“‘Were this doctrine of Mr. Miller established upon evidence satisfactory to my own mind, I would not rest till I had published in the streets, and proclaimed in the ears of my fellow-townsmen, and especially of my beloved flock, “The day of the Lord is at hand! Build no more houses! Plant no more fields and gardens! Forsake your shops and farms, and all secular pursuits, and give every moment to preparation for this great event! for in three short years this earth shall be burnt up, and Christ shall come in the clouds, awake the sleeping dead, and call the living before his dread tribunal.”’ “In the first communication received from Mr. Miller after this time, he wrote from Low Hampton, Nov. 10, 1844:— “‘DEAR BRO. HIMES:—I have been waiting and looking for the blessed hope, and in expectation of realizing the glorious things which God has spoken of Zion. Yes, and although I have been twice disappointed, I am not yet cast down or discouraged. God has been with me in Spirit, and has comforted me. I have now much more evidence that I do believe in God’s word; and although surrounded with enemies and scoffers, yet my mind is perfectly calm, and my hope in the coming of Christ is as strong as ever. I have done only what after years of sober consideration I felt it to be my solemn duty to do. If I have erred, it has been on the side of charity, the love of my fellow-man, and my conviction of duty to God. I could not see that I should harm my fellow-men, even supposing the event should not take place at the time specified, for it is a command of our Saviour to look for it, watch, expect it, and be ready. Then if I could by any means, in accordance with God’s word, persuade men to believe in a crucified, risen, and coming Saviour, I felt it would have a bearing on the everlasting welfare and happiness of such. I had not a distant thought of disturbing our churches, ministers, religious editors, or departing from the best biblical commentaries or rules which had been recommended for the study of the Scriptures. And even to this day, my opposers have not been able _to show_ where I have _departed from any rule laid down by our old standard writers of the Protestant faith_. I have only interpreted Scripture in accordance with their rules, as I honestly believed. And not one honest man, who understands this question, will deny this assertion of mine. But that, over which I could have no control, transpired to produce on the public mind an unhappy effect.