Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-06-27
BELLS IN CHURCHES.
FIRST USED eY PAUL'Nus, BISHOP
OF NoLA, ABOUT 400.

The EARLY British Christians Used
Wooden Rattlessto Call the People.
Together For worship Bells ana
:. Thunder and Lightning. 4
Church bells are of ancient origin.
The ancients 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
bathing was made known in ancient
Rome by the sound of a 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 brighten away wolves,
or, rather, by way of amulet.
Paulinus, bishop Of Nola, Is general
~ considered the first person who in
troduced bells into ecclesiastical serv-
Ice about the year 400. Historians say
that in 610 the bishop of Orleans, being
at Seno, then in a 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 $50. Before that Pc
riod the early British Christians made
use of wooden rattles to call the con-
gregation of the faithful together.
Hand bells probably first appeared at
religious professions and were after
ward used by the seculars. The small
bells were not always held in the
hand. They were. sometimes suspend
ed upon stake and struck with ham,
mers. so, \ ~ .;
The arrival of kings and great per-
sonages was anciently greeted by ring
ing the church bells. 1nguiohus, abbot
Of Croyland, who died about HOO,
speaks of them as being well known in
his time and says that "the first abbot
Of Croyland gave six bells to that mon
astery-that is to say, two great ones,
which he named Bartholomew and Bel
adine; two of a medium size, called
,Turketulium and Bettrine; two small
ones, denominated Pega and Bega. He
also caused the great bell to be made
called Gudla, which was tuned to the
other bell and produced an admirable
harmony not to- be equaled in Eng
land" %@s& ....$a.==. >&'-~: 6.
The bells used In the monasteries
were sometimes rung with ropes hav-
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 were blind. 80. \ 4.
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. devo7
ton in the hearts Of the faithful. The
dislike Of evil spirits to bells is well
expressed by Wynken de Wofde In the
Golden Legend The passing bell was
3anciently rung for two good purposes,
one to bespeak the prayers Of all good
Christian people for a soul just depart
{ ing and the other to drive away the
evil spirits who stood at the foot Of the
J. bed Or about the house. Such was the
general opinion respecting the efficacy
OF bells before the eformation, but
since that period ut has been the usual
course Ia the Church Of England that
when any. sick person lay dying .
bell should toll to give notice to the
ineighbors that they might pray for the
dying II party, which was commonly
called q passing bell, because the sick
person was passing hence to#another
world, and when his ! breath was ex--
.lPired the bell rnng out that the neigh
5|bors might cease their pray eral for that