by Chris Greene, 2005

The Unitarian Universalist Church has sustained an independent liberal religious presence in Marblehead ever since its founding nearly three centuries ago.

Our congregation began as a Congregational church led by Rev. Edward Holyoke. He was a gentle, tender and compassionate man, with interests in science as well as religion, and he served our church with distinction for 21 years.

Holyoke was an "enlightened cleric" and an articulate critic of the old Calvinism. It is perhaps ironic that, without the involvement of no less a Calvinist than Rev. Cotton Mather, he might never have come to Marblehead at all. Here's what happened.

In 1712, Cotton Mather had been invited from Boston to preach at Marblehead's First Church (now known as "Old North.") Afterward, in his journal, he expressed grave concerns over the advanced age of Marblehead's minister, Rev. Samuel Cheever. Two years later, at Mather's urging, the Marblehead congregation invited three pastors (among them Edward Holyoke) to take turns as candidates to become Cheever's assistant-cum-successor. In December of 1715, Reverend John Barnard was chosen over Holyoke and the third candidate. Rev. Mather, approved of their choice and spoke at Barnard's installation.

"Mr. Holyoke's Church"

Not all of the members of Old North agreed with Mather's approbation, however. In February of the following year, some 124 parishioners withdrew from membership and invited Edward Holyoke to become their pastor in a new church to be set up across town. Holyoke agreed, and on April 25, 1716, a new covenant was subscribed, and the Second Congregational Church was born.

To commemorate the founding of the Church and provide it with paraphernalia for the practice of worship, several church members commissioned John Coney of Boston to create a suite of sterling silver plates, bowls, goblets and tankards, which were engraved "For that Church of Christ in Marblehead, Massachusetts of which Mr. Holyoke is the Pastor," or as was stated more simply on one of the pieces, "For Mr. Holyoke's Church." (See Our Silver Legacy for more of the remarkable story of our church silver.)

One of the hallmarks of Holyoke's 21-year ministry in Marblehead was his liberal attitude toward church membership, in an era when most churches had severe tests for becoming communicants. He described the church's expansive eligibility policy thus :

Any person desiring to come into full communion with the church, having stood propounded to the deacons for one week [with] no objection to our Pastor and he is satisfied of their fitness for that relation, they shall be received.

Those received into full membership included women and African-American servants. Church records also show that Mr. Holyoke performed several marriages of African-American church members.

In 1737, Holyoke resigned his position to become President of Harvard College. He served there for 32 years, his liberal ideas and ideals helping to transform that institution into a major force for educational and political reform in the American colonies.

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