Three Catholic Reformers of the Fifteenth Century [St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Bernardino of Sienna, and St. John Capistrano] (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1878 edition. Excerpt: ...employment given to unworthy subjects, the division of friends, relations, comrades, parents, and children.'22 This is, as it were, the bare outline of the evils which the Saint further developes, but his words already quoted are sufficient to prove how much Italy needed an apostle. 11 Contra partialitatum insignia (Sermo xxvi. v. i. p. 115). 18 Dcpartialitatibus (Sermo xxv. vol. ii. p. 143). The second great evil which called for this energetic voice was gambling, or the passion for games of chance, and very probably this was one of the causes of the very prevalent usury of the day. It can easily be understood that the one engenders the other, as an unlawful mode of spending money will suggest all kinds of ways of making it. Bernardine compares gambling to a kind of rival Catholic Church of the powers of darkness. He supposes the devil to be calling together his satellites at the sound of the trumpet, and he puts these words into his mouth: 'I have learnt by your account that Christ our Adversary has established one Holy Church on earth for the salvation of souls. Now I have been thinking' of establishing a rival Church for the wicked in order to lose souls, and whatever He instituted in His Church unto good, I will disorganize it in mine unto evil. The gambling-houses, to be set up as near as possible to the true temples of God, are to be the rival attraction to the services of the Church, and they are to promote sensuality by providing savoury food, greediness being so often the first incentive to a life of vice.' The devil's wish, for in the first point the Saint speaks quaintly enough in his words, is to Bernardine on gambling. 117 succeed in getting a greater attendance in his 'profane churches' than our Lord gains in His. The gambling...