“‘We do not seek to excite the prejudices of our fellow-men, or to join with those who mock at sin, or who scoff at the word or promise of the great Jehovah, or who lightly esteem offices and ordinances of the church, or who empty of their power the threatenings of the holy law, or who count the blood of the atonement a useless thing, or who refuse to worship and honor the Son of God even as they honor the Father; nor do we refuse any of these, or others of divers faith, whether Roman or Protestant, who receive and heartily embrace the doctrine of the Lord’s coming in his kingdom.’ “It was thus unanimously agreed that the sectarian questions which divide Christians should be avoided in the presentation of the advent doctrine, and that ‘minor points of faith,’ and the ‘peculiarities’ in the belief of any, should not be made prominent, to impede their united labors. “In the autumn of 1842, Mr. Miller’s views were embraced by John Starkweather, a graduate of the Andover Theological Seminary, and a minister of good standing in the Orthodox Congregational denomination. He had been a minister at the Marlboro’ chapel, in Boston, and at other places, and was regarded as a man of peculiar sanctity. He was at that time, unemployed by any people, and Elder Himes being obliged to spend much of his time in preaching in other places than Boston, Mr. Starkweather was called as an assistant pastor of his church, at the chapel in Chardon-street. “Mr. Starkweather commenced his labors there in October, 1842. He was tall, well formed, and had a voice of great power and not unpleasant tones. His personal appearance was thus prepossessing, which, with his reputation for superior sanctity, enabled him easily to secure the confidence of his hearers, who nightly thronged the chapel. “His principal theme was the necessity of a preparation for the Saviour’s coming. At such a time no subject seemingly could be more appropriate. But Mr. Starkweather had embraced peculiar views respecting personal sanctification; and, contrary to the understanding which had been had on the subject of sectarian views, he made his own notions not only a test of readiness for the Lord’s coming, but of Christian fellowship,—demanding the largest liberty for himself, and granting none to others. He taught that conversion, however full and thorough, did not fit one for God’s favor without a second work; and that this second work was usually indicated by some bodily sensation. “During the winter, the losing of strength and other cataleptic and epileptic phenomena became manifested, and were hailed by him as evidences of the great power of God in the sanctification of those who were already devoted Christians. He denominated such ‘the sealing power.’