# bell, book and candle everything; the totality of resources. This expression comes from the excommunication ceremony of the Roman Catholic Church. After pronouncing sentence, the officiating cleric closes his book, quenches the candle by throwing it to the ground and tolls the bell as for one who has died. The book symbolizes the book of life, the candle that the soul is removed from the sight of God as the candle from the sight of man.