“There had been no intimation given throughout of what had transpired to close the meetings, until he came to bid them farewell. There were then bitter tears and strong sighs. The announcement of the fact came unexpectedly. The appeal was melting beyond expression. Probably more than a thousand persons arose to testify their faith in the truth of the advent near, and three or four hundred of the unconverted arose to request an interest in his prayers. Mr. Miller closed the services by a most feeling and appropriate prayer and benediction. No blame was attached to the owners of the Museum for their course.
“About this time it was announced, by a correspondent of Bennett’s N. Y. Herald, that Mr. Miller had fixed on the 3d of April for the advent. This being industriously circulated, led Prof. Moses Stuart to say of ‘the men of April 3, 1843,’ “I would respectfully suggest, that in some way or other they have, in all probability, made a small mistake as to the exact day of the month when the grand catastrophe takes place, the 1st of April being evidently much more appropriate to their arrangements than any other day in the year.”—Hints, 2d ed., p. 173. The New York Observer, of February 11, 1843, in commenting on this suggestion of Prof. Stuart, thought it sufficient ‘to quiet every feeling of alarm!’ As remarks like these, and other equally foolish stories which are referred to in the following letter, met the eye of Mr. Miller, he thus denies them through the columns of the Signs of the Times:—
“‘Dear Brother Himes:—At the request of numerous friends, I herein transmit to them, through you, a brief statement of facts, relative to the many stories with which the public are humbugged, concerning the principles I advocate, and the management of my worldly concerns.
“My principles, in brief, are, that Jesus Christ will come again to this earth, cleanse, purify, and take possession of the same, with all his saints, some time between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844. I have never, for the space of more than twenty-three years, had any other time preached or published by me; I have never fixed on any month, day, or hour, during that period; I have never found any mistake in reckoning, summing up or miscalculation; I have made no provision for any other time; I am perfectly satisfied that the Bible is true, and is the word of God, and I am confident that I rely wholly on the blessed book for my faith in this matter. I am not a prophet. I am not sent to prophesy, but to read, believe, and publish what God has inspired the ancient prophets to administer to us, in the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments. These have been, and now are, my principles, and I hope I shall never be ashamed of them.
“‘As to worldly cares, I have had but very few for twelve years past. I have a wife and eight children; I have great reason to believe they all are the children of God, and believers in the same doctrine with myself. I own a small farm in Low Hampton, N. Y.; my family support themselves upon it, and I believe they are esteemed frugal, temperate, and industrious. They use hospitality without grudging, and never turn a pilgrim from the house, nor the needy from the door. I bless God that my family are benevolent and kind to all men who need their sympathy or aid; I have no cares to manage, except my own individual wants; I have no funds or debts due me of any amount; “I owe no man anything;” and I have expended more than two thousand dollars of my property in twelve years, besides what God has given me through the dear friends, in this cause.
“‘Yours respectfully,
William Miller.
“‘Philadelphia, Feb. 4, 1844.’
“The almost unparalleled abuse to which Mr. Miller was subject, through most of the secular and some of the religious papers, during this period, called forth the following manly rebuke from the Sandy Hill Herald, a paper published in Mr. Miller’s own county:—
“‘FATHER MILLER.