Note 421 — 1761.

This wretched man, in 1761, published a silly octavo two-shilling pamphlet, entitled, “Union: or, a Treatise of the Consanguinity and Affinity between Christ and His Church.” The Monthly Review of that period, p. 87, observes:—“The author says he is quite above uncertainty, in respect of the matter and scope of his treatise; but freely owns his defects as a writer,—which are, indeed, so many and so great, that he does not even ‘pretend to the abilities of falliable authors.’ However, if some ‘busy critic, whose genius leads him ever in search of offal, or the pidling pedant, who feeds on garbage,’ should pretend to detect in his book, not only bad grammar (of which there is plenty), but inaccuracies in phrase and errors in judgment, yet, he says, he has ‘an infalliable remedy in silence.’” Other particulars of this mischievous antinomian could easily be given; but suffice it to add that, in 1764, a case came before the lord chancellor, in Lincoln’s Inn, in which a Yorkshire lady was plaintiff, and James Relly and others were defendants. The allegations of the plaintiff were—(1) that Relly had fraudulently obtained from her, while she was labouring under a fit of enthusiastic frenzy, a deed securing to him an annuity of £5 per annum for his life, without giving to her any valuable consideration; and (2) that, in addition to this deed, Relly had received from her a considerable sum of money, under the like circumstance. The hall, at the hearing of the case, was crowded; and the decision of the court, which gave great satisfaction, was that the deed be cancelled, and the money be refunded. (London Magazine, 1764, p. 654.)