James Relly

James Relly was a Universalist minister and mentor of John Murray who spread Universalism in the United States. Relly was born at Jeffreston (seventy miles west north west of Cardiff), Pembrokeshire, Wales, about 1722; died in London, England on April 25, 1778. He attended the Pembroke grammar-school, came under the influence of George Whitefield, probably in the latter's first tour of Wales in 1741, and became one of his preachers. His first station was at Rhyddlangwraig near Narbeth, Pembrokeshire; and in 1747 he made a report of a missionary tour to Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, and Birmingham. He broke, however, with Whitefield on doctrinal grounds and is known to have been in controversy with John Wesley in 1756. About the same time he adopted Universalism and occupied meetinghouses in various parts of London until his death.

A portion from Charles Buck's Definition of All Theological Terms and Every Article in the System of Divinity published about 1820 describes Relly and his theology this way:

He believed that Christ as Mediator was so united to mankind, that his actions were theirs, his obedience and sufferings theirs; and, consequently, that he has as fully restored the whole human race to the divine favour, as if all had obeyed and suffered in their own persons; and upon this persuasion he preached a finished salvation, called by the apostle Jude, "The common salvation." Many of his followers are removed to the world of spirits, but a branch still survives, and meets at the chapel in Windmill-street, Moorfields, London; where there are different brethren who speak. They are not observers of ordinances, such as water-baptism and the sacrament; professing to believe only in one baptism, which they call an immersion of the mind or conscience into truth by the teaching of the Spirit of God; and by the same Spirit they are enabled to feed on Christ as the bread of life, professing that in and with Jesus they possess all things. They inculcate and maintain good works for necessary purposes; but contend that the principal and only works which ought to be attended to, is the doing real good without religious ostentation; that to relieve the miseries and distresses of mankind according to our ability, is doing more real good than the superstitious observance of religious ceremonies. In general they appear to believe that there will be a resurrection to life, and a resurrection to condemnation; that believers only will be among the former, who as first fruits, and kings and priests, will have part in the first resurrection, and shall reign with Christ in his kingdom of the millennium; that unbelievers who are after raised, must wait the manifestation of the Saviour of the world, under that condemnation of conscience which a mind in darkness and wrath must necessarily feel; that believers, called kings and priests, will be made the medium of communication to their condemned brethren; and like Joseph to his brethren, though he spoke roughly to them, in reality overflowed with affection and tenderness; that ultimately every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that in the Lord they have righteousness and strength; and thus every enemy shall be subdued to the kingdom and glory of the Great Mediator.

One of his converts in 1770 was John Murray, the founder of Universalist churches in America. His chief publications were: The Tryal of Spirits (London, 1756); Union; or a Treatise of the Consanguinity between Christ and His Church (1759); The Sadducee Detected (1754); and Epistles, or the Great Salvation Contemplated (1776).

Bibliography

W. Wilson. History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches in London, i. 358-359, iii. 184. 385, 4 vols., London, 1808-14; L. Tyerman. Life and Times of John Wesley, i. 536-537. ii. 240, 400, London, 1870-71; Richard Eddy, in American Church History Series, x. 348, 392, 473. New York, 1894; DNB, xlviii. 7-8.

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Initial text from Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religion