Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-07-05
BELLS IN CHURCHES,
FIRST USED By PAuL,Nus, BISHOP
OF NoLA, ABOUT 400.


OF NoLA, ABOUT 400.
The Early British Chri.tians Used
Wooden Itattlcs to Call the People
Together For Worship BELLS and
! Thunder and Lightning.
Church bells are of ancient origin.
The nncients had bells for both sacred
and profane purposes. Strabo says
that market time was announced by
their sound and Pliny that the tomb
of an ancient king of Tuscany was
hung round With bells. The hour OF
ba!hing was made known i'll ancient
Rome by the sound of bell. The
night Waterman carried one. and 1t
served TO call up the servants IN great
houses. Sheep had them tied about
their necks to brighten away wolves.
or, rather, by way of amulet.
Paulinus, bishop of Nola, is general
ly considered the first person who III
troduccd bells into ecclesiastical serv-
ice about the year 400. Historians say
that in 6lO the bishop OF Orleans being
ut Srno. then in II state of siege fright
cn"d away the bcsicgins army by ring
ing st. Stephens church bells which is
Il clear proof that they were not Mt that
time generally known in France. The
first large bells are mentioned by
Bc,lc In the. year ESQ. Before that pc
rod the early British Christians made
use of wooden rattles to call the con
grcgation of the faithful together
Hand bells probably first appeared at
religious professions and were after
ward used by the seculars. The small
bells We're not always held In the
hand. They were sometimes suspend
cl upon II stake and struck With ham,
mcrS
Tho arrival of kings and great per-
konnges was nnciently greeted by ring
ing the church bells. lnguiohus, abbot
of Croyland, who died about 400,
speaks OF them as being we'll known In
| his time and says that "the first abbot
of Croylund gave six bells to that mon
astcry that Is to say, two great ones.
ndine; two of medium size. called
Turketullum and Bcttrine; two small
ones, dcnominatcl Pegu and Begn. He
also caused the great bell to be made
called Gudla. which was tuned to the
other bell and produced nn admirable
harmony not to be equnled in Eng
| land"
Il 1,n I'm, tl,xA q tt,1tn
were sometimes rung with ropes hav-
ing brass OF silver rings Mt the ends
| for the hand. They We're nnciently
rung by the priests themselves, after
ward by the servants and sometimes
| 10y those incapable of other duties. as
persons who We're blind.
The doctrine of the Church of Rome
concerning bells is that they have mer-
| II and pray God for tho Twin. and the
dove; second. that they prolHce devo-
ton in the hearts OF ttla faithful The
dislike NJ evil spirits To bells Is well
! expressed by Wynken NJ Wor.o In the
Golden Legend" The passing bell was
nncicntly Eung for two good purposes
one To bcspeak the prayers of all good
4 Christian people for Il soul Just depart
in;. aud the other to drive away the
evil spirits who stood ut the foot of the
bed OF about the house. Such was the
general opinion respecting the efficacy
of bells before the reformation, but
since thut period lit has been the usual
cours" II the Church of England that
when amy sick person lay dying u
bell should toll to give notice to the
Iri@h,ors that they might pray for the
dying party. which was commonly
called Il passing bell. because the sick
person was passing hence to another
| world, and when his breath WIS OK
piled the bcll rung out that the neigh
bors might cease their prayers, for TINT
the party VIZ, dead" 1t is now only
tolled after death.
The saints bell was not so called
from the name of the saint that was
inscribed on II or Of the church To
which II belonged. but because 1t was
always rung out when the priest came
to that part q, the service. "Sanctus,
Sanctlla, Snlte.s, Domino Deus Sab
! baoth, plllposely that those persons
know In Whit II solemn office the con
| grrsation We're at thnt instant pngng
ed and so, even In their absence. be
once. mt least, moved 10 lift up thrir
hearts to him who made them Bells
at one time We're thought an effcctual
charm against lightning Tho frequent
firing OF abbey churches by lightning
confutcd the proud motto commonly
/ written on their bells in the stccplea.
I! wherein each entitled Itself to n siy-
/ fold efficacy viz:
Mems death tell by dolcfu l.ncll
| Lightning and thunder break asundcri
| ON Sabbath all to church call:
| The sleepy head l raise from bed:
| The winds SO fierce I dost dispense:
| Mems cruel rage do assuaSe
1t has anciently been reported. oh
SERVED Lord Bacon, and is still re
ccivcd that extreme applause and
| shouting of people nssciahlcd IN mnlti
tudes have so rnreticd and broken tlir
air that birds flying over have fallen
down, the air not being able to sup
port them and it is believed by some
tllat great ringing of bells In popu-
lous cities has chased away thunder
and also dissipntcd pcstilcnt air. New
| York Herald.
Marine Information.