The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-03-12
THE SEVENTH kDVENTySTs.
In Interesting visit TO a Settlement of
Curious People.
ICorrespondenee Of the couricr.JournaIl

Among the most peculiar classes of
modern religionistsare the Seventh-day
Adventists. Unlike, in many respects,
any other sect, their singular character
istics are indeed interesting. Though
there are several phases of the belief.
and, therefore, different classes of be-
levers in the faith, perhaps the most
numerous wing of the sect is that which
centers at Battle Creek, Mich. Here
is the Advent village, which lies i'm
mediately adjacent to the business pOr-
ton Of the city, and forms an incor-
poratcd part thereof. Before giving
the pecuiarities of the Adventists and
of their faith, we will give the reader a
faint idea of the appearance Of this
abode of the saints. Passing from the
west side Of the city to slight eleva-
ton, you are made aware of the unusual
cleanliness Of the surroundings. The
houses are built in plain, modest style,
not wholly unlike those of other people.
In the center of the village stands the
church, which is a model Of plainness.
Near this stands three good sized brick
/ buildings, built in a very substantial
manner, aud all alike. These comprise
the publishing house, which is the larg-
est in Michigan. The printer, upon
entering one OF these buildings, is cap
tivated with the scrupulOus cleanli-
ness and order around him. The
! floors have l.een scrubbed and secured,
the walls are Of snowy whiteness,
and the dress Of the operatives, which
rs Of the plainest kind, at once arrests
your attention. Here, as elsewhere,
many Of whom are employed, dress in
sort Of bloomer fashion, and the toll
erance Of single show Of gayness or
, icTclry is prohibited. This is part
of the faith. Beside the vast amount
Ct books which are here published is
printed the advent Review and Her
ald," the principal organ Of the sect in
, the United States, the advent Tic
/ dendc," Danish monthly; the
youths Instructor and Health Re-
/ former" [monthly] and the True Miss
| ionary. No less than $4,000 worth
Of work is turned out annually,
/ though the inhabitants Of the city and
! adjoining country scarcely realize the
/ extent Of this branch Of industry.
/ One of these buildings is being tempo
rarily appropriated for the use of the
college which is about to be started.
This i. to I've Il sectarian school, for the
education of young men for the minis
try. This building Is only to be used
until the college building can be erect
ed, for which some sixty thousand dol
lars have been pledged. Besides, there
is the water cure.
1t maT be the best known fact that
the .Advcntists are ell hygcnistS. This
is the character Of the water cure, and
visit through its departments is full
Of peculiar observations. Order and
the atrictcst cleanliness are every
where apparent; while the attendants
and physicians alike presentth eaPpcar-
arco Of the most thorough-going deyc-
ton to their adopted faith. The food
Is cooked without salt, and mostly CT
Graham and corn meal. Fruits, pre-
served and green, are extensively used,
while meat, the same us with old Ad-
veriists, ia almost entirely ignored.
/ Consequently, the Advent is known 10y
his pale face and sallow skin, which,
together with his perpetual sobriety,
gives him the semi-appearance Of a
convalescent invalid.
1t was the intention of this letter to
speak more particularly of the Adven-
ists' belief, as regarded in the light of
q religion. The principal feature of
the belief is that of the second coming
Of Christ, whose advent upon earth il
moncntarily expected. The same as
the faith Of the Jews, Saturday is re-
garAcd rs the Sabbath, and strictly
kept. This commences at shutdown,
Friday night, and lasts until Saturday
night 81 the same time. The belief of
Chri-ts coming, and the destruction
Of TIE Garth, the death of al sinners,
etc, seems to be one of the most effect
ual incentives to induce constantrever-
ence for the church that was ever
known among Christians. Their life
/ seems naught but a constant prayer,
and G5 a consequence all brethren Of
the faith grow into spiritual condition,
which could limo other way be attained.
Thus far, we have discovered nothing
fnore than the usual characteristics OF
tChristians; hut the strangcst feature OF
all is the belief in a female prophecies,
whose word is everywhere supposed to
be regarded Us the highest human au-
thority. This person is Mrs. Ellen
| q. White, formerly a resident of
Battle Creek. For time the rever-
ence for this Prt pletess became a sort
If monomania, and the persistence
with which she secured the confidence
of her followers is remarkable. In
structions direct from the Lord are
supposed to come through her by
means Of visions, which, if we are to
Judge, nrc exceedingly mundane in
their nature. For instance, if an adj
vent mother has son in any way dis
tasteful to the church, that mother re-
cciyos instructions to send him from
her house, and he is invariably sent,
II II daughter desires to wed, the pro
phct is consulted; but, if the occasion
Is supposed to entail any burden upon
the church, her desires are made second
10 her dutics 10 the church. Thus re-
ligious tranquility is evoked where
worldly indiscretion might prevail.
Some years since an extensive foun-
dntion for one of the largest medical
Institutes Of the state was laid, near
the present one The building to be
was the pride of all, both in and out OF
the church. When a portion of the
brick wall had been laid, work ceased,
and ere long the imagined structure
grew less, the foundation was torn up,
and to-day the spot forms portion OF