The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-15
WHY DR.. QUINN Changed
He Gives Reasons for Leaving the
Presbyterians to Join the
Episcopalians.
A Change Of Belief About Church
Polity Was the Leading
influence.
He Says That After Investigating the
Matter He Followed His Con-
science in Deciding.

DR.. ]. G. Quinn has left the Presbyterian
church to join the Episcopal church in the
diocese of Montana. He sent the following
letter to the Presbytery at Boulder. and OBJ
tanned Dismissal:
The PREsBYTERY OF MONTANA, At BOULDER,
18th April, '9O:-Moderator and Brethren:
As nv appointment by the board OF nome
missions as missionary in charge OF the Sec
ond Presbyterian church, Helena, Eas e1-
ity have changed, hereby now ask dis
missal from your body in order that l may
enter the Episcopal church, diocese OF Mon
tana.
In yielding to the claims of that church,
supported as they are both by Scripture, ne
teen hundred years, have not submitted
without many struggles. Ihave tried hard
to avoid the necessity of leaving the church
in which was born and educated and which
it has been my. privilege to minister to the
become mature and can no longer resist
my sense of duty in this matter.
It would be departure from the respect
owe this Presbytery to state the course of
thought, investigation and reasoning that
have at length led me to take this step.
Suffice to say that have decided to make
this change at time when no interest in
my charge will suffer.
NV soiourn among you has been brief
and have, amid great difficulties, done my
best for the work entrusted to me a year
een ai viii show. Ny relations to the
Presbytery have been exceedingly pleasant
and agreeable.
Permit me to assure you, moderator and
brethren, that these relations are not sew
cred without thorough Investigation, care
full elaboration and much sorrow. trust,
= however, that the bonds of personal and
Christian affection may remain and That
after our ministry on earth is finished. we
may each enter upon the service above
where it is written; Ills servants shall
serve him and they shall see his face.'
Yours with much respect,
JAMES G. QUINN.
DR., Quinn sends the following letter Eat
ing his reasons for resigning:
EDITOR INDEPENDENT: It may interest
YOUR readers to know what it was that led
me to take the step which has SO stirred the
members of my own and other churches.
The claims Of Episcopacy and Presbytery
have been under consideration from time to
time during the past seventeen. years, and
the claims of the former received but a
passing notice and were then set aside tor
season as not of vital import. During the
past winter, however, the discussion about
the revision of the confession of faith
brought up once more the matter OF churcn
polity and Episcopacy would have received
perhaps scant attention as heretofore out
reading on this subject met with one dis
tincuished author who stated that CDR.
Miller, in his work, 1.-The Ministry, had
been guilty of giving some partial and one
sided quotations from the Ancient Fathers:
This excited my interest and attention and
led me to a perusal of DIR. Miller's book
s'The Ministry, ~ and d careful examination
of the Ancient Fathers.
You may imagine my surprise to find, in
several cases, quotations from the ancient
EckL crAs ~1xy my r.
ranged to give full force to the argument
against Episcopacy. But the portions in
the immediate context in each case were
against Presbytery altogether and in favor
of Episcopacy.
The discovery led me at once to full and
exhaustive study eff the claim of Episco.
pacy, with the following result:
From careful searching and study OF
the scriptures, especially the Ancient Faith
ers and church history, l'have reached al
length this conclusion, viz:
First-From the divine appointment OF
the Aaronic priesthood, all the way through
Christ's public ministry, down to the clos
ing of the sacred canon, find no church Of
God on earth spoken of or referred to in
the scriptures that is not Episcopal in pol:
would state: "The church is fixed and sta
BILE. The ministry and doctrines have beer
unaltered for eighteen centuries. She goes
unfalteringly forward. She remains un.
changed while all else l6 changing. one II
like city set on hill, the observed of all
observers.
In conclusion, permit me further to state
that am happy in being in the church in
which can five in the times of, and as
sociate with, Clement, Irenaeus, Ignatius
jerome and st. Paul.
In q word am now member of the
church which has lived from the beginning
of the Christian era until now-the church
which is described in Scripture as 'the
pillar ana ground of the TRUTH the church
that has through the centuries CONTINUED
steadfastly in the apostles teaching and
fellowship in the breaking of bread and the
prayers" in spite of frequent interna
strife and much external opposition.
Yours in the bonds of Christian love.
JAS. G, QUINN,