ed to
each other in wonder and delight, and all said they had never heard such
a preacher in their lives.

Of course, the Superiors hurried off and told St. Francis all about it,
and you can imagine how delighted St. Francis was to hear he had such a
wonderful man among his Friars. It ended in St. Francis sending St.
Antony to do what many years ago he had longed to do--that is, preach to
the heretics who were teaching wrong things about the Christian Faith.

Still as humble as ever, St. Antony set out to tramp along the roads to
the places at which he was to preach. Through Italy he went, and then
France, and then Spain, and back to Italy, and on these journeys the
most wonderful things happened. Not only did God give him the power of
preaching such marvellous sermons that the people crowded in thousands
to hear him, but He gave him the power to do miracles, like He once gave
to His Apostles. As to the heretics, they simply couldn't stand up
against St. Antony, and thousands of them either had to stop their false
teaching and keep quiet, or else were converted and came over to St.
Antony's side. Because of this he got the name, "Hammer of Heretics."

But it wasn't only to the heretics he preached. The ordinary people used
to come in such crowds that there simply wasn't room in the churches for
them, and St. Antony had to preach out in the fields and plains. Rich
and poor used to come, clergy and ignorant peasants. The shopkeepers
used to shut up their shops. The people were so much moved by his
sermons that enemies forgave each other, men paid their debts, or
creditors forgave their debtors; wicked people gave up their sinful
life, and started trying to _do their best_ to become pleasing to God.

One day a band of twelve brigands who lived in the forest and robbed
passers-by heard about the famous preacher. So they disguised
themselves, and went to see if what was said of him was true. When he
began to preach he completely won their hearts, and they repented of
their sinful life. After the sermon they spoke to St. Antony, and
confessed what wicked men they had been. He told them they must never go
back to their robber life, and he said that those who gave it up would
go some day to heaven, but that if any went back to it they would have
miserable ends. And, sure enough, some who went back soon died horrible
deaths. St. Antony told them to try and do something to make up for
having been so wicked. One of them, he sai