The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-06-01
An Address to the Clergy Of the Con
vocation now in Session at st.
James Church, Bolivar.
Delivered BY Bishop Quiutard, on Thursday,
az so, 1857.


Brethren et tie Coscocatio,, Of the Western
District Of Tennessee:
l have 50 recently spoken to you on the
work Of the Church, that is unnecessary for
me to enter largely upon this subject now;
but there are matters upon which desire to
dwell-for your own sakes, for the sake Of
Christ's flock This Co4vocation, composed
of all the cleagy of the Western part of the
Diocese, Is the real missionary organization
for the work of the Church within its proper
boundary You have adopted laws for the
regulation Of your affairs, and you have for
your Dean q well-bef0ved brother. whose
devotion to the cause of Christ and the
Church gives earnest of faithful work What
you have to do Is to declare the whole coun-
sci of God, fearlessly and lovingly; to give
diligent heed, to instruct the people commit
ted to your charge in the principles of
Christ's holy religion, warning every man,
and teaching every man in all wisdom.
Preach the word be instant in season; re-
prove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering
and doctrine The times demand positive
teaching plain, direct preaching Of the
cross Of Christ, and every mans work shall
be revealed, for the fire shall try every mans
worl, Of what sort it is. Teach your people
thoroughly that the kingdom Of Christ is not
of this world-that it can make no compro-
misses with the world-that it can give no
countenance to its crooked tricks, or selfish
ways-that when once they have put on
Christ in holy baptism, their profession
thenceforward is to follow Christ and to be
made like unto Him, and in doing this they
have to abolish the whole body of sin.
Strive faithfully to make them understand
the depth of meaning and the awful import
of baptismal vows. When they are enlisted
under the banner Of the cross, and signed
with the sign of the cross, they renounce the
devil and all his works, the pomps and vani-
ties of the world, and all the sinful lusts of
the flesh.
The devils works are all sins, but espe-
cially pride, and malice, and hatred, lying
and blasphemy, SANDER and cruelty, heresy
and schism.
The pomps and vanities of this wicked
world are vain dress and expenditure, ma
king show above our station in life dan
gerous amusements, such as theatres and ali
pleasures and customs which destroy Chris
tian sobriety, and which we find injurious to
our devotions. The sinful lusts Of the flesh
are sloth, softness, luxury, greediness, drum
kenness, uncleanness, adultery, fornication,
covetousness-aI which and the like of
them we are bound to cruelty and kill, if we
are Christs Appalling indeed are the
threats and awful the warnings which scrip
ture hath given to those who centre, if not
their chief hopes, at least their chief delight
in the forbidden pomPs and vanities, which
at holy baptism are emphatically renowned
The gospel teens with condemnations of a
worldly spirit, and with earnest cautions
against its influence. There is nothing dark
or ambiguous in the language Of St James,
Know ye not that the friendship Of the
world is enmity with God2 Whosoe7er
therefore viii be the friend of the world is
an enemy of God St Johns language is
neither vague nor unintelligible-"L Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the
world If any man love the world the love
of the father is not Ia hin"
In such passages Of scripture we have all
the Information we require respecting the
danger Of worldly conformity; namely,
alienation from God in this world, and the
loss of the soul in the next
Teach your people, dear brethren, that
there are higher and purer joys within their
grasp than any that the world has to offer
by light Of opening day
The stars all concealed