The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-07-06
BELLS IN CHURCHES.
FIRST USED BY PAULINUS, BISHOP
OF NOLA, ABOUT 400. ..


| The Early British Christians Used
| Wooden RattIes to Call the People
Together For Worship - Bells and
Thunder md lightning.
Church bells are of ancient origin.
The ancients had bells for both sacred
md 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
Rome by the sound of n bell. The
night Waterman carried one, and it
served to call up the servants in great
houses. Sheep had them tied about
their necks to frighten away wolves,
or, rather, by way of amulet.
paulinus, bishop of Nola, is general
ly considered the first person who in
troduccd bells into ecclesiastical serv-
ice about the year 400. Historians say
that in 610 the bishop of Orleans, being
at Seno, then in state of siege, fright
ened away the besieging army by ring
ing st. Stephens church bells, which is
clear proof that they were not at that
time generally known in France. The
first large bells are mentioned by
Bede in the year ESQ. Before that pc
Rod the early British Christians made
use of wooden rattles to call the con-
gregation of the faithful together.
Hand bells probably first appeared at
religious professions and were after
ward used by the seculars. The small
bells were not always held in the
hand They We're sometimes suspend
cd upon a stake and struck with ham
merS
The arrival of kings and great per-
sonages was anciently greeted by ring
ing the church bells. Inguiohus. abbot
of Croyland, who died about 100,
speaks of them as being we'll known in
his time and says that 1.-The first abbot
of Croyland gave six bells to that mon
astcry-that is to say, two great ones,
which he named Bartholomew and Bel
adine; two of medium size, called
Turketulium and Bettrine; two small
ones, dcnominated Pega and Bega. He
also caused the great bell to be made
called Gudla, which was tuned TO the
other bell and produced an admirable
harmony not to be equaled In Eng
land"
The bells used in the monasteries
were sometimes rung with ropes hay-
ing brass or silver rings at the ends
for the hand. They We're anciently
rung by the priests themselves, after
ward by the servants and sometimes
by 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-
it and pray God for the living and the
dead; second, that they produce devo-
ton in the hearts of the faithful. The
dislike of evil spirits to bells is we'll
expressed by Wynken de WOrde in the
Golden Legend" The passing bell was
anciently rung for two good purposes,
one to bespeak the prayers Of all good
Christian people for soul just depart
ing and the other to drive away the
evil spirits who stood at the foot of the
bed or about the house. Such was the
general opinion respecting the efficacy
of bells before the reformation, but
since that period lit has been the usual
course in the Church of England that
when any sick person lay dying
bell should toll to give notice to the
neighbors that they might pray for the
dying party, which was commonly
called a passing bell, because the sick
person was passing hence to another
world. and when his breath was eX-
pired the bell rung out that the neigh
bors might cease til cir prayers, for that
the party was 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 it or of the church to
which it belonged, but because it was
always rung out when the priest came
to that part of the service, 'Sanctus,
Sanctus, Sanctus, Domino Deus Sab
baoth," purposely that those persons
who could not come to church might
know IN what 4 solemn office the con-
gregation were at that instant engag-
ed and 50, even in their absence. be
once, at least, moved to lift up their
hearts to him who made them. Bells
Mt one time were thought an effectual
charm against lightning. The frequent
firing of abbey churches by lightning
confutcd the proud motto commonly
written on their bells in the steeples,
wherein each entitled itself to six
fold etticacy-viZ:
Mems death l tell by doleful knell;
Lightning and thunder l break asunder;
On Sabbath all to church l call;
The sleepy head l raise from bed;
The winds 30 fierce l doSt dispense;
Mems cruel rage l do assuage.
1t has anciently been reported, OBJ
served Lord Bacon, and Is still re-
ceived that extreme applause and
shouting of people assembled in multi
tudes have so rarefied and broken the
air that birds flying over have fallen
down, the air not being able to sup
port them, and it is believed by some
that great ringing OF bells in popu-
lous cities has chased away thunder
and also dissipated pcstilent air.-New
York Herald