From the Benignitas, in Léon de Kerval’s 1904 edition, Sancti Antonii de Padua Vitæ Duæ, pp. 219-222, available at https://ia800205.us.archive.org/34/items/sanctiantoniide01kervgoog/sanctiantoniide01kervgoog.pdf
Notes:
- Assidua (1232): Bononillo converted in Rimini by argument alone. No mule.
- “Among these, there was a heretic by the name of Bononillo who was for thirty years seduced by error into disbelief. Through his servant Anthony, the Lord brought him back to the path of truth. Once he accepted to do penance, he devoutly obeyed the commandments of the Holy Roman Church until the end.”
- Life of St. Anthony, "Assidua", p. 13, https://archive.org/details/lifeofstanthonya0000unse_h0q0/page/13/mode/1up?q=mule
- Benignitas (14th c.): Mule miracle in Toulouse with an unnamed heretic. Explicitly distinguishes this from the Bononillo conversion.
- OCR'd and translated by Claude Opus 4.5 below, may have errors.
- Summum quoque studium viro Dei Antonio semper fuit illas nefarias et detestabiles omnino vulpeculas, quæ demoliuntur vineam Domini sabaoth, pestiferam scilicet hæreticorum progeniem et falsas eorum doctrinas pro viribus expugnare, funditus destruere atque radicitus exstirpare.
It was always the greatest concern of the man of God, Anthony, to fight with all his strength against those wicked and utterly detestable little foxes that destroy the vineyard of the Lord of hosts—namely, the pestilent offspring of heretics and their false doctrines—to destroy them utterly and root them out completely.
- Nonnullos etiam fabricatores hæresum, qui et hæresiarchæ vocantur, in publica disputatione, in Ariminio et Tolosa ac Mediolano, et vere manifeste convicit et errores eorum coram omnibus refutavit.
He also convicted several fabricators of heresies, who are called heresiarchs, in public disputation—in Rimini and Toulouse and Milan—and truly and openly refuted their errors before all.
- Adeo suffultus erat efficacibus scripturæ sacræ auctoritatibus, et evidentibus ac solidis rationibus communitus, quod quisquis nefandam hæresim sapiebat ante ipsum stare non audebat, nec os suum aperire ullatenus præsumebat, ut digne verbum illud dominicum in eo verificaretur discipulis repromissum: Ego dabo vobis os et sapientiam cui non poterunt resistere nec contradicere omnes adversarii veritatis.
He was so supported by the effective authorities of sacred scripture, and so fortified by clear and solid reasoning, that whoever savored wicked heresy did not dare to stand before him, nor presume to open his mouth at all—so that the Lord’s word promised to his disciples was worthily fulfilled in him: “I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all adversaries of the truth will not be able to resist or contradict.”
- Illustratus quippe superno Christi famulus jamdudum oraculo, vulpecularum hujusmodi adeo callide detegebat versutias, diabolicarum fictionum reserabat nequitias, sic vituperabat hæreses abominabiles et inauditas, quod, sicut ipsemet publice fatebatur, in toto longo latoque orbe terrarum non supererat quisquam qui eisdem tam crudelem tamque continuam persecutionis procellam pro illo tempore commoveret; ita quod vulgato ubique vocabulo hæreticorum indefessus malleus dicebatur.
Indeed, the servant of Christ, long illuminated by heavenly oracle, so cleverly exposed the tricks of such little foxes, revealed the wickedness of diabolical fictions, and so denounced abominable and unheard-of heresies, that—as he himself publicly confessed—in the whole long and wide world there remained no one who stirred up against them so cruel and so continuous a storm of persecution at that time; so that by a name spread everywhere he was called the “tireless hammer of heretics.”
- Quapropter nonnulli ex ipsis cum eorum fautoribus ad obedientiam et unitatem sanctæ ecclesiæ revertebantur. Quod ut evidenti miraculo pateat, præter illum quem in Ariminio convertit ad veram fidem, nomine Bonovillum, de quo in præcedenti legenda est tactum, de alio nunc referam hæresiarcha perfidissimo, qui, mediantibus sanctissimi viri meritis, a perfidia erutus fuit prodigio stupendo.
For this reason, many of them along with their supporters returned to the obedience and unity of holy church. That this may be evident from a clear miracle: besides him whom he converted in Rimini to the true faith, named Bonovillus, who was touched upon in the preceding legend, I shall now tell of another most faithless heresiarch, who, through the merits of this most holy man, was rescued from faithlessness by an astonishing wonder.
- In partibus Tolosanis, quum idem vir beatissimus adversus quemdam hæreticum perfidissimum de salutifero eucharistiæ sacramento acerrime disputasset ipsumque convictum pæne ad fidem catholicam attraxisset, adjecit iste, post multa et varia quæ nitebatur subterfugere argumenta:
In the region of Toulouse, when the same most blessed man had most fiercely disputed against a certain most faithless heretic concerning the salvific sacrament of the Eucharist, and had nearly drawn the convicted man to the Catholic faith, the latter added—after many and various arguments by which he was striving to escape:
- Dimittamus, inquit, verba et veniamus ad facta. Si tu, Antoni, per miraculum poteris adstruere quod in communicatione homini verum pateat corpus Christi, abjurata prorsus omni perfidia, cervices meas fidei catholicæ mox submittam.
“Let us leave words,” he said, “and come to deeds. If you, Anthony, can demonstrate by a miracle that in communion the true body of Christ is made manifest to man, I shall utterly abjure all faithlessness and soon submit my neck to the Catholic faith.”
- Cui famulus Domini cum fiducia magna respondit: Confido in salvatore meo Jesu Christo quod, pro tua et aliorum conversione, id quod postulas misericorditer impetrabo.
To whom the servant of the Lord responded with great confidence: “I trust in my savior Jesus Christ that, for your conversion and that of others, I shall mercifully obtain what you ask.”
- Surrexit proinde dictus hæreticus et, manu silentium indicens, ait: Ego animal unum recludam per triduum et famis inedia cruciabo. Post triduum vero educam illud in conspectu populi et paratas escas ostendam illi et tu stabis e contra cum tuo quod asseris esse corpus Christi. Si animal, relicto pabulo, festinaverit ad Deum suum adorandum, ecclesiasticæ fidei vere credam.
Then the said heretic rose and, signaling silence with his hand, said: “I shall shut up an animal for three days and torment it with the suffering of hunger. After three days I shall lead it out in the sight of the people and show it prepared food, and you shall stand opposite with what you claim to be the body of Christ. If the animal, leaving aside the fodder, shall hasten to adore its God, I shall truly believe in the faith of the church.”
- Cui fidelissimus pater assensit sine mora; et ait hæreticus: Audite, populi omnes.
To this the most faithful father assented without delay; and the heretic said: “Hear, all you peoples.”
- Quid multis morer? Venit dies ad hoc præfixa. Fit undique concursus populi in platea latissima. Servus Christi Antonius adest, turba fidelium vallatus permaxima; adstat hæreticus cum suorum complicium caterva nequissima.
Why should I delay with many words? The day appointed for this arrived. From all sides there was a gathering of people in a very broad square. The servant of Christ, Anthony, was there, surrounded by a very great crowd of the faithful; the heretic stood by with a most wicked band of his accomplices.
- Dei famulus, paratus ad celebrandum in capella secus posita, cum magna devotione introivit ad missæ solemnia.
The servant of God, prepared to celebrate in a chapel situated nearby, entered with great devotion to the solemnities of the Mass.
- Qua peracta, exiit ad præstolantem populum, cum summa reverentia deferens corpus dominicum. Educitur mulus famelicus de conclavi et escæ congruentes ostenduntur ei.
When this was completed, he went out to the waiting people, carrying the Lord’s body with the highest reverence. The starving mule was led out from its enclosure, and suitable food was shown to it.
- Denique, imperato silentio, vir Dei cum multa fiducia præcipit dicens eidem bruto: In virtute ac nomine creatoris tui, quem in manibus licet indignus veraciter teneo, tibi dico, o animal, et præcipio ut, confestim humiliter veniens, debitam sibi reverentiam exhibeas, quatenus ex hoc liquido noscat hæretica pravitas quod omnis creatura subjicitur factori suo, quem sacerdotalis dignitas contrectat in altari.
Finally, having commanded silence, the man of God with great confidence commanded, saying to the same brute beast: “In the power and name of your Creator, whom I, though unworthy, truly hold in my hands, I say to you, O animal, and I command you that, coming humbly at once, you show him the reverence owed to him—so that heretical wickedness may clearly know from this that every creature is subject to its maker, whom the priestly dignity handles at the altar.”
- Necdum Dei servus verba finierat quum ecce præfatum animal, dimisso pabulo capiteque usque ad poplices inclinato et demerso, accedens genuflexit coram Christi corporis vivifico sacramento.
The servant of God had not yet finished his words when behold, the aforesaid animal, leaving aside the fodder, and with its head inclined and lowered all the way to its knees, approached and genuflected before the life-giving sacrament of Christ’s body.
- Fit ex hoc gaudium inestimabile catholicis et fidelibus, tristitia et confusio hæreticis atque non credentibus. Deus inde benedicitur et laudatur; fides catholica extollitur et honoratur; hæretica pravitas confunditur et exprobratur opprobrio sempiterno.
From this there arose inestimable joy for Catholics and the faithful, sadness and confusion for heretics and unbelievers. God is therefore blessed and praised; the Catholic faith is exalted and honored; heretical wickedness is confounded and reproached with everlasting disgrace.
- Memoratus autem hæreticus, coram omnibus abjurata hæresi, sanctæ ecclesiæ mandatis legaliter obedivit.
The aforementioned heretic, having abjured his heresy before all, lawfully obeyed the commands of holy church.