuiished by the Star Chamber with mutilation, the pillory, and long imprisonment. He was released in 1040, and died about 1()4G. Archbishop Laud was no doubt responsible for the cruel and inhuman treat- ment of Leighton. See Laud.
Leighton, Robert, a Scottish prelate, one of the most distinguished preachers and theologians of the 17th centiny, was born in Edinburgh, or, as others think, in London, in the year 1611. He was educated at the uni- versity of the former city, and there took his degree of M.A. in 1631, when he went to the Continent to study, especially in France. Here he resided with some rela- tives at Douay, and formed the acquaintance of several Roman Catholic students, whose Christian virtues made him a charitable Christian towards all who bore the name of his Master. " Gentle, tender, and pious from his earliest years, he shrunk from all violence and intol- erance; but his intercourse with men whose opinions were so different from his own convinced his reason of the folly and sinfulness of ' thinking too rigidly of doc- trine.'" He returned to Scotland in 1641, and was im- mediately appointed to the parish of Ncwbattle, near Edinburgh; but as Leighton identified himself with the cause of Charles I when the latter was confined, by the commissioners of the Parliament, in Holmby House, he brought upon his head the displeasure of the Presbyte- rians, and, according to bishop Piiirnet, " he soon came to dislike their Covenant, particularly their imposing it, and their fury against all who differed from them. He found they were not capable of large thoughts; theirs were narrow as their tempers were sour; so he grew weary of mixing Avith them," and became an Episco- palian. For this change, however, there were serious obstacles in Leighton's case, and it has therefore been a matter of general disapprobation. Certainly the facility with which he fraternized with the party that had in- flicted such horrid cruelties on his excellent father. Dr. Alexander Leighton, in 1630, for merely publishing a boolc in favor of Presbyterianism, cannot be altogether approved (com-p. Proceedi7if/s of the Societij of Antiqua- ries o_f Scotland, iv, 463 sq.). In 1652 he resigned his charge, and in the following year was elected principal of the ITniversitj' of Edinburgh, a dignity which he re- tained for ten years. Earnest, spiritual, and utterl}- free from all selfish ambition, he labored without ceasing for the welfare of the students. He delivered lectures es- pecially to the students of theologj', and occasionally supplied the place of divinity professor. His theolog- ical lectures are known to the learned world, and have been translated into English. For pure Latin, sublime thought, and warm diction, they have never been sur- passed, and seldom equalled. In that office Dr. Leigh- ton was truly the ornament and delight of the univer- sity, and a blessing to studious youth. After the resto- ration of Charles II and the re -establishment of the episcopacy in Scotland, Leighton, after much reluctance.