Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-06-14
BELLS In CHURCHES.
FIRST USED BY PAuLlNus, BISHOP
OF NoLA, ABOUT 400.

~ 'sOe'Ns 'No0Ot WV
The Early British Christians Vxc,l
Wooden ltattlcs to Call the People
Together For Worship Dclls aud
Thunder nTd lightning,
Church bells are of ancient origin.
The nncicnts had bells for both sacred
and profanc 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
bathing was made known III anclcnt
Rome by the sound of II bell. The
night watchman carried one. and it
served to CAL up the servants, IN great
houses. Sheep had them tied about
their nccks to tlightcn away wolves,
or, rather by way of amulet.
Paulinus bishop of Nola, i, general
ly considered tho first person who in
troduced bells into ecclesiastical sery-
ice about the year 100. Historians: say
that in Gl0 the bishop of Orleans, being
at Scno. then in II state of siege fright
ing ST. Stephens church bells. which is
Il clear proof that they were not ut that
time generally known in France. The
first large bells are mentioned by
Bcdc in the year $50. Before that pc
riod the early British Christians made
~.
grcgation of the faithful together
Hand bells probably first appeared ut
religious professions and were after
ward used by the scculars The small!
bells were not always held in the
hand. They We're sometimes suspend
cd upon Il stake and struck with ham
mcrs.
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 II medium size. called
Turkctulium and Bettrine; two small
ones, dcnominatcd Icga and Bcga. lie
called Gutlla, which was tuned to the
other bell and produced an admirable
harmony not to he cqualed in Eng
land.'
The bells used in the monastcries
were sometimes rung with ropes hlv-
ing brass or silver rings mt the ends
for the hand. They were ancienuy
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 mcI
1T and pray God for the ivn. and tha
de.if; second, that they produce devo
tiol in the hearts Of the faithful. The
dislike of evil spirits to bell; is we'll
expressed by Wynken de Wo:ie in the
Golden Legend" The passing bell was
ancicntly rung for two good purposes
one TO bcspc,li the prayers of all GOOD
Christian people for Il 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 "it has b.r.i the usual
course 81 the Church of E.l:sland thai
when amy sick person lay dyn.s a
h,tl ..I,p t,l1 In. ,ri,. iit.n t, tlif.
ncigLbors that they might pray for the
dying party, Wish WAS commonly
called a passing bell. because the sick
person was passing hence TO another
world. and when his breath WAS ex-
pircd the bell lllng out that the nci"li-
bors might cease their prayers, for that
the party was dead" 1t is now only
to!Ied after death.
Tic saints bell was not so called
from the name of the saint that was
inscribed OH it or of the church to
which it belonged, but because it was
always rung out when the priest came
to that part q, the service, "Sanctus,
sanctus, Sans. Domino Deus Sab
baoth," purposcly that those persons
WHO co'''5' ''a' 'oi'.e 10 'm"fcn h''s'n
N''o" ~ "'''' +" so.,''' once 'ne WI
s,'s'''o'' WIRE az '''.,e m instant .''s"p
~ "'''' 80 e'ei' ~ .i'e'' ... .,p'e''s, ~.
once, at least, moved to lift up their
hearts To him who made them. Bells
at one 'lihe were thought ah ciieclual
charm against lightning, The frequent
'lrIlig OF abbey citlrciies by lghthlhS