376 LESLIE. on the bench, at the approaching quarter sessions, and a l l promised t o act a s he did; s o he was carried there with much difficulty, and i n great pain. Upon the question, whether the sheriff was legally qualified, the latter replied, “That h e was o f the king's own religion, and i t was his majesty's will that h e should b e sheriff.” Leslie then ob served, “That they were not inquiring into his majesty's religion, but whether h e (the pretended sheriff) had quali fied himself according t o law, for acting a s a proper officer; that the law was the king's will, and nothing else t o b e deemed such; that his subjects had n o other way o f knowing his will but a s i t i s revealed t o them i n his laws; and i t must always b e thought t o continue so, till the con trary i s notified t o them i n the same authentic manner.” This argument was s o convincing, that the bench unani mously agreed t o commit the sheriff f o r his intrusion and arrogant contempt o f the court. Leslie also committed, for robbing the country, some officers o f that tumultuous army which the Lord Tyrconnel had raised. I n this spirited conduct, Leslie acted like a sound divine and a n upright magistrate; for, while h e thought himself authorised t o resist the illegal mandates o f his sovereign, h e never approved o f carrying those principles o f resist ance s o far a s t o deprive the king o f the supreme power; and persevering steadily i n that opinion, h e continued, after the Revolution, i n allegiance t o King James. I n consequence, refusing t o take the new oaths appointed upon that change, h e lost a l l his preferments; and, i n 1689, when the troubles began t o arise i n Ireland, withdrew with his family into England. Here h e employed his time i n writing a great many political pieces i n support o f the cause h e had embraced; and being confessedly a person o f extraordinary wit and learning, h e became a very for midable champion o f the nonjurors. His first piece i n this cause was a n answer t o Archbishop King’s “State o f the Protestants i n Ireland, under the late King James's Government.” He likewise employed his pen i n the general cause o f the Christian religion, against Jews,
