Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-05-30
SKETCHES OF METHODIST BISHOPS.

1856; Rev. T.. S. James, in 1874 and Rev.
Matthew Simpson, of Chicago Levi Scott, oI
| Wilmington, Del, Rev. o. C. Bak ell, of Con-
cord, N. H., and Rev. E. r. Ames, of Indian
apolis, Ind. all elected in 1852.
Bishop NJ orris is a native Of Kentucky where
| he grew up to manhood, and commenced his
ministry. His education was good, though not
liberal, but by diligence and good natural
| parts, he soon attained to eminence. Having
| served as circuit preacher and presiding elder,
he was made Book Agent at Cincinnati in 1928,
Editor in 1882, and Bishop in 1886. He is now
nearly seventy years old, the senior Bishop, a
portly and well-to-do old gentleman taciturn,
out genial, good but not brilliant preacher,
and decidedly respectable rather than great
man. His Southern proclvities are supposed to
be pretty strong, and he has son who is a
preacher in the Southern Methodist Church.
Bishop Janes is native of Connecticut but
his early life was passed in New Jersey, where
he first entered the Methodist ministry. He
continued the regular pastoral work only a
few years, rclinquishing it to act as an agent
for Dickinson College. About 1886, he was
transferred to New York, where he remained
in the pastoral work for four years. He was
afterwards made one of the secretaries of tie
American Bible Society, IN furtherance of
plan. lnaugurated some years before, to bring
the Methodist denomination fully to the sup
port of the American Bible Society, which
he successfully accomplished. He is about
fifty-four years of age, a man of medium
height, little inclined to corpulency. and
generally of good physique. His voice is
pecuiar-a kind of double falsetto, which,
however, becomes deeper and more sonorous
as he grows warm and animated in his dis
conrse. AS a preacher, he is earnest and
Jealous, yet not eloquent. His sermons are
distinguished for their hortatory style. AS
an administrative officer he is diligent and
taking in labors abundant.'' He is
constitutionally CAREFUL and on all stirring
questions is generally found on the conserva-
tive side.
Bishop Simpson, a native of Western Penn
sylvanla, was student in Allegheny College.
In 1885 he entered the Pittsburgh Conference,
and was stationed successively at Pittsburgh
and Wheeling. In 1889 he was chosen Presi-
dent of Asbury University, in Indiana, where
he remained till 1848, when he was appointed
editor of the Western Christian .4drocate a.
Cincinnati. Four years later he was chosen
Bishop. He is rather above the medium size,
with heavy shoulders, and stopping, brown
hair, and sallow complexion. His voice, at
the beginning of his discourses, is fiat and
whining, hut it soon deepens and becomes
musical. His elocution, though violating all
the rules of the masters, is both pleasant and
vigorous, and he exerts that peculiar magnetic
power, by means of which other minds will
ingly yield to his influence. AS preacher, he
ranks in the first class, both as to matter and
manner. Bishop Simpson, accompanied by
DR.. McClintock, visited Europe in 1857, as
official visitors to the English Wesleyan Con-
ference. They attended the meeting of the
Evangelical Alliance, at Berlin, and with Rev.
DR.. Mast, of Cincinnati, Ia native German,
and Governor Wright, the American Minister
at Berlin, (who is Methodist,) gave quite
Nethodistc character to the American delega-
tion to that body. He then extended his ira
vels through Greece and Palestine, returning
by way of Constantinope, the Black Sea, and
the Danube. For nearly year after his re-
turn he was Frustrated by sickness. He is
constitutionalIy ss progressive but the Ep-
scopal office holds him in check. In 1S50-51,
when the Fugitive Slave Law was first promul-
gated, as editor of The Western Christian Id
uocate, he uttered strong words against its ini-
quity, and generallyjhas been recognized an
anti-slavery man. In private he is genial and
communicative, and as presiding officer he is
able, ready, and pleasing. He is by many es-
teemed the most able man OH the Methodist
Episcopal bench of Bishops.
Bishop Scott was born near Wilmington,
Del, about the beginning of the present Gen.
tury. The field of his ministerial abors has
been chiefly in the city of Philadelphia and the
region. He is man of medium
size, with sandy hair and beard, pale complex
ion, and calm and dignified expression. He
is good speaker, and able minister. |
Though usually in rather delicate health, he |
performs great amount OF labor, for besides |
a fair share of the duties of attending annual |
conference at home, he has in the eight years |
of his Epscopate, visited Africa once, and the |
Pacific States twice. Personally, he is not old |
fogyish and it is believed that on the subject |
of slavery his instincts aud judgment are on the |
side of freedom though the latitude of his |
birth and residence, as we'll as his official po-
sition, exercise constraint upon his naturally /
spontaneous disposition.
Bishop Baker is a native of New Hampshire.
He is about fifty years old, five feet ten inches
in height, slightly corpulent. with dark hair,
forld countenance, an acquiiine nose, gold
specialized, and small and closely shut
mouth. He was educated at the Wesleyan
University, at Middletown, Ct., and during his
earlier years was teacher in Vermont and
New Hampshire. He held the pastoral office
one year. and that of presiding elder two years;
and when the Theological School at Concord
was organized, he accepted one of its profess
sorshps, from the chair of which in 1852, he
was called to the Office of Bishop. As prea-
cher, Bishop Baker is rather scholarly than
His sermons are all finished pro-
ductions, often delivered from the manuscript,
or memoriter, clear and pointed in style. AS
a presiding officer he excels in his knowledge
of Methodist law and precedents, and his ready
of passages.
Bishop Ames is native of Ohio, but of the
old Massachusetts stock; aged few years
over fifty of medium height and thick set
dark, ruddy complexion, and fine, robust
physique. He was educated at one of the
Western Colleges, and was for short time
Professor at Augusta College, in Kentucky.
While yet young man he was appointed pre-
siding elder in Indiana, contributing largely to
the ascendency Of Methodism in that State,
and becoming personally acquainted with its
territory and people. Rumor has it that his
of the country has had other than