John Dowling (pastor)
Encyclopedia
Romanism
Romanism was a word used as a derogatory term for Roman Catholicism in the past when anti-Catholicism was more common in the United States and the United Kingdom...
: from the Earliest Corruptions of Christianity to the Present Time.
Personal life
Born in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, he moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with his wife and two children in the year 1832. At this time the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
was raging as an epidemic. Leaving his family in New York to pay a flying visit to Catskill
Catskill (town), New York
Catskill is a town in the southeast part of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,775 at the 2010 census. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park....
, he returned to find his wife and one of his children dead from this dreadful disease — already in their coffins, prepared for burial. Overwhelmed with grief, he returned with his remaining child to Catskill, where he became the pastor of the Baptist Church of that place. While laboring here he met and married Maria S. Perkins, daughter of a prominent gentleman of that town, and who bore him a son.
Career
He held pastorates in New York, Philadelphia, Providence and Newport, R. I. Upon leaving Catskill he accepted a call to the Tabernacle Baptist Church, of New York. Here he remained for several years, during which time his son was born. From here he removed to Providence, R. I., to become the pastor of the First Baptist ChurchFirst Baptist Church in America
The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse. The oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, it was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638...
of that town. During his labors in Providence the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by the Trustees of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. From here he removed to New York city, where he labored not only as a pastor, but as a powerful opponent of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Having enjoyed a liberal college education in his own country, he became a formidable opponent, and entered the list in public discussion with the renowned Archbishop Hughes
John Hughes (archbishop)
John Joseph Hughes , was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, serving between 1842 and his death in 1864....
, at the same time penning the History of Romanism, which went through multiple editions.
On leaving New York he removed to Philadelphia, succeeding the celebrated Dr. Stoughton as pastor of the Sansom Street Baptist Church. Here he was as popular as elsewhere, ministering to one of the largest congregations in the city, and maintaining his high position as a leader in the Baptist denomination. He once more returned to New York, where he again officiated in his holy calling, though with less demonstration. As of 1873 he was sixty-five years of age and in the enjoyment of good health. His son by his second wife grew up to become a doctor.