The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-05

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been decimated SO suddenly by death, superin-
duced by overwork, as has been that of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in the United
States during the past four years. Indeed,
half Of the effective bishops who presided at
the General Conference four years ago have
| gone to their blissful reward There are five
out of nine remaining, four of whom only are
effective and they are nearing the allotted
time of mans probation on the earth. Bishop
Thomas Morris, the senior Bishop of the Meth
odist Church, has been superannuated these
many years, but by outstanding once strong
and vigorous constitution he is able to travel
| from his Ohio home to the East and be pres
ent at the General Conference now in session
in Brooklyn He is in the seventy-eighth
year Of his life the fifty-sixth Of his ministry
and the thirty-sixth of his episcopate. He
entered the Ohio Conference in 1885, when
that State was the "Great West and nearly
all beyond was unknown territory He per-
formed yeomans service for the Church in
that region when such men of indomitable
courage and perseverance and fine physical con-
stitution were needed to plant Methodism in the
New World Last Sunday, April %, he COM
pleted his seventy-eighth year, and as he looks
back over the progress which his Church and
his country have made during his conscious
lifetime his heart naturally swells with salts
faction and gratitude to God, who has spared
him SO long. Though advanced in years the
Bishop is by no means on 'old fogy." He
has kept pace with the march of human prog
ress. and no man to-day rejoices more than he
in the developments of the last few years.
Bishop Morris was in his time q fluent
preacher, ready writer and laborious pastor.
His crown is awaiting him over the river.
Bishop E. S. James, though not the oldest
in years, is now the senior effective Superin-
the sixty-fifth year of his age the forty-second
of his ministry and the twenty eighth of his
bishopric. He joined the Philadelphia Con-
ference in 1880, and was chosen to the epis-
copal Office BY the Genexal Conference which
met in this city in 1844-the year in which the
Methodist Church divided on the slavery ques-
ton. He has lived to see that bone of conten-
ton ground to powder and made an agent to
overthrow the fabric which itself raised He
has been in labors abundant ever since, and
last year he travelled over twenty-five thou
sand miles to meet Annual Conferences. When
| it is remembered that there are seventy-two
conferences in the United States and but four
bishops to meet them it will be seen that their
yoke is not easy nor their burden light one.
AS q preacher Bishop James ranks high. On
subjects vital to Methodism such as missions,
church extension and itineracy, in which he is
deeply interested, he becomes eloquent and
his musical voice when warmed up gives him
o power over On audience which comparatively
few ministers possess. He is IN admirable
executive officer and is greatly beloved by his
ministerial brethren. His home is in this
city.
Bishop Levi Scott is in the SEVENTEEN year
of his age, the forty-sixth of his ministry and
twentieth of his episcopate. During those
twenty years he has failed to meet but three Of
the conferences assigned to him, and those
failures were caused by sickness last year. He
entered the Philadelphia Conference in 1926.
His home is in Delaware, where his presence
in the community is felt as the genial sun
shine after shower on the new-mown grass.
Bishop Scott was elected to this Office at o time
when he was Book Agent in the Methodist
publishing house in this city and the present
agent DR.. Carlton, was elected to that position
the same year, and has remained in it ever
since. The gentleness and geniality of
Bishop SCOTS nature are very manifest in all
his sermons and utterances. His chief desire
is to spend and be spent in the service Of
Christ and Of the Church of his choice. HIS
is in rather feeble health at present.
Bishop E. II. Ames is now little over sixty
six years Of age, having been born March 80,
1906. He entered the Illinois Conference in
1880, and was elected to the episcopal Office in
1852 by the General Conference, which met in
Boston. He has fine physical frame and
looks young and active enough for work for
many years yet in his Masters cause. The
Bishop has in him the elements of success in
almost any line of business he might pursue.
vein Of quiet humor underlies his mental
constitution, and he uses little of it once and
again to relieve the tedium Of debate among
his brethren. He is, however, by some con-
sidered to be little too imperious at times in
ruling upon important matters which have
agitated the Church. But no one has doubted
that he has acted most conscientously. He is
q very pleasing, though not very brilliant
preacher, but is good executive officer and
laborious worker in the Church.
Bishop Matthew Simpson lacks about .
month Of being dxty-one years Of age. He
was born June 10, 1911, and is the youngest
| Of The hiahcps BE joined TIE Pitts6uzE Coar