Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/363

Rh the non-contagious nature of that disease. See his memoir and writings by his brother, Rev. Samuel Miller (New York, 1814). — Another son of John, Samuel, clergyman, b. in Dover, Del., 31 Oct., 1769; d. in Princeton, N. J., 7 Jan., 1850, was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1789, studied theology, was licensed to preach in 1791, and the same year was installed colleague pastor of the 1st Presbyterian church in New York city. He became professor of ecclesi- astical history and church government in Princeton theo- logical seminarv in 1813, and held "this office till 1849. He was corresponding secretary of the New York historical soci- ety, and in 1809 de- livered before that body a discourse to commemorate the discovery of New York. The University of Pennsylvania gave him the degree of D. D. in 1804. Dr. Miller enlisted vigorously in the controversy that resulted in the division of his church into the new and old schools, and was an eminent theological and polemical writer. He published " A brief Retrospect of the 18th Century " (3 vols.. New York, 1803 ; 3 vols., London, 1805) ; " Letters on the Constitution and Order of Christian Ministry " (1807; with a " Con- tinuation," 1809) ; " Memoir of the Rev. John Rogers " (1813) ; " Letters on Unitarianism " (Tren- ton, 1821); '"Letters on Clerical Manners and Habits " (Philadelphia. 1827) ; " An Essay on the Office of the Ruling Elder" (New York, 1831); " Letters to Presbyterians " (1833) ; " Discourses en Infant Baptism " (1834) ; " Presbyterianism the truly Apostolic and Primitive Constitution of the Church of Christ" (Philadelphia, 1835); "The Primitive and Apostolic Order of Christ vindicated " (1840) ; " Letters from a Father to a Son in College " (1843) ; " A Sermon on the Ruling Elderships, with Appendix" (1843); "Thoughts on Public Prayer " (1849) ; and the " Life of Jonathan Ed- wards" in Sparks's "American Biography." His life was written by his son, Samuel (2 vols., Phila- delphia, 1869). — Samuel's son, Samuel, clergyman, b. in Princeton, N. J., 23 Jan., 1816; d. in Mount Holly, N. J., 12 Oct., 1883, was graduated at Prince- ton in 1833, was tutor there in 1835-'6, studied law and was admitted to the Philadelphia bar, but abandoned it for theology. He was graduated at Princeton seminary in 1844, and settled as pastor of the Presbyterian church at Mount Holly, N. J. He was principal of the West Jersey collegiate in- stitute in 1845-'57, and from 1857 till 1873 was in charge of the church in Oceanic, N. J. Princeton gave him the degree of D. D. in 1861. He published " Report of the Presbyterian Church Case " (Phila- delphia. Pa.. 1840). — Another son of the first Samuel, Elihu Spencer, lawyer, b. in Princeton, N. J., 3 Sept., 1817 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 6 March, 1879, was graduated at Princeton in 1836, and studied law, first with James S. Green in Princeton, after- ward with Reverdy Johnson in Baltimore. He was admitted to the bar in Baltimore and subse- quently, in 1843, in Philadelphia, where he prac- tised his profession during the remainder of his life. As a lawyer he attained a very high standing among his contemporaries, and was well known for his integrity, intrepidity, and skill. He was a close thinker, a deliberate and careful speaker, and a man of pungent and refined wit. The great facility which he possessed for turning instantly from even the pleasures of life to the most serious work was a remarkable trait, and no less so was the tenacity with which he clung to any course in the conduct of legal work upon which he had de- liberately entered. He occupied the chair of real estate and equity in the law department of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania for twenty years. During the civil war he raised and commanded an artillery company. He died suddenly in his office at the close of his day's work. He published a " Treatise on the Law of Partition by Writ in Pennsylvania" (Philadelphia, 1847); and edited the second edition of Sergeant's " Treatise of the Lien of Mechanics and Material Men in Pennsylvania" (1856). He also printed a small collection of fugitive poems entitled " Caprices " (1849). — Another son of the first Samuel, John, clergyman, b. in Princeton, N. J., 6 April, 1819: d. there. 14 April, 1895. He was graduated at Princeton and at the theological seminary. He was pastor successively of Presby- terian churches in Frederick. Md., Philadelphia, Pa., and Petersburg, Va. During the civil war he was a captain of artillery in the Confederate army, and after 1871 he resided in Princeton, where he founded three " Evangelical " churches and offi- ciated in them. In 1877 he was dismissed from the presbytery of his church for holding heterodox views on the subject of the Trinity, and other minor points of ecclesiastical difference affecting the pec- cability of Christ, and the state of the dead, but on appealing to the synod of New Jersey was permitted to withdraw as an independent clergyman without deposition. His latter years for the most part had been devoted to controversial writings, and his publications include " Design of the Church " (Phil- adelphia, 1846) ; " A Commentary on the Prov- erbs" (New York, 1863); "Fetich in Theology" (1874); "Metaphysics" (1875); "Are Souls Im- mortal?" (Philadelphia, 1877); "Was Christ in Adam?" (1877); "Is God a Trinity ?" (1877); "Creed" (Princeton, 1879); "Theology" (1887); and "Commentary on Romans" (1887).

MILLER, John, governor of Missouri, b. in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1780; d. in Florisant, Mo., 18 March, 1846. He received a public-school education, served in the war of 1812 as lieutenant-colonel of the 17th infantry, and subsequently as colonel of the 19th infantry, and was in command of a de- tachment of troops from Fort Meigs that destroyed the enemy's batteries on 5 May, 1813. He resigned from the army in 1818, removed to IIissouri, and for several years was register of public lands in Howard district. He edited the " Western Her- ald " in 1825, and the next year was elected gover- nor of Missouri, serving till 1832. In 1836 he was sent to congress as a Van Buren Democrat, and was twice re-elected.

MILLER, John Franklin, senator, b. in South Bend, Ind., 21 Nov., 1831 ; d. in Washington, D. C., 8 March, 1886. He was educated in the academies of his native state, graduated at the New York state law-school in 1852, and began practice in South Bend, Ind. The failure of his health induced him to spend the next three years in California, but he returned in 1855, resumed his profession, and took an active part in the Republican presidential canvass of 1856. He was a member of the state senate in 1860, but resigned to enter the army, and, after serving on the governor's staff