The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-02-12
BELLS IN CHURCHES.
FIRST USED BY PAULlNUS, BISHOP
OF NOLA, ABOUT 400.
The Early British Christinns Uaed
Wooden Rattles to Call the People
Together For Worship - Bells and
Thunder and Lightning.

Together For Worship - Bells and
Thunder and Lightning.
Church bells are OF ancient origin.
The ancients had bells for both sacred
and profane purposes. Strobo says
that market time was announced by
their sound and Pnny that the tomb
of an ancient king OF Tuscany was
hung round with bells The hour OF
bathing was made known III ancient
Rome By the sound OF a bell The
night watchman carried one. and it
served to call up the servants IN great
houses Sheep had them tied about
their nechS 10 brighten away wolves,
or rather. by way of amulet
Paulinus. bishop Of \oIa. is general
ly considered the first person who in
troduced bells into ecclesiastical Serv-
ice about the year 100 Historians say
that in G10 the bishop OF Orleans. being
At Seno, then in 4 state of siege. fright
ened away the besieging army by ring
ing ST Stephens church bells which is
a clear proof that they were not at that
time generally known in France. The
first large bells are meNtiOn<d by
Bedc in the year CSC. Before that pc
riod the early British Christians made
use Of wooden rattles to call the ION
gregation OF the faithful together,
Hand bells probably first appeared at
religious professions and were after
ward used ny the secuiarS The small
bells We're not always held in the
hand. They We're sometimes suspend
ed 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. lnguiohus, abbot
OF Croyland, who died about 1l09,
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 medium size, called
Turketulium and Bettrine; two small
ones, denominated PeSa and Bcga. 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 ruug with ropes hav-
ing brass or silver rings at the ends
for the hand. They were anciently
rung by the priests themselves, after
ward by the servants and sometimes
by those incapable of other duties, as
persons who were 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 sit 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 their 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 q solemn office the con-
gregation were at that instant engag-
ed and so, even in their absence. be
once. at least, moved to lift up their
hearts to him who made them. Bells
at one time were thought an effectual
charm against lightning. The frequent
firing OF abbey churches by lightning
confuted the proud motto commonly
written on their bells in the steeples,
wherein each entitled itself to a six
fold efficacy-vE;
Mems death tell by oolefu knell:
lightning and thunder I break asunder;
On Sabbath all to church I call:
The sleepy head I raise from bed:
The winds SO 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 pestilent air.-New
York Herald