A Brief Retrospect of the Eighteenth Century. Part First in two Volumes, Containing a Sketch of the Revolutions and Improvements in Science, Arts, and Literature During That Period.; Volume 2

by Samuel Miller

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

528 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 2015

About the author

There are several authors on Goodreads with this name. This is Samuel^^^Miller, the American theologian.

The fourth son of Rev. John and Margaret Miller, Samuel Miller was born near Dover, Delaware on October 31, 1769. He completed studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 1789 and began studying theology under his father's tutelage. Following Rev. John Miller's death in 1791, Samuel moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to complete his theological studies with Charles Nisbet, president of Dickinson College. Samuel was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry on June 5, 1793 and was called to the Presbyterian churches of New York City, serving alongside Rev. Dr. John Rodgers and Rev. Dr. John McKnight. In 1806, he was named moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, and for several years also served as its official historian.

While in New York, Miller was active not only in the church, but also as an author. His best-known work, the two-volume Brief Retrospect of the Eighteenth Century, printed in 1803, earned him serious attention and acclaim. He published his Letters on the Constitution and Order of the Christian Ministry in 1807 and wrote a memoir of Dr. John Rodgers in 1813. Also while in New York, Miller served as chaplain for the first regiment of the New York State artillery.

Miller continued his service in New York until 1813, when he was appointed professor of church history and government at the newly established Princeton Theological Seminary. While teaching and preaching, he continued to write and publish. He wrote a memoir of his mentor, Charles Nisbet, in 1840, penned a life of Jonathan Edwards for Jared Sparks' American Biography series, and published numerous speeches and sermons on various topics.

Among his other activities, Miller served as a trustee of both Columbia College and the College of New Jersey, as a founder and president of the New York Bible Society, as a founder of the New York Historical Society, and as a corresponding member of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

On October 24, 1801, Samuel Miller married Sarah Sergeant, the daughter of Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant, attorney general of Pennsylvania. The couple had ten children, including sons Samuel, Elihu, and John. Rev. Samuel Miller continued in his teaching position at the Princeton Theological Seminary until his death on January 7, 1850.