The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-03-21
lEMAN COUNTY, TENN, March q, 1868.
Letter from Bishop Quintard.

PALACE, ELY, Jau 10.
Ny friend Captain NJ. f. Maury has put
in ny hands a copy Of the Southern Church
man (NOv. 2S), containing article on
Church Balls" lt is an account of a
ball gotten up by church people in my dio-
cese, for the benefit of Christ Church, Nash
vile. / am informed that the large b al was
tastefullv decorated with evergreens-that a
band Uf music was in attendance-that
dancing commenced at a specified hour
that n life sized likeness OF the Bishop Of the
Diocese ia full cannnicals was so conspic-
uOusiy placed to give that chief shepherd,
though absent in Europe, the appearaace of
being the patron Of one Of the most painful
occasions to compromise the principles Of
Christianity that has ever been inaugurated
or sanctioned by a congregation of professed
Christians in the United States And it is
further stared that the hands of Christian
women were employed in presenting the in
fozicating glass, and in administering the
deadly pnison which DESTROYS both body and
souL" My own views are sufficiently under
stood by the clergy Of my diocese; but in
my own and in their behalf desire to say
a few words oa the evils and abuses which
are such a great seanditl-to the Church and
to the Diocese Of Tennessee. / am thank
fui to the writer of the article in the Church
man that he does me the justice to say that
IN my annual address IN May last to the
Convention of my dio csc, / expressed my
self as very strongly opposed to all such
agencies in the work of the Church
How any body Of prOfeSsed Christians,
who claim to have s. put off concerning the
former conversation the old man which il
corrupt according tothe deceitlul lusts -
and to have puton the new man, which after
God is created in Fighteousuess, and true
holiness could haves been educated down to
such scandal is WhatI cannot understand
With Gods word open, with a house set"
apart for his worship, whore we cannot but
believe Him to be esfeeially presen5-with
sacraments and ordinances which are chan
ntls of grace and overdowing with heavenly
food-with all these blessed instrumental-
ties for growth in grace aud in Christ like
ness-I cannot understand low a cOHcrega-.
ton could so outrage the principles of Chris
tianity, and Of that Church which our dear
Saviour bought with His most precious
blood. l knnw full well, my dea= brother,
that the clergy Of my diocese, as a body,
feel with me that one Of the greatest hin-
drances to spiritual life and true Church
work, exists in the agencies which are so
commonly made use for replenishing the
Lords treasury. Fairs, suppers, raffles, lot
teries, balls, and all such denominations, at
once destroy all true principles of making
an Offering tozGod-as an act Of holy wor-
ship. believe that in proportion as they
are made use Of the lifeof my. congregation
viii decline, aud the usefulness of a. pastor
be destroyed-he will De a cloud to rain,
not over Arabia, the Happy; but over the
Stony Desert. Alas for the worldliness
of these days Of trial In all our land
q there is no flock, however watched and
tended, but one dead lamb is there" The
cry Of the widow and the orphan-of the
poor and the afflicted of the hungry and
the naked are heard on all sides. Houses
are desoiated and hearts are bleeding, and
yet our people do not turn unto the Lord in
weeping, and fasting, and mourning. In
view Of the present appalling distress-of
our late trials-Of the dark future that looms
mp before us, may it not be asked is this
time for worldly frivolity and worldly con-
furmity and worldly practices that outrage
the gospel of Christ-degraGe the Church
and lower the standard Of personal holiness.
Surely God will visit US yet more.
CH.fFoDD QUINTAaD,
Bishop Of Tennessee,
We can also bear witness to the abhor-
renee Of the Bishop to Church fairs, and a
perusal Of the foregoing letter recalls for
ciblY a conversation between him and a
gentleman of our acquaintance, who upon
being import ned by the Bishop to join the
Episcopal Church, replied No, Bishop
am d,uakag'd and gqmBzeri The other
night went to fair in Memphis for the
benefit of Grace Church. I supposed of
course | should sec none but devouB Chris
tian ladies and gentlemen officiating there,
and could not be led into anything wrong
But soon found all my money invested in
the little lotteries there, and myself drunk
on champagne punch, dished out to me by
elegant ladies at fifty cents per drink" To
which the Bishop replied Infamous In
famous Infamous : /