Controversy Between the First Parish in Cambridge and the Rev. Dr. Holmes, Their Late Pastor

Controversy Between The First Parish In Cambridge And The Rev. Dr. Holmes, Their Late Pastor" by Abiel Holmes. This extensive pamphlet, originally published in 1829, gathers the Preface, letters, memorials, remonstrances, votes, and council proceedings surrounding a clash between the First Parish in Cambridge and its pastor. It documents how parishioners urged a liberal exchange of ministers and inclusion of liberal clergy, how Dr. Holmes adopted an exclusive Calvinist posture in pastoral exchanges, and how a series of parish meetings (1827–1828) debated the rights of conscience, church and parish authority, and the legality of calling mutual or ex parte ecclesiastical councils. The volume presents the memorials from parishioners, Holmes's responses, parish replies, and the church's protests, followed by petitions to the legislature’s prescribed procedures for ministerial fund governance. It also contains appendices showing later church actions after Holmes's dismissal, including the guidance of substitute pastors. The work is a crucial primary source for understanding religious liberty, church governance, and denominational conflict in early New England.