June 15-17, 1841, the second General Conference of Advent believers was held in Lowell, Mass. It was a time of deep interest, and gave a new impulse to the cause.
During the ensuing summer Mr. Litch visited the seats of the four New England Methodist Episcopal Annual Conferences, and gave lectures which called out more or less of the ministry to hear him. His efforts in this direction removed prejudice, and made a good impression.
“The course of Adventism was steadily onward, both among clergy and laity, throughout New England.
“It was in the autumn of this year that that devoted and beloved brother, C. Fitch, returned again to the examination of the question of the Lord’s coming, and came out a decided advocate of the doctrine. He at once entered the field, and has proved an efficient auxiliary to the cause.
“Bro. William Miller continued his labors in various parts of the country with great success. Bro. Himes also devoted as much time as his pastoral and other duties would allow, to lecturing on the subject.
“In October another conference was held in Portland, Me., which gave a new impulse to the work in that section of the country. Another conference was appointed and held in the Broadway Tabernacle, New York city, which was the first successful effort ever made in that city.
“From New York city we proceeded to Low Hampton, the residence of Bro. Miller, and commenced another conference. It was a season of refreshing to all, and more especially to Bro. Miller himself. It was the first conference he had ever attended; and to find around him such a host as were congregated there, from east, west, north and south, from Canada as well as the States, raised up to proclaim this truth, by the blessing of God on his labors, was to him most refreshing and encouraging.
“During the winter of 1841-2, conferences were held in various places, which were all attended with good: Boston, Mass.; Dover, N. H.; Sandy Hill, N. Y.; Pomfret, Ct.; Colchester, Vt.; Ashburnham and Lunenburg, Mass., &c. The result of them, eternity will unfold; but much fruit was immediately apparent. A large number of ministers of the gospel were awakened, during the winter, to a sense of their duty to investigate the subject, and were induced to preach it more or less in their pulpit ministrations; and some of them devoted themselves entirely to the Advent cause, and became efficient lecturers.
“As the spring opened, Bro. Himes determined on sounding the cry abroad more fully in the city of New York; and accordingly, in the month of May, himself with Bro. Miller went to that city to commence their operations. The Apollo Hall, on Broadway, was rented at a heavy expense, and they commenced their work. The labors of the preceding visit were so far obliterated that none could be found to invite them to their house and give them a night’s lodging. They accordingly took an ante-room adjoining the hall as a sitting and lodging room for a part of the time, until friends were awakened and brought in, who furnished a cot-bed, and thus relieved them from the hard floor. Two weeks, under these circumstances, laboring night and day, paying most of their own expenses (for the public collections were very small), were necessary before an impression could be made. One fact should be here recorded: An impression had gone abroad respecting the Adventists, that they were monsters, or almost anything but civilized beings. So strong was this impression, and so general, that a number of days had passed and scarcely a lady dared to make her appearance in the meetings. The religious press had sounded the alarm, and spread a panic through the community which it was difficult to remove. But as one after another ventured to look in, and then to listen, the prejudice began to give way, and the congregation to enlarge, and before the meetings closed on anniversary week, the house was well filled with attentive hearers, and a permanent interest secured. It was a great undertaking, but the victory was at length achieved, and a great and glorious harvest has been gathered in. This meeting closed under encouraging circumstances, and filled all who were present with hope as to the future.”