River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-03-19
CHRISTIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Rev. John Alexander Dowe the Founder.
An Ecclesiastical Organization Upon
Apostolic Lines.
Another Interesting Letter from NJ. b.
kimball.

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CHICAGO. Ill.,, March 5, 1896.
EDITOR JOURNAL: A friend gent
ly criticises what seems to him TO be
an inconsistency at the opening of
| my letter published in the JOURNAL
| of Feb. 18th. | am glad that he does
50, as 1t directs my attention to what
would appear to the casual observer
to be somewhat conflicting. and thus
prompts me to state the matter
little more clearly. i refer to the
opinion expressed concerning the Rev.
John Alex. Dowie, in connection
with the statement that my hero
worshipping days are over. Doctor
Dowie poses neither as a hero nor a
martyr, and | worship him as neither,
but | reverence him as the Good
Samaritan who resigned the pastor
ate of wealthy church, where the
salary was liberal and the perquisites
large, to devote the remainder of his
life TO the cause of sin-stricken and
disease-smitten humanity, without
money and without price, a labor of
self-sacrifice and love which none who
reyile him have neither the inclina-
ton, moral courage, nor power to per-
form. No, whatever else he may be
Doctor Dowie is not a hero, but he is
an instrument in Gods hands possess
ing those eyalting attributes which
enable him TO do greater amount of
good to the square inch than any
other living man who has yet come
under my observation. In the parlance
of the street he is straight goods,
all wool and a yard wide,'' and one
who boldly proclaims the truth, and
VphpOnpnfiV dannnnPac xvponn Ia
out fear or favor In this respect he
is very conspicuous exception to the
general rule.
1t would not puzzle me particle to
name scores of people who will set
me down as "chump" for writing as
| do before my sight shall have been
fully restored, but this thought does
not give me the slightest concern.
One of my friends asked me before
coming here, IF you do not get your
sight, will you still believe in the
doctrine of the Divine Healing?" L
replied, YES And why not? The
absolute ruth of this teaching has
been thoroughly demonstrated in
thousands of instances here, and this
statement is one in which the great
city of Chicago with all Of its great
municipal power has tried in vain to
successfully contradict. So far as
simply the establishment of the
great and blessed truth of the doctrine
of Divine Healing is concerned,
whether or not my sight is restored
cuts no figure.
But" as the lO-cent novelist
would put it, II digress." / sat down
70 write you concerning the organiza-
tion of the Christian Catholic church,
nf xuhfnh Pow Inhn A Low nnxUin &c
the founder This ministering
servant of God severed his denomina-
tional church relations twenty years
ago, and since that time has been
wholly engaged in mission work. The
marvellous success which has attended
his ministry here in Chicago has
seemed to rended necessary an ecclesi-
astical organization for the purpose
of securing still greater efficiency in
the promotion of the cause of Christ.
The recognition by Doctor Dowie of
this need resulted in his calling a
general conference Of all who were in
sympathy with the movement, to be
held in Zion Tabernacle No. 2, in this
city, on Wednesday evening, Jan. I'D,
1896. The conference convened
pursuant to such call, and after an
exposition of the basis and general
plan of the proposed organization by
Doctor Dowie, the conference
adjourned to meet again on Feb. 9Th,
for consideration of the project.
The plan enunciated by Doctor
Dowie involved the organization of
the proposed new church upon
apostolic lines, the primitive condi-
tions of Christ's church as instituted
originally under the New DISPENSE
ton, to be observed, the central idea
being to re-establish the church of
the Living God in all her primitive
simplicity, beauty, glory and power.
The adjourned meeting of the con-
ference was an exceedingly interesting
one. Organization upon apostolic
lines would mean repentance, baptism
by immersion, the offices of apostles,
prophets, teachers, the organization
of seventies endowed with the gift of
healing, and other things of which
tue orthodox churches of the present
day know comparatively but little.
These propositions were somewhat
startling to some of the ministers in
the conference who had grown gray
in the ministry They didn't just
know where the apostles, prophets,
and some of the other fellows were
coming from. They feared that this
5'short" on some of the precious gifts
of the Holy Spirit enumerated in the
twelfth chapter of first Corinthians.
They were not just certain that the
apostolic Office was perpetual. Other
questions also came up, to all OF which
Doctor Dowie gave clear, comprehen-
sive and satisfactory answers; he had
considered many of the points raised,
and proved himself complete master
of the situation, saying to the con-
ference, "We Will organize the church
and leave the consequences with God
He will i'm due time raise up apostles
and others as they are needed After
adopting a resolutions; without dis
seuting vote, declaring in favor of
organizing the Christian Catholic
church on Saturday, February 22d, the
conference adjourned.
On the I'D ult. the Christian Cath
Ollie church was formally organized,
four hundred and seventy enrolled
members being present. At this
writing the membership is one
thousand, and rapidly increasing,
members being enrolled from all parts
of the country, from the Atlantic sea-
board to the Pacific coast, and from
all parts of Canada to the Gulf of
Mexico. This church is called
Christian because it is Christ's church
and Catholic because it is the Univers-
al church-hence, Christian Catholic
church-and it will within a few
months have members in every
country on the face Of the inhabited
globe. The Christian Catholic church
requires OF its members in things
| essential, Unity; comedies in things
non-essential, Liberty: and asks in all
things, Charity.
Mark this prediction. Those who
are on earth ten years from now VIII
see in the Christian Catholic church