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INTRODUCTORY NOTE
The treatise "Of the Imitation of Christ" appears to have been
originally written in Latin early in the fifteenth century. Its
exact date and its authorship are still a matter of debate.
Manuscripts of the Latin version survive in considerable numbers
all over Western Europe, and they, with the vast list of
translations and of printed editions, testify to its almost
unparalleled popularity. One scribe attributes it to St. Bernard
of Clairvaux; but the fact that it contains a quotation from St.
Francis of Assisi, who was born thirty years after the death of
St. Bernard, disposes of this theory. In England there exist
many manuscripts of the first three books, called "Musica
Ecclesiastica," frequently ascribed to the English mystic Walter
Hilton. But Hilton seems to have died in 1395, and there is no
evidence of the existence of the work before 1400. Many
manuscripts scattered throughout Europe ascribe the book to Jean
le Charlier de Gerson, the great Chancellor of the University of
Paris, who was a leading figure in the Church in the earlier
part of the fifteenth century. The most probable author,
however, especially when the internal evidence is considered, is
Thomas Haemmerlein, known also as Thomas a Kempis, from his
native town of Kempen, near the Rhine, about forty miles north of
Cologne. Haemmerlein, who was born in 1379 or 1380, was a member
of the order of the Brothers of Common Life, and spent the last
seventy years of his life at Mount St. Agnes, a monastery of
Augustinian canons in the diocese of Utrecht. Here he died on
July 26, 1471, after an uneventful life spent in copying
manuscripts, reading, and composing, and in the peaceful routine
of monastic piety.
With the exception of the Bible, no Christian writing has had
so wide a vogue or so sustained a popularity as this. And yet,
in one sense, it is hardly an original work at all. Its
structure it owes largely to the writings of the medieval
mystics, and its ideas and phrases are a mosaic from the Bible
and the Fathers of the early Church. But these elements are
interwoven with such delicate skill and a religious feeling at
once so ardent and so sound, that it promises to remain, what it
has been for five hundred years, the supreme call and guide to
spiritual aspiration.
Book
One - Admonitions Profitable For The Spiritual Life
1 Of the imitation
of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all its vanities
2 Of thinking humbly of oneself
3 Of the knowledge of truth
4 Of prudence in action
5 Of the reading of Holy Scriptures
6 Of inordinate affections
7 Of fleeing from vain hope and pride
8 Of the danger of too much familiarity
9 Of obedience and subjection
10 Of the danger of superfluity of
words
11 Of seeking peace of mind and of
spiritual progress
12 Of the uses of adversity
13 Of resisting temptation
14 On avoiding rash judgment
15 Of works of charity
16 Of bearing with the faults of others
17 Of a religious life
18 Of the example of the Holy Fathers
19 Of the exercises of a religious
man
20 Of the love of solitude and silence
21 Of compunction of heart
22 On the contemplation of human misery
23 Of meditation upon death
24 Of the judgment and punishment
of the wicked
25 Of the zealous amendment of our
whole life
Book
Two - Admonitions Concerning The Inner Life
1 Of the inward
life
2 Of lowly submission
3 Of the good, peaceable man
4 Of a pure mind and simple intention
5 Of self-esteem
6 Of the joy of a good conscience
7 Of loving Jesus above all things
8 Of the intimate love of Jesus
9 Of the lack of all comfort
10 Of gratitude for the Grace of
God
11 Of the fewness of those who love
the Cross of Jesus
12 Of the royal way of the Holy
Cross
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Book
Three - On Inward Consolation
1 Of the inward
voice of Christ to the faithful soul
2 What the truth saith inwardly without
noise of words
3 How all the words of God are to be
heard with humility, and how many consider them not
4 How we must walk in truth and humility
before God
5 Of the wonderful power of the Divine
Love
6 Of the proving of the true lover
7 Of hiding our grace under the guard
of humility
8 Of a low estimation of self in the
sight of God
9 That all things are to be referred
to God, as the final end
10 That it is sweet to despise the
world and to serve God
11 That the desires of the heart are
to be examined and governed
12 Of the inward growth of patience,
and of the struggle against evil desires
13 Of the obedience of one in lowly
subjection after the example of Jesus Christ
14 Of meditation upon the hidden judgments
of God, that we may not be lifted up because of our well-doing
15 How we must stand and speak, in
everything that we desire
16 That true solace is to be sought
in God alone
17 That all care is to be cast upon
God
18 That temporal miseries are to be
borne patiently after the example of Christ
19 Of bearing injuries, and who shall
be approved as truly patient
20 Of confession of our infirmity
and of the miseries of this life
21 That we must rest in God above
all goods and gifts
22 Of the recollection of God's manifold
benefits
23 Of four things which bring great
peace
24 Of avoiding of curious inquiry
into the life of another
25 Wherein firm peace of heart and
true profit consist
26 Of the exaltation of a free spirit,
which humble prayer more deserveth than doth frequent reading
27 That personal love greatly hindereth
from the highest good
28 Against the tongues of detractors
29 How when tribulation cometh we
must call upon and bless God
30 Of seeking divine help, and the
confidence of obtaining grace
31 Of the neglect of every creature,
that the Creator may be found
32 Of self-denial and the casting
away all selfishness
33 Of instability of the heart, and
of directing the aim towards God
34 That to him who loveth God is sweet
above all things and in all things
35 That there is no security against
temptation in this life
36 Against vain judgments of men
37 Of pure and entire resignation
of self, for the obtaining liberty of heart
38 Of a good government in external
things, and of having recourse to God in dangers
39 That man must not be immersed in
business
40 That man hath no good in himself,
and nothing whereof to glory
41 Of contempt of all temporal honour
42 That our peace is not to be placed
in men
43 Against vain and worldly knowledge
44 Of not troubling ourselves about
outward things
45 That we must not believe everyone,
and that we are prone to fall in our words
46 Of having confidence in God when
evil words are cast at us
47 That all troubles are to be endured
for the sake of eternal life
48 Of the day of eternity and of the
straitnesses of this life
49 Of the desire after eternal life,
and how great blessings are promised to those who strive
50 How a desolate man ought to commit
himself into the hands of God
51 That we must give ourselves to
humble works when we are unequal to those that are lofty
52 That a man ought not to reckon
himself worthy of consolation, but more worthy of chastisement
53 That the Grace of God doth not
join itself to those who mind earthly things
54 Of the diverse motions of Nature
and of Grace
55 Of the corruption of Nature and
the efficacy of Divine Grace
56 That we ought to deny ourselves,
and to imitate Christ by means of the Cross
57 That a man must not be too much
cast down when he falleth into some faults
58 Of deeper matters, and God's hidden
judgments which are not to be inquired into
59 That all hope and trust is to be
fixed in God alone
Book
Four - Of The Sacrament Of The Altar
1 With how great reverence Christ must
be received
2 That the greatness and charity of
God is shown to men in the Sacrament
3 That it is profitable to Communicate
often
4 That many good gifts are bestowed
upon those who Communicate devoutly
5 Of the dignity of this Sacrament,
and of the office of the priest
6 An inquiry concerning preparation
for Communion
7 Of the examination of conscience,
and purpose of amendment
8 Of the oblation of Christ upon the
cross, and of resignation of self
9 That we ought to offer ourselves
and all that is ours to God, and to pray for all
10 That Holy Communion is not lightly
to be omitted
11 That the Body and Blood of Christ
and the Holy Scriptures are most necessary to a faithful soul
12 That he who is about to Communicate
with Christ ought to prepare himself with great diligence
13 That the devout soul ought with
the whole heart to yearn after union with Christ in the Sacrament
14 Of the fervent desire of certain
devout persons to receive the Body and Blood of Christ
15 That the grace of devotion is
acquired by humility and self-denial
16 That we ought to lay open our
necessities to Christ and to require His Grace
17 Of fervent love and vehement desire
of receiving Christ
18 That a man should not be a curious
searcher of the Sacrament, but a humble imitator of Christ, submitting
his sense to holy faith
[
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The Imitation Of Christ (Translated by Rev. William Benham) " ] |
Translated by Rev. William Benham
Project Gutenberg Etext "Imitation of Christ",
by Thomas A Kempis
Project Gutenberg
P. O. Box 2782
Champaign, IL 61825
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