Adventists, Seventh-day

Adventists, Seventh-Day, are a branch of the Adventists (q.v.) who observe the seventh day as the Sabbath. They originated as early as 1844. They set no time for the coming of Christ, believing that' the prophecies which, in the opinion of other Adventists, fix the second advent in or about the year 1844, really brought the world only to the " cleansing of the tabernacle," a period of brief but uncertain duration preceding. the coming of Christ. One of the first movers in this new departure was elder James White, formerly a " Christian" minister of Maine. He embraced the doctrine of Adventism in 1842, and began at once to preach in Maine. Ins 1844 he embraced the " shut-door" theory of Mr. Turner and Ellen G. Harmon (already referred to under ADVENTISTS), and began to claim extraordinary revelations from heaven as to doctrine and duty. Among these revelations. was one requiring the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath. He subsequently married Miss Harmon, and has published many of her " visions" in various forms. 'Mr. White started .a paper at Middletown, Conn., called Present Truth, and a little later issued it at New York. Some time after this the name was changed to Advent Review and Herald of the Sabbath, which was published at South Paris, Me., then at Rochester, N. Y., and finally, in 1855, at Battle Creek, Mich., where it Continues to be issued.. The "Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association" publish at Battle Creek four denominational papers in English, one in Danish, and one in Swedish. Another English paper has been established in California. A mission has been established in Switzerland, where two hundred believers were reported in 1875. Missions have been determined upon for Great Britain, France, Germany, Holland,' Italy, Hungary, Africa, and Australia. There are 15 State conferences, 218 preachers, 943 churches, and 27,742 members. Strict temperance views prevail. 'Strong drink and tobacco are forbidden. Abstinence from pork, tea, and coffee is also recommended. See Wellcome, Hist. of the Second Advent Message, p. 401 sq.