Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1850-06-19
CONGREGATIONAL UNIT.

Swift, tits said, finding one Sunday ,ha. his
clerk formed his whole congregation. began
service with the words, "Dearly beloved
Roger" etc. an anecdote which has been
treated as a mere joke, though recent oc-
currence shows that it may taken an pied de
la lettre. An English traveller, learning on
his arrival at an Irish town that all old bro
.her collegian was doing duty as cura'e in
the vicinity invited him to breakfast on the
following morning, which happened to be
the Sabbath, stating that his intended depar-
ture did not leave him the choice of any
other day. The invitation was declined,
spiritual duties being urged as the reason OF
its refusal; notwithstanding which, the rev.
erend gentleman made his appearance al The
breaklas,-table, and, in answer to the ques-
ton, s'Whal's the meaning of this - he qui-
ely replied, 'She's not well to-day"
She's not we'll yho is no, we'll :"
"My congregation No one ever attends
my church except the clerks wife, and as
she is very poorly this morning, we have no
service"
DERIVATION OF THE WORD CHURCH.
Written and spoken words are visible and
audible thought. Words, however, are not
only the signs of ideas, but sometimes the
representatives of things, so that e,ymology
may be said to include many other "ologies," J."
comprehensiveness to which Dr.. johnson
did not advert when he derived the word
Church from the Greek KURIAKE. 1t is
assgnable to the Celtic Kir-rock, or round
of stones, within whose circle, itself a sym
Dol of unity and eternity, the Druds SOL
emnized their religious rites. In the con-
,rscted sound Of Kirk the word is still re-
tanned in the North, though with US South
erners it is softened into Church. We may
therefore say, literally as we'll as metaphor
cally, that our Church is founded on rock; {;
and by a curious coincidence singular pa
ranomasia occurs in the sixteenth chapter
and eighteenth verse of St. Matthew In
point Of fact, many Of our churches stand
upon the site Of Drudical circles, others on
the remains of Pagan temples nor let it be
imagined that such localities have have been
profaned by their antecedents, for every spot
is consecrated that has been pressed by the
knees Of fsincere worshippers, whatever may
have been their creed. Every religious O.
plnlon lhal mas once governed The thoughts
and actions of mankind should be sacred in
our eyes, for the heart is the real temple,
and, where that is honest and devout, the
religious feeling is true, though the doctrine
may be false and the form idolatrous.
INSCRIPTIONS.
Among the recently discovered ruins Of
Termessus Major, on the Pamphylian side
Of Lycia, in Asia Minor, was found an in
scrption to the philosopher Plato, carved
on rock in lands untrodden by European
feet, and sealed TO civilization since its olden
inhabitants passed away. How poor is the
fame Of this impershable bu. long lost me-
mortal compared 10 the immortality secured
by fragile printed paper One of the
saints said he had rather write his maxims
on the hearts of men than on the skins of
beasts; but if he did not commit them to
parchment, how were they to find their way