by koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)
Kyungbook National University
Sangju Campus
South Korea
Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College
Australia
16 February 2010

A very surprising neutral account about the life and views and events in the life of William Miller came, not from a modern Seventh Day Adventist, not from an Adventist in Miller's days, but from R. M. Devens, Member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He was author of the Appleton's Commercial and Business Cyclopedia and books like, Lives of Washington, Napoleon and Wellington.

Surprising indeed, when in this very year of 2010, from some Seventh Day Adventist pulpits, the preachers cannot surpress the retorical devise of sarcasm to describe how the Millerites were leaving their harvest unattended to be present that morning of the expected coming of Christ. In a time when the audience giggle notoriously with "set aside" and distancing attitudes, I ran into this book by Devens dating to 1880.

William Miller died "a peaceful and happy death at the age of sixty-eight, in the year 1849" (Devens 1880: 437). The appearance of this positive biography of Miller, is in the year 1880, thus 31 years after his death.

This biographer, warns readers against false stories and anecdotes that were produced regarding Miller and the Millerites in a few places:

"In regard to the extravagances characterizing this movement, the published accounts are declared by the friends of Mr. Miller to have been, for the most part, gross misstatements, and that hundreds of reports relating to excesses, had no foundation in fact" (Devens 1880: 436).

Beware of pseudo-historiography (Deyens 2)

"Among other stories, also, industriously circulated . . . " (Devens 1880: 436) was the story of a girl who wished to sell her precious jewelry to a jeweler. When he found out the circumstances of the sale, he showed her silver spoons and forks that William Miller apparently ordered to put his initials on the 22nd of October.

"That irregularities of one kind and another attended a religious movement so widespread, intense and enthusiastic, as this, is not to be wondered at; but it is doubtless true that the majority of the incidents thus circulated were the easy inventions of opponents" (Devens 1880: 436).

"Much blame was cast upon Mr. Miller, by some of his opponents, for not contenting himself with quiet and unostentatious avowal of his views, instead of traveling over the whole country, and inaugurating the 'noisy and boisterous system of campmeetings' in connection with so solemn a theme" (Devens 1880: 438).

"But, that these camp-meetings did not partake of the obnoxious qualities thus charged, will appear- from one example at least, -by the following account, written by John G. Whittier, one of the most enlightened and impartial observers . . . " (Devens 1880: 438).

Beware of fake visions

A certain Georgas had a pretended vision the night of the 21st of October that about 150 people responded to, to go out on Darby street road about four miles from Market street bridge and encamp in the field under two large tents provided with all needed comforts. "The next morning, their faith in the vision having failed, all but a dozen returned to the city; a few days later, the others returned. This act met the emphatic disapproval of Mr. Miller, and of Adventists in general" (Devens 1880: 436-437).

"As a man, Mr. Miller is described as strictly temperate in all his habits, devoted in his family and social attachments, and proverbial for his integrity. He was naturally very amiable in his temperament, affable and attentive to all, - a kind-heartedness, simplicity, and power, peculiarly original, characterizing his manner" (Devens 1880: 437).

"He was about medium stature, a little corpulent; hair, a light glossy brown; countenance full and round, with a peculiar depth of expression in his blue eye, of shrewdness and love" (Devens 1880: 437).

"As a preacher, Mr. Miller was generally spoken of as convincing his hearers of his sincerity, and instructing them by his reasoning and information. All acknowledge that hsi lectures were replete with useful and interesting matter, showing a knowledge of scripture very extensive and minute - that of the prophecies, escpecially, being surprisingly familiar; and his application of the great prophecies to the great events which have taken place in the moral and natural world, was, to say the least, ingenious and plausible. There was nothing very peculiar in his manner; his style decorous, simple, natural, and forcible. He was always self-possessed and ready; distinct in his utterance, and frequently quaint in his observations; in the management of his subject, exhibiting much tact, holding frequent colloquies with the objector and inquirer, supplying the questions and answers himself in a very composite manner, and although grave himself, sometimes producing a smile upon the faces of his auditors" (Devens 1880: 437-438).

"Were I to live my life over again, with the same evidence that I then had, to be honest with God and man I should have to do as I have done. I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment; yet I still believe that the day of the Lord is near, even at the door" (Miller's final words to his followers [Devens 1880: 431, 437).

R. M. Devens, Our First Century: being a popular descriptive portraiture of the One Hundred Great and Memorable Events of perpetual interest in the History of our Country, political, military, mechanical, social, scientific and commercial: embracing also delineations of all the great historic characters celebrated in the annals of the Republic; men of heroism, statemanship, genius, oratory, adventure and philantropy. With additions to the Present time (Chicago, Illinois: Hugh Heron, 1880).

The book is available in the Pieter Wessels Library of Helderberg College, Somerset West, Western Cape, South Africa.

The Wonderful Dark Day - 1780 (pages 87-96).
Extensive and calamitous earthquake at the West - 1811 (pages 218-224). 
Sublime meteoric shower all over the United States - 1833 (pages 329-336)
Spiritual Knockings and Table-Tippings - 1847 (472-478)