The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09
BURSTING OF DOWR'S BUBBLE.
RISE AND FALL or A RELIGION
AND REAL ESTATE SCHEMH.

DO wteism sAid 70 HAvs brought Its Fsunder
nIs,OOOyO 600 In three Hears--Isis
Money iais Church. TOO, Lost IEvcn
More Quickly what Of ms ncet7
With John Alexander Dow1s mentally
der&nged, a. no seems 20 DO. and no longer
able TO lead ths handful Of followers that
still remain loyal % him. what 10 TO become
OF that curious addition Co the worlds re-
ugions, DowieismY VIII the principles
which ts founder laid down still be praO-
tised by those who have rallied around
Voiivs. Dowie's former assistant. who led
the revolt against him and brought about
his unseating az the head Of Zion City. or
viii the membership Of his Church gradually
d~isintegrate and disappear 70 q religious
body altogether
These are questions which cannot DO
answered yet. but the recent events that
eliminated In Dowie's outbreak In Chicago
last Sunday indicate that Dowieism is
destined to be added to the long list OF queer
religious sects which have not outlived their
founders. In fact. it is doubted by some
persons il the Christian Catholic Church
In Zion. the name given by Dowie 70 his
organization. will outlast Dowie. just at
present it's members seem TO be more in
terested in getting bach the worldly goods
which they turned over to Dowie than In
building up their Church.
Dowieism seems to have been centred
In its founder and leader. With their belief
in his divine origin shattered II would be
unusual II his followers continued 70 SUBJ
scribe TO any Of the tenets Of the Church
which he started.
just how many persons at present profess
20 belong TO the Christian Catholic Church
in Zion is not known exactly. Dowie at
n time asserted that his Church had 100. 900
members. Recent reports had it that the
population OF Zion City had shrunk from
l2.OOO OF 5000 70 less than 1000 and the
number was constantly Diminishing.
At the height OF its prosperity. which
perhaps was in 1903. the organization had
branches. not alone in This country but in
many foreign countries. including Australia,
whence Dowie came originally. The men,
bers OF the Church abroad as well as in
this country oil swore allegiance 20 Dowie
and professed TO recognize him as the
messenger Of the covenant" and the sue
cessor pf Elijah.
This was the oath taken by overy one
who joined DoHie's Church; Il is interesting
IN he light Of rspert happenings:
| vow IN the n0le Of God my Father and
OF Jesus Christ. His Sou aud my Saviour,
and the Holy Ghost that / recognize John
Alexander DOwie. general o~versecr In his
threefoli prophetic ofl,e. as a messenger
OF the C%oyeDsnt, the T%estorcr. and I promise
to obey all riyhtlul orders issued by linn,
and that all family ties and obligations and
all relations to all human governments shall be
held subordinate ~ this vow Tins ! make
in the presence OF Got.
One Of Dowir's most Jealous ~ru!loxers
up a a candidate for receiver of Zion
City last spring after the storm had broken
over Dowie's head and the matter had been
taken to the courts. He didn't get the place
and the reason he didn't v0s he5uuse he had
taken this oath,
1t is not my duty 10 express my cum
for the man who could exact or take
oath, said Judge Lands of the United
Circuit Court. but ! am not obliged
TO repose my confidence in a man so consti-
that, living in this republic. he would
serenely row his readiness at all times 10
abandon his family aud berry his cprn-
Try"