Charles Leslie
Encyclopedia
Charles Leslie was an Anglican nonjuring
divine.
school and Trinity College, Dublin
. Going to England he read law
for a time, but soon turned his attention to theology, and took orders in 1680. In 1687 he became chancellor of the cathedral of Connor and a justice of the peace
.
He began a long career of public controversy by responding in public disputation at Monaghan
to the challenge of the Roman Catholic bishop of Clogher. Although a vigorous opponent of Roman Catholicism, Leslie was a firm supporter of the Stuart dynasty
, and, having declined at the Glorious Revolution
to take the oath to William and Mary
, he was on this account deprived of his benefice.
In 1689 the growing troubles in Ireland induced him to withdraw to England, where he employed himself for the next twenty years in writing various controversial pamphlets in favor of the nonjuring cause, and in numerous polemics against the Quakers, Jews, Socinians
and Roman Catholics, and especially in that against the Deists with which his name is now most commonly associated. He had the keenest scent for every form of heresy
and was especially zealous in his defence of the sacrament
s. In 1704 Leslie started his weekly periodical The Observator (1704-9), changing its name to The Rehearsal of Observator in 1705 and then to The Rehearsal. In this work he expounded his Jacobite political principles and attacked the Whiggish and Dissenting views of John Tutchin
's Observator (founded 1702) and Daniel Defoe
's Review (1704-13).
A warrant having been issued against him in 1710 for his pamphlet The Good Old Cause, or Lying in Truth, he resolved to quit England and to accept an offer made by the Pretender (with whom he had previously been in frequent correspondence) that he should reside with him at Bar-le-Duc. After the failure of the Stuart cause in 1715, Leslie accompanied his patron into Italy
, where he remained until 1721, in which year, having found his sojourn amongst Roman Catholics extremely unpleasant, he sought and obtained permission to return to his native country. He died at Glaslough, Monaghan, on the 13 April 1722.
His grandson was Charles Leslie MP, whose son in turn was John Leslie, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.
declared that Leslie was "a reasoner, and a reasoner who was not to be reasoned against."
An historical interest is all that now attaches to his subjects and his methods, as may be seen when the promise given in the title of his best-known work is contrasted with the actual performance. The book professes to be "A Short and Easy Method with the Deists wherein the certainty of the Christian Religion is Demonstrated by Infallible Proof from Four Rules, which are incompatible to any imposture that ever yet has been, or that can possibly be" (1697). The four rules which, according to Leslie, have only to be rigorously applied in order to establish not the probability merely but the absolute certainty of the truth of Christianity are simply these:
Other publications of Leslie are:
Nonjuring schism
The nonjuring schism was a split in the Church of England in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, over whether William of Orange and his wife Mary could legally be recognised as King and Queen of England....
divine.
Life
He was the son of John Leslie (1571-1671), bishop of Raphoe and afterwards of Clogher, born in July 1650 in Dublin, and educated at EnniskillenEnniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
school and Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. Going to England he read law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
for a time, but soon turned his attention to theology, and took orders in 1680. In 1687 he became chancellor of the cathedral of Connor and a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
He began a long career of public controversy by responding in public disputation at Monaghan
Monaghan
Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
to the challenge of the Roman Catholic bishop of Clogher. Although a vigorous opponent of Roman Catholicism, Leslie was a firm supporter of the Stuart dynasty
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
, and, having declined at the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
to take the oath to William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
, he was on this account deprived of his benefice.
In 1689 the growing troubles in Ireland induced him to withdraw to England, where he employed himself for the next twenty years in writing various controversial pamphlets in favor of the nonjuring cause, and in numerous polemics against the Quakers, Jews, Socinians
Socinianism
Socinianism is a system of Christian doctrine named for Fausto Sozzini , which was developed among the Polish Brethren in the Minor Reformed Church of Poland during the 15th and 16th centuries and embraced also by the Unitarian Church of Transylvania during the same period...
and Roman Catholics, and especially in that against the Deists with which his name is now most commonly associated. He had the keenest scent for every form of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
and was especially zealous in his defence of the sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s. In 1704 Leslie started his weekly periodical The Observator (1704-9), changing its name to The Rehearsal of Observator in 1705 and then to The Rehearsal. In this work he expounded his Jacobite political principles and attacked the Whiggish and Dissenting views of John Tutchin
John Tutchin
John Tutchin was a radical Whig controversialist and gadfly English journalist , whose The Observator and earlier political activism earned him multiple trips before the bar. He was of a Puritan background and held strongly anti-Catholic views.-The Bloody Assizes:In 1685 he wrote Poems on several...
's Observator (founded 1702) and Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe , born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Richardson,...
's Review (1704-13).
A warrant having been issued against him in 1710 for his pamphlet The Good Old Cause, or Lying in Truth, he resolved to quit England and to accept an offer made by the Pretender (with whom he had previously been in frequent correspondence) that he should reside with him at Bar-le-Duc. After the failure of the Stuart cause in 1715, Leslie accompanied his patron into Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he remained until 1721, in which year, having found his sojourn amongst Roman Catholics extremely unpleasant, he sought and obtained permission to return to his native country. He died at Glaslough, Monaghan, on the 13 April 1722.
His grandson was Charles Leslie MP, whose son in turn was John Leslie, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.
Works
The Theological Works of Leslie were collected and published by himself in 2 vols folio in 1721; a later edition, slightly enlarged, appeared at Oxford in 1832 (7 vols 8vo). Though marred by persistent arguing in a circle they are written in lively style and show considerable erudition. He had the somewhat rare distinction of making several converts by his reasonings, and JohnsonSamuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
declared that Leslie was "a reasoner, and a reasoner who was not to be reasoned against."
An historical interest is all that now attaches to his subjects and his methods, as may be seen when the promise given in the title of his best-known work is contrasted with the actual performance. The book professes to be "A Short and Easy Method with the Deists wherein the certainty of the Christian Religion is Demonstrated by Infallible Proof from Four Rules, which are incompatible to any imposture that ever yet has been, or that can possibly be" (1697). The four rules which, according to Leslie, have only to be rigorously applied in order to establish not the probability merely but the absolute certainty of the truth of Christianity are simply these:
- that the matter of fact be such as that men's outward senses, their eyes and ears, may be judges of it
- that it be done publicly, in the face of the world
- that not only public monuments be kept up in memory of it, but some outward actions be performed
- that such monuments and such actions or observances be instituted and do commence from the time that the matter of fact was done.
Other publications of Leslie are:
- The Snake in the Grass (1696), against the Quakers
- A Short Method with the Jews (1689)
- Galhienus Redivivus (an attack on William IIIWilliam III of EnglandWilliam III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, 1695) - The Socinian Controversy Discussed (1697)
- A discourse; shewing, who they are that are now qualify'd to administer baptism and the Lord's-Supper (1698)
- The True Notion of the Catholic Church (1703)
- The Case Stated between the Church of Rome and the Church of England (1713)