▁October ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 8 4 4 . ▁Like ▁others , ▁B ates ▁was ▁sever ely ▁disappoint ed ▁when ▁Christ ▁did ▁not ▁return . ▁By ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 5 , ▁he ▁read ▁T . M . ▁Pre ble ' s ▁pam ph let ▁and ▁accepted ▁the ▁sevent h ▁day ▁as ▁the ▁S abb ath . ▁He ▁wrote ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 6 ▁tract ▁The ▁Se vent h ▁Day ▁S abb ath , ▁a ▁Per pet ual ▁Sign . ▁He ▁later ▁adopted ▁the ▁san ctu ary ▁doctrine ▁from ▁Hir am ▁Ed son ▁and ▁integrated ▁S abb at arian ▁Advent ist ▁the ology ▁around ▁the ▁great ▁controvers y ▁theme . ▁B ates ▁was ▁a ▁strong ▁supp orter ▁of ▁Ellen ▁G . ▁White ' s ▁proph etic ▁min istry ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁publication ▁A ▁Word ▁to ▁the ▁" L ittle ▁F lock ." ▁His ▁boy hood ▁home ▁is ▁now ▁a ▁museum ▁dedicated ▁to ▁his ▁life ▁and ▁work , ▁operated ▁by ▁Advent ist ▁Heritage ▁Min ist ries . ▁The ▁address ▁is ▁ 1 9 1 ▁Main ▁Street . ▁The ▁museum ▁is ▁open , ▁and ▁t ours ▁are ▁given , ▁during ▁the ▁spring , ▁summer , ▁and ▁fall ▁seasons . ▁ ▁Geography ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁town ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁is ▁land ▁and ▁, ▁or ▁ 1 2 . 0 6 %, ▁is ▁water . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁border ed ▁by ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁to