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| I. (1) The Imitation of Christ as Literature. |
xvii |
| II. (2) The Life of Thomas a Kempis. |
xxvii |
| III. (3) The Brothers of the Common Life. |
xxxix |
| IV. (4) The Sources of “The Imitation of Christ”. |
xliv |
| V. (5) Theories of Authorship. |
lii |
| THE IMITATION OF CHRIST. THE FIRST BOOK. |
| ADMONITIONS USEFUL FOR A SPIRITUAL LIFE. |
| I. (1) Of the imitation of Christ, and contempt of all worldly vanities. |
1 |
| II. (2) Of having a humble opinion of ourselves. |
3 |
| III. (3) Of the doctrine of truth. |
5 |
| IV. (4) Of wisdom and forethought in our actions. |
9 |
| V. (5) Of reading the Holy Scriptures. |
11 |
| VI. (6) Of inordinate affections. |
12 |
| VII. (7) Of avoiding vain hope and pride. |
13 |
| VIII. (8) That too much familiarity is to be shunned. |
14 |
| IX. (9) Of obedience and subjection. |
15 |
| X. (10) Of avoiding many words. |
17 |
| XI. (11) Of acquiring peace and of zeal for growth in holiness. |
18 |
| XII. (12) Of the profit of adversity. |
21 |
| XIII. (13) Of resisting temptation. |
22 |
| XIV. (14) Of avoiding rash judgment. |
26 |
| XV. (15) Of works of charity. |
28 |
| XVI. (16) Of bearing with the faults of others. |
29 |
| XVII. (17) Of life in a religious community. |
31 |
| XVIII. (18) Of the examples of the holy fathers. |
33 |
| XIX. (19) Of the exercises of a good religious. |
36 |
| XX. (20) Of the love of solitude and silence. |
40 |
| XXI. (21) Of compunction of heart. |
45 |
| XXII. (22) Of the consideration of human misery. |
48 |
| XXIII. (23) Of meditation on death. |
53 |
| XXIV. (24) Of judgment and the punishment of sinners. |
58 |
| XXV. (25) Of the zealous amendment of our whole life. |
63 |
| THE SECOND BOOK. |
| ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE INTERIOR LIFE. |
| I. (1) Of the interior life. |
70 |
| II. (2) Of humble submission. |
75 |
| III. (3) Of a good and peaceable man. |
76 |
| IV. (4) Of a pure mind and a simple intention. |
79 |
| V. (5) Of the consideration of one’s self. |
80 |
| VI. (6) Of the joy of a good conscience. |
83 |
| VII. (7) Of the love of Jesus above all things. |
85 |
| VIII. (8) Of familiar friendship with Jesus. |
87 |
| IX. (9) Of the lack of all comfort. |
91 |
| X. (10) Of gratitude for the grace of God. |
95 |
| XI. (11) That the lovers of the cross of Jesus are few. |
99 |
| XII. (12) Of the royal road of the holy cross. |
102 |
| THE THIRD BOOK. |
CONCERNING THE HOLY COMMUNION.
A DETOUT EXHORTATION TO THE HOLY COMMUNION. |
| I. (1) With how great reverence Christ ought to be received. |
112 |
| II. (2) That the great goodness and love of God is shown to man in this sacrament. |
120 |
| III. (3) That it is profitable to communicate often. |
124 |
| IV. (4) That many benefits are bestowed upon those that communicate devoutly. |
128 |
| V. (5) Of the dignity of this sacrament, and of the priestly state. |
132 |
| VI. (6) A petition concerning the exercises before communion. |
135 |
| VII. (7) Of the examination of conscience, and of a resolution of amendment. |
136 |
| VIII. (8) Of the oblation of Christ on the cross, and of self-resignation. |
368 |
| IX. (9) That we ought to offer ourselves and all that is ours to God and pray for all. |
141 |
| X. (10) That holy communion is not lightly to be postponed. |
144 |
| XI. (11) That the body of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are most necessary to a faithful soul. |
149 |
| XII. (12) That lie who is about to communicate ought to prepare himself for Christ with great diligence. |
154 |
| XIII. (13) That the devout soul ought fervently to seek union with Christ in this sacrament. |
157 |
| XIV. (14) Of the fervent desire of some devout persons to receive the body of Christ. |
160 |
| XV. (15) That the grace of devotion is obtained by humility and self-denial. |
162 |
| XVI. (16) That we ought to lay open our necessities to Christ and crave His grace. |
165 |
| XVII. (17) Of fervent love and vehement desire to receive Christ. |
167 |
| XVIII. (18) That a man be not a curious searcher into this sacrament, but a humble follower of Christ, submitting senses to faith. |
170 |
| THE FOURTH BOOK. |
| OF INTERIOR CONSOLATION. |
| I. (1) Of the interior speech of Christ to the faithful soul. |
174 |
| II. (2) That the truth speaketh within us without noise of words. |
176 |
| III. (3) That the words of God are to be heard with humility, and that many weigh them not. |
178 |
| IV. (4) That we ought to walk in truth and humility before God. |
182 |
| V. (5) Of the wonderful effects of divine love. |
185 |
| VI. (6) Of the proof of a true lover. |
189 |
| VII. (7) That grace is to be guarded by humility. |
193 |
| VIII. (8) Of a lowly opinion of ourselves in the sight of God. |
197 |
| IX. (9) That all things are to be referred to God, as to their last end. |
199 |
| X. (10) That to despise the world and serve God is sweet. |
201 |
| XI. (11) That the desires of the heart are to be examined and moderated. |
204 |
| XII. (12) Of learning to be patient and to strive against concupiscence. |
206 |
| XIII. (13) Of humble obedience after the example of Jesus Christ. |
209 |
| XIV. (14) Of considering the secret judgments of God lest we take pride in our good deeds. |
211 |
| XV. (15) In every thing which we desire, how we ought to feel, and what we ought to say. |
213 |
| XVI. (16) That true comfort is to be sought in God alone. |
216 |
| XVII. (17) That all our cares are to be rested on God. |
218 |
| XVIII. (18) That temporal sufferings must be borne patiently, after the example of Christ. |
220 |
| XIX. (19) Of the endurance of injuries, and the proof of true patience. |
222 |
| XX. (20) Of admitting our infirmities, and of the sufferings of this life. |
225 |
| XXI. (21) That we are to rest in (3-od above all his gifts and benefits. |
228 |
| XXII. (22) Of the remembrance of God’s manifold benefits. |
232 |
| XXIII. (23) Of four things that bring great interior peace. |
235 |
| XXIV. (24) Of avoiding curious inquiry into the lives of others. |
239 |
| XXV. (25) In what consist peace of heart and true spiritual progress. |
240 |
| XXVI. (26) Of the excellency of a free mind, which is sooner gained by humble prayer than by study. |
242 |
| XXVII. (27) That it is self-love which most withholdeth from the sovereign good. |
245 |
| XXVIII. (28) Against the tongues of detractors. |
247 |
| XXIX. (29) That we ought to call upon God and bless Him, when tribulation is upon us. |
249 |
| XXX. (30) Of asking the divine aid, and confidence in recovering grace. |
250 |
| XXXI. (31) Of ignoring of creatures, as a means of finding the Creator. |
254 |
| XXXII. (32) Of self-denial, and renunciation. |
257 |
| XXXIII. (33) Of inconstancy of heart, and of directing our final intention to God. |
259 |
| XXXIV. (34) That to him that loveth God is sweet above all things, and in all things. |
261 |
| XXXV. (35) That there is no security from temptation in this life. |
263 |
| XXXVI. (36) Against the vain judgments of men. |
266 |
| XXXVII. (37) Of pure and entire resignation to obtain freedom of heart. |
268 |
| XXXVIII. (38) Of good government of ourselves in outward things and of recourse to God in dangers. |
270 |
| XXXIX. (39) That a man should not be immersed in business. |
272 |
| XL. (40) That man hath no good in himself nor anything wherein to glory. |
273 |
| XLI. (41) Of the contempt of all temporal honor. |
276 |
| XLII. (42) That our peace is not to be placed on men. |
277 |
| XLIII. (43) Against vain and worldly learning. |
279 |
| XLIV. (44) Of not troubling ourselves with outward things. |
281 |
| XLV. (45) That credit is not to be given to men, for all are prone to offend in words. |
282 |
| XLVI. (46) Of putting our trust in God when evil words arise. |
286 |
| XLVII. (47) That all grievous things are to be endured for the sake of everlasting life. |
289 |
| XLVIII. (48) Of the day of eternity, and of the miseries of this life. |
292 |
| XLIX. (49) Of the desire of everlasting life, and what great rewards are promised to those that strive resolutely. |
296 |
| L. (50) How a desolate man ought to put himself in the hands of God. |
301 |
| LI. (51) That we must give ourselves to humble works when we are unequal to those that are lofty. |
306 |
| LII. (52) That a man ought not to account himself worthy of consolation but deserving of chastisement. |
308 |
| LIII. (53) That the grace of God is not given to the earthly minded. |
310 |
| LIV. (54) Of the different motions of nature and grace. |
313 |
| LV. (55) Of the corruption of nature and the efficacy of divine grace. |
318 |
| LVI. (56) That we ought to deny ourselves and imitate Christ crucified. |
322 |
| LVII. (57) That a man should not be too much dejected, even when he falleth into some defects. |
326 |
| LVIII. (58) That high matters and God’s secret judgments are not to be inquired into. |
328 |
| LIX. (59) That all our hope and confidence are to be fixed in God alone. |
335 |
| NOTES |
339 |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY |
351 |
