Smyrna times., 1866-11-14
Question or Union between the M. p
Church and the II. E. Church South

At the annual conference of tho No+lol;..
Protestant Church Of Virginia, at Lynchbure,
two weeks ago, the following resolution wa,
adopted. among others, concerning a union nf
that Church with the NJ. f. Church Sontb
Rrs0lred that the proceedings of the Eapo-
raj Conference Of the Methodist En;sco',al
Church South, at New Orleans, upon the sTih' iIi'
ject, and the overtures made by that BODY 70
our late General Conference at Georgetown y
e., afforded us great qualification, and cncour-
ayes the hope IN us that measures may yet be
adopted satisfactory to both churches which
shall ultimate in their formal union.
Rev. Mr. Barr submitted a minority report
containing his individual objections to the ac-
tiOn Of the majority
Rev. l.. W. Bates fraternal messenger from
Maryland, said that the question created CON
siderable interest III Maryland, but he suggest
ed the proprlety OF avoiding an actual commit
tai OF tins body to the proposed union. Union
might be 4 necessity. There was not a mem-
Der OF the Methodist Protestant Church i'm Ma
ryland who wanted 10 merge their Church into
the Methodist Episcopal, and vet there were
thousands who believed that the time had come
when union would be Il necessity. He said
that the Methodist Protestant Church had ey-
erclSed an important Influence upon her sister
denomination, tending to produce the reform
that Was now bringing the churches closer to-
gcther, aud might result in ultimate union =
But IN Maryland, unlike Virginia, the Mrtho.
dist Protestant Church will give more than if
Will receive. and would exercise an oyershadow-
ing influence
lie spoke OF the Il neceSsity of some check ON
The abuse Of the episcopal Office i'm the distri
button OF ministerial labor and SAID that. with
out this the proposition for union might aS we'll
not be made. And set he deemed il possible
mat an offer might be made that our commits
: toner's VIII not he able to reject. If our
Methodist Episcopal brethren offer terms that
We can accept We may not refuse them. He
was not an advocate of the union but yentur-
ca tH1 pre- ictlon t.iat II would take place, bv
the Methodist Episcopal Church making nm
other stride toward, Us. The majority rrnort
he thought. went too far. and mi. lit be used
TO- our detrn"nt Il ar church, icdi,approvcd
OF the minority report because it declared
uhe4iuvocalIy against all union. He wished
that the proposition had never been made, hut
we should have some better reason for reject
ing 1t than simple refusal to unite on any
terms.
Rev. i. y. Valiant, flatcrnal messenger from
blaryland, Said that hi, collragua Mr. Rates
had expressed his sentiment, in The main H..
remarked that If all the Methodist Protr.t,nt
ministers III Maryland were united in favor III
I,hloh' they could not carry their church with
hem unless there be nearer approxim,tinn
9I the two churches than there is at present. .
an recent CONVERSATION with very prominent
o. the Baltimore Conference Of tIo
VI. /. Church, he va, asked what he wanted
lie rnpIIri that We want ,iu,t what We have.
ana the Reverend Doctor said SO do |. Nr.
Sad sp"elli ally that h. wanted the pr.~id- I
ng cldershlp abolished 81 did the doctor, A.
lrn4ng that they were of ou>e. Mr. Y. want
'd the power Of the bishops curtailed. So did
. he I reverend doctor, rclnarking that he had
eIt their power. Mr. Valiant remark ed tk,t
HE point upon which his church in NarvIand
we're most sensitive was that Of losing their
Rev. +. \. Davis said that this conference
lad, at previous session, declared. by r.,oju-
'!on, that if the NJ. f. Church should adnnt :,
ny delegation, that would be considered a basis +,
u union. lie was in favor OF it in that contin.
,ency.
The majortyreport was finally adopted unani-