Memoirs of William Miller

PREFACE

THE name of William Miller, of Low Hampton, N. Y., is too well known to require an extended introduction; but, while well known, few men have been more diversely regarded than he. Those who have only heard his name associated with all that is hateful in fanaticism, have necessarily formed opinions respecting him anything but complimentary to his intelligence and sanity; but those who knew him better, esteemed him as a man of more than ordinary mental power, - a cool, sagacious, and honest reasoner, an humble and devout Christian, a kind and affectionate friend, and a man of great moral and social worth. That the impartial reader may be able to form a just estimate of one who has occupied so conspicuous a position before the public, the following pages are compiled. MWM iii.1

To see a man as he is, it is necessary to accompany him through the walks of his daily life; to trace the manner in which he has arrived at his conclusions; to follow him into his closet and places of retirement; to learn the various workings of his mind through a long series of years, and to scan closely his motives. A knowledge of these can be arrived at only by a simple collection of facts and documents illustrative of his history. By full extracts from his unstudied correspondence, by his published writings, by narrations of interviews with him, by the free use of his papers and memorandums, and by the testimony of impartial witnesses respecting his labors in various places, in addition to a long personal acquaintance, his biographer has been enabled to embody much important information respecting him. It has not been deemed necessary to eulogize him, nor to apologize for him. His acts and life are permitted to stand forth, divested of the veil of partiality, or of prejudice. His opinions on all subjects are expressed in his own language, - having himself narrated the workings of his own mind, at the various periods of his life. His biographer has not felt warranted to omit opinions on any prominent question, or to modify the phraseology in which they are expressed, to meet the views of those who dissented from him. Such a course would have been unjust to Mr. Miller. MWM iii.2

However his public labors may be regarded by a majority of the community, it will be seen, by a perusal of his life, that these were by no means unproductive of great good. The revivals of religion which attended his labors are testified to by those who participated in them; and hundreds of souls will ever refer to him as a means, under God, of their awakening and conversion. MWM iv.1

His erroneous calculation of the prophetic periods he frankly confessed; and those who regarded his views of prophecy as dependent on that, may be surprised to learn that he distinguished between the manner and the era of their fulfilment. MWM iv.2

It is believed that the influence exerted by Mr. Miller will not prove evanescent in its results. The attention which was given to his arguments caused many minds entirely to change their preconceived opinions respecting the millennial state, who have since remained devoted Christians, ardently looking for the Nobleman who has gone into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. - Luke 19:12. As the public learn to discriminate between the actual position of Mr. Miller and that which prejudice has conceived that he occupied, his conservativeness and disapprobation of every fanatical practice will be admitted, and a much more just estimate will be had of him. MWM iv.3

These Memoirs were commenced by Elder Apollos Hale, who prepared the first three chapters. Other duties having interfered with his progress in the work, its completion has devolved on another. No labor or expense has been spared to give a full and impartial history of his life, the principal incidents of which, as here recorded, were originally related by him. Desiring “nothing to extenuate, nor to set down aught in malice,” these incidents of his history, and this embodiment of his views, I here present to the Christian public as an act of justice to Mr. Miller. JOSHUA V. HIMES. BOSTON, January, 1853. MWM iv.4

MEMOIRS

OF

WILLIAM MILLER.