The following material on William Miller is an excerpt from the PBS.ORG website. While there are "tons" of webpages dealing with William Miller and the Millerite movement, this excerpt seems to sum up the topic in the least amount of space.

EXCERPT

In the early 1800s, really in the years right after the Revolutionary War, there's a massive new expansion of the country, the great push westward. And this period sees a number of new developments happening, especially on the religious front. And many of them have apocalyptic overtones to them. In fact, this is the period that gives rise to what is known as the Second Great Awakening. Like the first, it's a period of revival. But it's being put forward as a sense of the great expansion of the country as well. ...

One of the interesting things about the Second Great Awakening is, it gives rise to a number of new religious sects within the American cultural experiment. This is what some people have called the rise of a free market religious economy in America. But new groups are popping up all over the place. We hear of utopian groups that move to places like Amana and Oneida. New York itself is known as the "burned over district" because so many revivalist preachers come from that area. And in fact, it gives rise to several other groups that still exist to this day, including the Mormons, the Seventh Day Adventists, and others who came out of that revivalist temperament of the early 1800's.

One of the most significant figures to come out of this revivalist spirit of the Second Great Awakening is a farmer from upstate New York by the name of William Miller. Miller begins to read the Bible, and he undertakes a new sense of understanding of how to interpret prophecy and the Book of Revelation itself. The most important thing that William Miller brings to the discussions of the Book of Revelation is his new sense of how the events are going to unfold. In contrast to earlier interpreters, Miller argues that the Book of Revelation is completely unfulfilled. All of the events described there are things that will occur at the end of time, whereas earlier interpreters had seen events unfolding throughout Christian history in the past. ... The crucial change in Miller's interpretation of the Book of Revelation is that he sees all of those events as still to come in the future. Nothing there-- maybe the first chapter alone, but nothing in the rest of the book has been fulfilled. ...

Now, what Miller thinks is going to happen is that the prophecies of Daniel will be fulfilled in the end that's just about to come. This is when the Second Coming of Christ will occur, what he begins to call the Advent. In fact, that's what his movement comes to be known as: the Adventists' movement. But the Advent or the Second Coming of Christ will occur in 1843. And then, in a significant twist in interpretation of the Book of Revelation, he says that's when the thousand years, the millennium, will commence. So he places the events in the Book of Revelation and all of that expectation as a coming event after the return of Christ. This new interpretation, where all of the events in the Book of Revelation begin to occur only after Christ returns, and the Millennium, the thousand year reign, is a reign on earth after the return of Christ, that kind of interpretation comes to be known as pre-millennialism. And it's one of the important new developments in American religious history. And of course it still survives to this day, and is very influential.

What are the key passages in Revelation that are meaningful to Miller?

For William Miller, most of the Book of Revelation has not yet come to pass. But in particularly, he really looks at the section between chapters 12 and 21, commencing with the great beast, the Antichrist, who arrives. And then the war, the battle of Armageddon in chapter 20. And in chapter 21, the New Jerusalem. These are the things that he thinks are going to be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Jesus and with the establishment of the millennial kingdom on earth.

...The Millerite movement gained momentum by utilizing the latest technologies of the day, of mass communication. The high speed printing press, for example, was very important in promoting pamphlets and newsletters and newspapers and colored charts that illustrated Miller's system. Miller himself was not a great preacher. He was not a great evangelist. His meetings were more like lectures. He was a teacher, and he would turn people to the Book of Daniel, and he would walk them through his system. And he was very fortunate in his lieutenants, particularly a man named Joshua Himes in Boston, who was a very skilled promoter and really turned the Millerite movement--helped do it, at least--into a mass phenomenon.

Did Miller see himself as a prophet? Or did he just feel he found the code?

I don't think Miller saw himself as a prophet. I don't think he believed that he had received some special revelation from God. Miller was a Bible student, and he believed that through careful analysis of the texts, particularly in the Book of Daniel, it was possible to develop a chronology that would lead you inevitably to the moment of Christ's Second Coming. So he was in the tradition of biblical interpreters, rather than in the tradition of prophets who receive a special vision.

Do you know the circuitous, complicated math he's doing?

The details of Miller's system are extremely complicated. They're difficult to follow. He drew upon passages in the Book of Daniel that refer to 1,260 days, and translated the days into years, and used as his beginning point the command to rebuild the Jewish Temple after the Babylonian captivity, moved forward from that, and by a really very elaborate and somewhat circuitous system, came up with the year 1843. It was an interpretive system that he found convincing, and that evidently many thousands of Americans of his day did as well. Does that put him on the absolute cultural fringe, or does he represent more of the mainstream?

We tend to marginalize prophecy believers as cranks, people on the cultural fringe. The Millerite movement is a good antidote, I think, to that marginalization, because it's very hard to find how the Millerites were different from other Americans. They were ordinary Americans. Many of them were involved in other reform movements. Joshua Himes in Boston, for example, was also involved in the abolitionist movement. Sarah Grimke was involved in the women's rights movement and the anti-slavery movement. People were drawn to Miller out of a larger cultural climate of the moment. And they were not cranks. They were not fringe people. They were ordinary Americans who found his interpretation compelling. ...

As March 1843 approaches, how is the movement covered in the news? How does the greater society view them? There were some circulation wars built around this idea, weren't there?

Well, of course, inevitably the Millerite movement attracted a great deal of attention. Some of it was skeptical. Some of it was in the tone of ridicule. Others took it rather seriously. I think everyone recognized its importance, not only religiously but economically. These rallies were attracting many thousands of people. The Millerites really pioneered mass journalism in many ways, in getting the message out through their publications. ...

So what happens when the first disappointment comes?

When the first disappointment came in 1843, they went back to the drawing board, and they realized that they had made an error of one year by neglecting to take into account the transition from BC to AD, and because of that, they had gotten it off by a year. So they simply moved it forward one year to 1844. So that extended the excitement for one more year. But then at that point came the Great Disappointment, and the movement simply fragmented for the moment. ...

How do they prepare for that final day? Tell me about the Great Disappointment.

After the Great Disappointment, we have very poignant accounts of believers who describe the dismay, the weeping, literally the disappointment they felt. They had anticipated that they were going to be carried into heaven. It didn't happen. The world went on as before. Life went on as before. And it was a very traumatic experience for those who had been caught up in the movement. ... What then becomes the lesson about date setting that people learned from Miller?

George Storrs first associated with the Millerites in the Fall of 1842. He also argued against the setting of a specific date or time period; doing so in the January 18, 1843 issue of "The Midnight Cry".

However, as time proceeded, and enthusiasm wore down common sense, Miller re-defined "1843" as being the Jewish year starting March 21, 1843, and ending March 21, 1844. Even before this latter date passed and Miller's predictions failed to materialize, a Millerite named Samuel Snow, in the February 22, 1844 issue of "The Midnight Cry", calculated the date of Christ's advent to be October 22, 1844.

After March 21, 1844, George Storrs was one of the first prominent Millerites to champion Snow's calculation. Storrs even published a new understanding of Matthew chapter 25. The ten virgins going forth to meet the Bridegroom were said to be the Millerites. Their lamps were said to be the light from the Bible. The tarrying of the Bridegroom was said to be caused by the first disappointment. With their hopes unrealized, the virgin slept for three months. Now at midnight, the time of their night watch and trial, the true date of Christ's coming was finally discovered.

With respect to the "true midnight cry", in his September 24, 1844 issue of the "Bible Examiner" Storrs said, "Where this cry gets hold of the heart, farmers leave their farms, with their crops standing, to go out and sound the alarm-and mechanics their shops. There is a strong crying with tears, and a consecration of all to God, such as I never witnessed. There is a confidence in this truth such as was never felt in the previous cry, in the same degree; and a weeping or melting glory in it that passes all understanding except to those who have felt it."

In the October 3, 1844 issue of "The Midnight Cry", there appeared the following article (only excerpts available) written by George Storrs, under the heading, "Go Ye Out to Meet Him":

"I take up my pen with feelings such as I never before experienced. Beyond a doubt, in my mind, the tenth day of the seventh month will witness the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven. We are within a few days of that event- awful moment to those unprepared, but glorious to those who are ready. I feel that I am making the last appeal that I shall ever make through the press. My heart is full....

Alas! we have all been slumbering and sleeping—both the wise and the foolish; but so our Saviour told us it would be; end 'thus the Scriptures are furfilled,' and it is the last prophecy relating to the events to precede the personal advent of our Lord; now comes the TRUE Midnight Cry. The previous was but an alarm. NOW THE REAL ONE IS SOUNDING: and oh, how solemn the hour."
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"'Behold, the Bridegroom cometh' this year; 'go ye out to meet him.' We have done with the nominal churches and all the wicked, except so far as this cry may affect them. Our work is now to wake up the 'virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.' Where are we now? 'If the vision tarry, wait for it.' Is not that our answer since last March or April?-Yes. What happened while the Bridegroom tarried?-The virgins all slumbered and slept, did they not? Christ's words have not failed; and 'the Scripture cannot be broken.' It is of no use for us to pretend that we have been awake; we have been slumbering, not on the fact of Christ's coming, but on the time. We came into the tarrying time; we did not know 'how long' it would tarry, and on that point we have slumbered. Some of us have said in our sleep, 'Don't fix another time!' so we slept. Now the trouble is to wake us up. Lord, help, for vain is the help of man. Speak thyself, Lord. O that the 'Father' may now 'make known' the time.

"How long is the tarrying time?-Half a year. How do you know?-Because our Lord says, 'at midnight,' while the Bridegroom tarried. The vision was for 'twenty-three hundred evening-mornings,' or days. An 'evening,' or night, is half of one of those prophetic days, and is, therefore, six months. That is the whole length of the tarrying time. The present strong cry of time commenced about the middle of July, and has spread with great rapidity and power, and is attended with a demonstration of the Spirit, such as I never witnessed when the cry was '1843.' It is now literally, 'Go ye out to meet him.' There is a leaving all that I never dreamed could be seen. When this cry gets hold of the heart, farmers leave their farms, with their crops. There is a strong crying with tears, and a consecration of all to God, such as I never witnessed. There is a confidence in this truth such as was never felt in the previous cry, in the same degree, and a weeping or melting glory in it that passes all understanding except to those who have felt it.

"On this present truth, I, through grace, dare venture all, and feel that to indulge in doubt about it would be to offend God and bring upon myself 'swift destruction.' I am satisfied that now 'whosoever shall seek to save his life,' where this cry has been fairly made, by indulging in an 'if it don't come,' or by a fear to venture out on this truth, 'shall lose his life.' It requires the same faith that led Abraham to offer up Isaac, or Noah to build the ark, or Lot to leave Sodom, or the children of Israel to stand all night waiting for their departure out of Egypt, or for Daniel to go into the lions' den, or the three Hebrews into the fiery furnace. We have fancied that we were going into the kingdom without such a test of faith, but I am satisfied we are not. This last truth brings such a test, and none will venture upon it but such as dare to be accounted fools, madmen, or anything else that antediluvian Sodomites, a lukewarm church, or sleeping virgins are disposed to heap upon them. Once more would I cry, 'Escape for thy life;' 'Look not behind you;' 'Remember Lot's wife.' "

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In the next issue of the "Midnight Cry", October 10, 1844, there appeared the following article written by George Storrs, under the heading, "The Finale," but later referred to as, "Storrs' Flat Rock":

"How shall we be ready for that day?-Believe God's truth, and venture out upon it, by strong faith that gives glory to God. We must have the same state of mind that we would have if we knew we were to die upon that day, the same entire consecration to God and deadness to the world.

"I cannot better illustrate what I mean than to suppose a large flat rock in the midst of the ocean. A promise is made by a glorious and mighty prince that at a given time he will send a splendid steamer to carry all persons whom he shall find there with the evidence that they fully credited his word, to a glorious country. Many venture out to the rock. Some, when they are safe on the rock, cut the rope, and their craft with which they came there drifts away from them, and they look after it no more, but are watching for the arrival of the steamship. They have no doubt of the truth of the promise, and risk all upon it. Others who come there think it is enough that they are on the rock. But they would be 'wise' and not run too great a risk.

"According to thy faith be it unto thee" had been sounded before the time the steamer was expected. The day arrives. The prudent ones, it may be, intend to cut their boats loose, and let them float off, if they see the steamer coming. It appears in sight; but now it is too late to let go their boats without being discovered; and besides, the same prudence would dictate now that they do not let their boats float away till they are certain that they are not mistaken in the approaching vessel. Now it comes so near that they cannot possibly cut loose without being discovered.

"The steamer arrives at the rock. 'What is the evidence that you had implicit confidence in the pro-mise of the arrival of the steamer?'-'Our boats are cut loose, and have floated away from us, so that we could not possibly get to land, and must have perished if the steamer had not arrived, for it is a rock where no other vessel ever passes.' 'That is enough,' cries the commander of the steam vessel; 'come on board; such confidence shall not be disappointed.'

"Those who had kept their boats made fast to the rock now crowd around and strive to get on board the steamer. The commander asks, 'What mean those boats I see made fast to the rocks yonder, or whose ropes have only been cut since I arrived in sight?' They answer, 'We thought we would be prudent, so that if the steamer did not arrive, we might have something with which to get back to land.' 'You made provision for the flesh, then,' cries the commander, 'did you, and so doubted my words? According to thy faith be it unto thee. The evidence is against you. You made provision to return, and now you must reap the fruit of your unbelief.' 'So they could not enter in because of unbelief.' O, awful state of despair!

"Dear Bro. Himes: "I see a glory in the seventh month which I never saw before. Although the Lord had shown me the typical meaning of the seventh month one year and a half ago, yet I did not realize the force of the types. . .

Thank the Lord, O my soul! Let Bro. Snow, Bro. Storrs, and others be blessed for their instrumentality in opening my eyes! I am almost home. Glory! Glory! Glory! I see that the time is correct; yes, my brother, our time 1843 was correct. How so, say you? Did not the Lord say: 'Unto two thousand three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleaned.' But when? When the seventh month comes. . . That is the typical time; then will the people and the place be sanctified. When did the twenty-three hundred days end? Last spring. Then the vision tarried. How long? Until the seventh month, and will not tarry another year, for if it should, then it would be twenty-three hundred and one years.

"But, bless the Lord! He has not deceived us. O my soul, how clear that it must tarry until the seventh month - it will not tarry beyond. I believe it, yes, I love it.

"Oh, the glory I have seen to-day. My Brother, I thank God for this light. My soul is so full I cannot write. My doubts and fears and darkness are all gone. I see that we are yet right. . . and my soul is full of joy; my heart is full of gratitude to God. Oh, how I wish I could shout; but I will shout when the King of Kings comes.

"Methinks I hear you say: 'Bro. Miller is now a fanatic!' Very well - call me what you please. I care not - Christ will come on the seventh month and bless us all. Oh, glorious hope! Then I shall see Him - and be like Him - and be with Him forever; - yes, forever and ever!

November 5, 1844

page 5

By the following from the "New York Commercial" of Friday, it appears that Brothers Himes and Storrs have at last given up Millerism as a delusion. On Tuesday evening in the Millerite Church on the corner of Christie and Delaney Streets, Mr. Storrs publicly recanted his egregious folly and madness in the matter of the second advent. He said, what others beside his congregation had already found out, he was deceived as to the day of the second advent. He said he had been led astray by excitement and deceived by mesmerism and now most penitently acknowledged his manifold sins and wickedness. He now exhorted them to stick to work etc.

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The following is an excerpt from the book, "Days Of Delusion", which is a history of the Millerite movement.

In the midst of all the endless and futile explanations, refutations, and retaliations that were causing dire confusion and bitterness of spirit among the followers of Prophet Miller, it was Brother George Storrs who, suddenly awakening from his delusion when the prophecy failed, put the whole experience into a nutshell by coming out with the flat-footed statement that he believed Mesmerism to have been at the root of it from start to finish!

An uproar of indignation burst forth from those who continued to hold to the doctrine, but he refused to swerve from his newly acquired conviction. The fact that he had been one of the chief advocates of the tenth day of the seventh month theory, and had been instrumental in converting Prophet Miller to it, added to the resentment and bewilderment which this unexpected statement aroused among his associates. But the more they resented it, the more positively he asserted it.

In "The Morning Watch" [formerly The Midnight Cry] of February 20th (1845) he states the case plainly and according to the principles of modern psychology:

In reference to some things in the tenth-day excitement he writes, "It was nothing but Mesmerism, by which I mean it was the product of a mere human influence; in other words; it was not of God; and I would not say it was of the Devil; hence I must say it was of ourselves - a mere human influence called Mesmerism.

"What is Mesmerism? It is the influence which one body, or person, has over another to act upon them to produce certain results. In other words, it is a mere human influence. In itself it is not evil. It is essential to Society, and may be used to bless mankind when it is directed by the Word and Spirit of God, but when directed by one's own fancy, or left to run unguided by the understanding, or judgment, or reason, it leads astray.

"The great point which gave power to the movement was the positiveness with which we cried, 'The Lord will come in the clouds of heaven' on the tenth day of the seventh month. Take away the positiveness and the event which that positiveness referred to, and no one believes the excitement that existed would have come into being. Now, then, was that positiveness that that event would come at that time, of God? I dare not say it was, any more than I dare charge the Holy Spirit with falsehood. The event did not occur….

"As the event did not occur, we were mistaken in supposing that we were actuated by the Holy Spirit in making the cry we did in respect to the manner and the time. I repeat it, it was not of God. I am not disposed to say it was of the Devil; and there is but one other source to which it can be attributed; and hence the mildest expression I could use was to say, it was mere human influence, or Mesmerism… Every day confirms me more and more that it is a true word, and the fanaticism that is breaking out almost continually in some form among those who still persist that the entire movement, about the tenth day, was all of God serves to add to my conviction that we were deluded by a mere human influence, which we mistook for the Spirit of God… May the Lord forgive us all wherein we have erred, or gone astray, and help us to be humble and possess Christian meekness for time to come.

"To all it may concern this is addressed in love.

"George Storrs."

No words can express the amazement and the utter consternation that this change of faith produced upon the unhappy followers of Prophet Miller. Staggered at hearing such an opinion expressed by one of the chief instigators of the tenth day of the seventh month movement, they protested loudly against such a declaration regarding the great emotions under which they had been swayed, but as each denunciation and remonstrance was flung back at him Brother Storrs retorted with disconcerting directness.

"It is a truth that God has declared, 'When a prophet speaketh in the name if the Lord, if the thing follows not nor comes to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken!'

"Hence it is a truth that the tenth-day cry was not of the Lord. And hence also to attribute that cry to the Spirit of the Lord looks very much like sinning against the Spirit!"

And as though his restored equilibrium stirred in him an uncontrollable desire to bring matters down to an uncompromising common-sense level, he fairly took the breath away from his former friends by declaring in the same article which appeared in "The Morning Watch" of February 20, 1845, of which Elder Himes was the publisher:

"I might enter into details and demonstrate, as can easily be done, that those who least suspect themselves have acted under a mere human influence - but I forbear!"

The following Excerpt was written by George Storrs in 1844, to those "Millerites" who had separated from their former Churches:

"Take care that you do not seek to organize another church. No church can be organized by man's invention but what it becomes Babylon the moment it is organized. The Lord organized His own church by the strong bonds of love. Stronger than that cannot be made; and when such bonds will not hold together the professed followers of Christ, they cease to be His followers, and drop off from the body as a matter of course."---The Midnight Cry, Feb. 15, 1844.

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"The chains of sectarianism bind the souls of God's children as the chains of Southern tyrants bind the bodies of men."---George Storrs to Luther Myrick, in The Union Herald, September 23, 1841.

Who was Luther Myrick?

"In the early 1830's, a number of itinerating ministers openly began to preach perfectionism in the Presbyterian churches of this burnedover district. The best known of these peripatetic perfectionist preachers was Luther Myrick. By 1834, rumors of Myrick's deviation from Reformed orthodoxy had circulated sufficiently to have him brought up on formal charges before the Oneida Presbytery. Fellow clergymen accused Myrick of denying "every doctrine which distinguishes the Presbyterian church from the Methodist."

Consequently, at the trial the Presbytery demanded that Myrick preach a sermon to them to prove his soundness in matters of theology. Never one to shrink from a challenge, Myrick chose to preach to his ministerial colleagues on their need for "Bible perfection." The account of the trial records that "the presbytery members were very uneasy and restless" during the message. We are not surprised to learn that Myrick was summarily suspended from the Presbyterian ministry following this sermon.

Myrick's unpleasant experience with the Presbytery led him to believe that denominational creeds and regional judicatories were evil. Such institutional trappings perpetuated sinful sectarian divisions and forced compliance to outdated doctrines. The major sects were "almost universally the stout defenders of the doctrine that saints cannot live without sin in the present life. Upon this principle they attempt to justify their party divisions." Denominational structures interposed an artificial, human-made authority between individuals and God, a barrier which inhibited the free investigation of religious truth. As Myrick stated: "ecclesiastical judicatories and sectarian churches deny to the people of God the right of private judgment in matters of religion." When a person's conscience was restricted by adherence to such hierarchical authorities, that person was not free to lead a sanctified life. Obeying the rulings of one's denomination (forbidding abolitionism, for example) would hinder one from fully obeying God's law.

For Myrick and other abolitionist come-outers, the institution of slavery became a paradigm for tyrannical institutions that existed throughout the society. In particular, the legal despotism that was enslaving African Americans was compared to the "spiritual despotism" that was enslaving evangelical Americans. "The chains of sectarianism bind the souls of God's children as the chains of Southern tyrants bind the bodies of men." The fact that the major denominations refused to condemn slaveholders was simply an illustration of the fetters that they imposed upon the human conscience.

This ecclesiastical tyranny, according to the seceders, was most vividly illustrated by the prescribed doctrines and authoritative judicatories of the denominations. Consequently, sectarian institutions were considered inherently sinful, especially large, connectional denominations such as Presbyterianism and Methodism. God's government could not be established through the instrumentality of these human constructs. And since traditional ecclesiastical institutions were deemed sinful, the only recourse for Christians seeking to live a holy life was to "come out" and be separated from the impurity.

Ecclesiastical abolitionists were determined to replace the "spiritual despotism" of their old, impure denominations with the "spiritual democracy" of reorganized and purified congregations." Myrick established the first of these democratic, independent, antislavery congregations in 1836. Following Myrick's example, further secessions from Presbyterian churches resulted in scores of abolitionist congregations. Since Myrick's desire was to break down sectarian distinctions and to unify all sanctified Christians, his followers became known as "Unionists," and Unionist congregations were known as "Union churches." Critics, however, claimed that Myrick's ideas led to "disunion" far more than union, and that this group was simply another denomination composed of those who allegedly did not believe in any denominations.

The new Union churches were dedicated to holiness and to individual freedom of conscience. Personal holiness was to be demonstrated by one's commitment to social reforms such as antislavery and "spiritual democracy. Liberty of conscience would occur when each congregation renounced its allegiance to external authorities such as a creed or a denomination. Every church was completely independent, and polity decisions were to be strictly congregational. Although Unionists attended regional conventions of like-minded abolitionists, they declared that these meetings had no "binding authority' over individual congregations. The Unionists believed that the power exercised by ecclesiastical bodies above the local level would inevitably become corrupt. They considered any union of sectarian judicatories as a sinful, human-made creation. A union of individual churches, however, would occur naturally if believers would only live out sanctified lives. Thus the Unionist dictum: "perfect holiness and unity of the saints."

"Many are leaving all, to go out and warn the brethren and the world. In Philadelphia, thirteen volunteered at one meeting (after hearing Brother Storrs,) to go out and sound the alarm. ... stores are being closed, ...".

Unfortunately, it was around this same time in Philadelphia that George Storrs started listening to and believing a previously unknown Millerite named Dr. C. R. Gorgas.

Evidently, Gorgas claimed to have received a vision from God informing him that Christ's second advent would occur at 3:00AM on October 22, 1843. The "vision" also instructed believers to flee out of the towns and cities into the country as did Lot from Sodom, when the advent was nigh.

Prominent Millerite N.N. Whiting reported, "Our poor brethren... . They were urged to quit their employment, and they did so in great numbers. I heard one of our well-known lecturers teach his hearers that they must abandon the cities and large villages and flee into the open country as Lot did, or they would lose their lives and probably their souls."

Although Whitings words, "and probably their souls", would seem to disqualify George Storrs from being this "well-known lecturer", Storrs later admitted that during the weeks prior to October 22 that he had urged believers to quit their employment. Additionally, Gorgas was an "unknown" until the month of October, and Storrs was the only "well-known lecturer" who promoted Gorgas's vision.

It is a fact that Storrs hand-carried the Gorgas "chart" to the office of "The Midnight Cry" on or about October 18, and persuaded editor Southard to print it as an "Extra". Southard printed and mailed several hundred copies before he was stopped on Oct. 19 by Joshua Himes, who also made a trip to Philadelphia to oppose Gorgas.

Despite these efforts, on Oct. 21, approximately 150 of the approximate 3000 Millerites in Philadelphia traveled to a Millerite farm 4 miles outside of the city, and set up two large tents in which to spend the night of the 21/22. This "event" later gave rise to much exaggerated ridicule of the Millerites.

However, as 1843 approached, fewer and fewer churches welcomed the advent message. By 1842, not only were church doors being closed to the advent message, but outright opposition was gaining momentum. Excommunication of adventists started to occur.

Miller continued to advise his followers to stay in their own churches. In August 1842, in "Signs of the Times", it was recommended that adventists stay in their churches and witness "in a good spirit". "Signs" did acknowledge that some individual situations might require separation, but that most adventists should remain until expelled, with the responsibility for such resting on the church's shoulders.

Over the following months, the relationship between adventists and their home churches continued to deteriorate. In July 1843, Charles Fitch, (most prominent Millerite on the western frontier), started preaching and publishing that "anti-christ" included not only the papacy, but all churches who opposed the message of Christ's personal second advent. Fitch warned that true christians must flee out of "Babylon", or perish.

George Storrs soon began to support Fitch's position. In the February 15, 1844 issue of "The Midnight Cry", Storrs not only agreed with Fitch, but went to an even further extreme:

"Take care that you do not seek to manufacture another church. No church can be organized by man's invention but what it becomes Babylon the moment it is organized. The Lord organizes His own church by the strong bonds of love. Stronger bonds than that cannot be made; and when such bonds will not hold together the professed followers of Christ they cease to be His followers; and drop off from the body as a matter of course."

Fitch quickly endorsed this extreme position in a following issue, by announcing his freedom from any church and any creed.

While many adventists came to accept this position, and did "come out of Babylon", Miller continued to advocate staying with the churches until late 1844, when he himself was expelled from is own Baptist church. Miller then belatedly came to accept the separation position.

Storrs had become acquainted with the "soul mortality" issue by reading some of Henry Grew's writings, starting in 1837. After several years of study, including bouncing ideas off a Methodist minister friend, Storrs anonymously published "An Enquiry: Are the Souls of the Wicked Immortal? In Three Letters" in 1841. Around this same time, he moved to Albany, New York to pastor a church (of unknown affiliation). In 1842, he finally had the courage to speak out on his new beliefs, doing so in six consecutive sermons. Thereafter, he published "An Enquiry: Are the Souls of the Wicked Immortal? In Six Sermons".

However, George Storrs's enthusiasm for his new enlightenment evidently kept him from taking serious Miller's wishes regarding other messages. Storrs not only preached the issue, but in 1843, "Bible Examiner" was started to promote such.

In January, 1844, Charles Fitch wrote a letter to Storrs telling him that he agreed with Storrs' teachings, and then in May wrote Storrs again stating that he would join Storrs in preaching such.

Evidently, Storrs actions ticked off some Millerite leaders, especially as Storrs prominence grew, (as shown in posts above). Josiah Litch issued an opposing periodical named the "Anti-Annihilationist". Then, in the May 23, 1844 issue of "The Midnight Cry", William Miller was forced to publicly disclaim any belief in Storrs's "conditionalist-annihilationist" positions.