New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-03-01
The Methodist Bishops.

Looking at a picture of the aino
bishops of the Methodist Episcopa
Church, we are impressed with the
fact that there are few men in the
United States to whom more power is
intrusted. Power, but not emolument;
for their position is the furthest re-
moved from one of dignifed leisure.
In the picture before US their like
nesses are appropriately arranged in
a circular form, with that of the senior
bishop in the centre. Appropriately
circular, we say, for, like everything
in Methodist economy, the bishops re-
volve. They are one wheel of vast
system of wheels and, if they exert
their power in bidding others remove,
there are none upon whom the burdens
of the itinerant system fall 50 heavily
as upon themselves. In the greatness
of their journeys they are more than
apostolic. Bishop Thomson presided
few years ago at conference en- the
banks of the Min, in the Celes-
tial Empire, and his very next presi-
dency, we believe, was on the banks
of the Minnesota. Their going forth
is from the ends of the earth, and their
circuit unto the ends thereof. In
proportion to the greatness of their
ecclesiastical authority is the great
ness of their responsibility. At each
quadrennial session of the General
Conference a Committee on Episco.
pacy' reviews rigidly all questionable
points in the administration of each
bishop, and their high position does
not protect them from a most rigorous
accountability.
The venerable senior bishop, Nor
ris, occupies the centre of the picture
before us. He is benign and portly
old gentleman, of truly episcopal pro
portions. He holds his cane in his
right hand, and sits in a genial old
age, after lifetime of toll, waiting
the Masters call. Not at all an orator,
he is yet speaker and writer of great
elearness and conciseness, and his
published writings are models of for
chile thought and perspicuous diction.
He is eminently Western in his make
mp, genial in sympathy, earnest in
piety; but not at all ascetic, and pos
sessed of a humor so abundant and a
wit so quaint and so keen that he is
socially fascinating. His gentle but
cutting sarcasm Is terror to those
who have more cant than sense.
Of quite different character is
Bishop James. With a small frame,
originally slight, but tending of late
to emboapoint, nose rather aquiline,
and voice shrill and piping, but
which has been subjected to disci-
pline not less severe and hardly less
successful than the Evolutionary train
ing of Demosthenos, DIR. James is the
embodiment of will. He is, perhaps,
the greatest ecolesiastical administers
tor of the present generation. It is
doubtful if his superior in executive
ability can be found in the country.
Having submitted eheerfully and con-
scientiously to the hardships of the
itinerant system as they existed a
quarter Of a century ago, ne is dis
posed to exact something like the
same devotion from others. Had he
lived in the Middle Ages he would in
evitably have ruled a great religious
order. James, if not the greatest man
on the Methodist bench, is perhaps the
greatest bishop. He is always q for
chile speaker, often eloquent. Aqui-
line in feature and mind, he pounees
upon his ideas with an exultant, eagle
like swoop. His financial ability is of
the highest order.
Bishop Scott is the genial, gentle
manly, sanity man of the bench. De-
yout, without particle of ascotism.
he oyerhows with Christian and human
sympathy. Pretending neither to ora
tory nor greatness, he is vet an excel
lent. preacher and man of great prac-
teal sense. His life and spirit are
full of piety of the old, earnest, Meth
odistic type.
The large frame, full chest, promi-
nent brows, and somewhat massive
lower face proclaim Simpson d very
prince of pulpit orators. Nature does
not often make a man great in oil re-
spects, and Bishop Simpson is not pre-
eminent as an administrator, scholar,
or writer. His sermons have many
fine things, but they do not satisfy eX-
pectatiOn when read. It is the majes-
tic presence, the noble voice, the
grand, earnest, triumphant face, ali
surcharged with the electricity of an
enthusiastic soul, that make DIR, Simp-
SON the orator that he is. Not that he
is without notable mental gifts, but
that is the addition of his wonderful
physical magnetism that gives him his
royal position as an orator More
perhaps by his surroundings than by
natural inclination he was made CON
servatiTe in church politics but on
the breaking out of the war he used all
his lofty gifts as an orator in support
of President Lincoln's administration,
and it fell to his lot to give the utter
anee to henational sorrow at the tomb
of the president. Since tho war he
has spoken earnestly and frequently
on national subjects.
bishop Baker is, like Bishop James
a New Highlander. He is a refined and
polished scholar, bearing yet the Stang
of his years Of service in the chaiv Of
a professor. His difidenee is always
apparent, though itneyer causes loss
of dPlom5. Thoroughly versed in par
! liamentarV usage. always ready and