Ladder of Perfection - Contents

• THE SCALE (or LADDER) of PERFECTION
  • Written by WALTER HILTON
    • With an Essay on The Spiritual Life of Mediaeval England by the Rev. J. B. DALGAIRNS, Priest of the Oratory
  • Publishers' Note
  • CONTENTS
  • AN ESSAY on the Spiritual Life of Mediaeval England
  • BOOK I
    • PART I
      • CHAPTER I: That the inward State of the Soul should be like the outward
      • CHAPTER II: Of the Active Life, and the Exercises and the Works thereof
      • CHAPTER III: Of the Contemplative Life, and the Exercises and Works thereof
      • CHAPTER IV: Of three Sorts that be of Contemplation and of the First of them
      • CHAPTER V: Of the Second Sort of Contemplation
      • CHAPTER VI: Of the Lower Degree of the Second Sort of Contemplation
      • CHAPTER VII: Of the Higher Degree of the Second Sort of Contemplation
      • CHAPTER VIII: Of the Third Sort of Contemplation
      • CHAPTER IX: Of the Difference that is betwixt the Second and Third Sort of Contemplation
      • CHAPTER X: How that Appearings or Shewings to the Corporal Senses or Feelings may be both good and evil
      • CHAPTER XI: How thou shalt know whether the Showing or Apparition to the bodily Senses and Feelings be good or evil
      • CHAPTER XII: How and in what things a Contemplative Man should be busied
      • CHAPTER XIII: How Virtue beginneth in Reason and Will and is perfected in Love and Liking, or Affection
      • CHAPTER XIV: Of the Means that bring a Soul to Contemplation
      • CHAPTER XV
        • SECTION I: What a Man should use and refuse by the Virtue of Humility
        • SECTION II: How Hypocrites and Heretics, for want of Humility, exalt themselves in their Hearts above others
      • CHAPTER XVI: Of a firm Faith necessary thereto, and what things we ought to believe thereby
      • CHAPTER XV: Of a firm and resolute Intent and Purpose necessary hereto
      • CHAPTER XVIII: A brief Rehearsal of what hath been said, and of an Offering made of them altogether to Jesus
    • PART II
      • CHAPTER I
        • SECTION I: Of Prayers and the several Sorts thereof
        • SECTION II: How they should do that are troubled with vain Thoughts in their Prayers
      • CHAPTER II
        • SECTION I: Of Meditation
        • SECTION II: Of divers Temptations of the Enemy, and the Remedies against them
      • CHAPTER III: That a Man should know the measure of his Gift, that he may desire and take a better when God giveth it
    • PART III
      • CHAPTER I: Of the Knowledge of a Man's Soul and the Powers thereof necessary to Contemplation
      • CHAPTER II: Of the Worthiness and Excellency of the Soul and how it was lost
      • CHAPTER III
        • SECTION I: That a Man should be industrious to recover again his ancient Dignity and reform within him the Image of the Trinity, and how it may be done
        • SECTION II: That this Dignity and Image is restored by Jesus, and how He is to be desired, sought and found
      • CHAPTER IV
        • SECTION I: Of the Ground and Image of Sin in us, which is first to be found out and laboured against, and how it is to be done
        • SECTION II: What the said Image of sin is, properly, and what cometh out of it
      • CHAPTER V
        • SECTION I: Of the Seven Deadly Sins, and first of Pride, what it is, and when it is a deadly Sin and when but venial
        • SECTION II: How Pride in Heretics and in Hypocrites is deadly sin
        • SECTION III: A short Exhortation to Humility and Charity, with a Conclusion how a Man may know how much Pride he hath in him
      • CHAPTER VI
        • SECTION I: Of Envy and Wrath and their Branches, and how, instead of sin, the Person is often hated
        • SECTION II: That it is a Mastery and noble Skill to love Men's Persons, and yet wisely to hate their sins, and how
        • SECTION III: How a Man shall know how much Wrath and Envy is hid in the ground of his Heart, and how he may know whether he loves his Enemies, and the Examples we have thereof in our Saviour
      • CHAPTER VII: Of Covetousness and how a Man may know how much of it is hid in his Heart
      • CHAPTER VIII
        • SECTION I Of Gluttony and how a Man shall know when he sinneth not in Eating and Drinking, and when he sinneth venially, and when deadly
        • SECTION II: That a Man should be busy to put away and hinder all Motions of sin, but more busy about those of Spiritual sins than those of Bodily
        • SECTION III: What Remedy a Man should use against the Faults in Eating and Drinking
      • CHAPTER IX: Of the Five Windows of this dark Image, and what cometh in by them, and how they are to be ordered
      • CHAPTER X: Of another Hole or Window that is to be stopped as well as the Windows of the Senses, namely, the Imagination
      • CHAPTER XI: A Brief Rehearsal of what hath been said in the former Chapters, with a Portraiture of this dark Image of sin
      • CHAPTER XII: A comparing of this Image with the Image of Jesus, and how it is to be dealt with
      • CHAPTER XIII: How a Man shall be shapen to the Image of Jesus, and Jesus shapen in him
      • CHAPTER XIV: The Conclusion of this Book, and of the Cause why it was made, and how she for whom it was made was to make use of it
  • THE SECOND BOOK
    • PART I
      • CHAPTER I
        • SECTION I: That a Man is the Image of God after the Soul and not after the Body; and how he is restored and reformed thereto that was misshapen by Sin
        • SECTION II: That Jews and Pagans and also false Christians are not reformed effectually through the virtue of the Passion through their own Faults
      • CHAPTER II: Of two Manners of reforming of this Image, one in fulness, another in part
      • CHAPTER III: That Reforming in part is in two manners, one in Faith, another in Feeling
      • CHAPTER IV: That through the Sacrament of Baptism (which is grounded in the Passion of Christ) this Image is reformed from Original Sin
      • CHAPTER V: That through the Sacrament of Penance (that consisteth in Contrition, Confession and Satisfaction) this Image is reformed from Actual Sin
      • CHAPTER VI: That we are to believe stedfastly the reforming of this Image, if our Conscience witness to us a full forsaking of Sin, and a true turning of our Will to good living
      • CHAPTER VII: That all the Souls that live humbly in the Faith of Holy Church, and have their Faith enlivened with Love and Charity, be reformed by this Sacrament, though it be so that they cannot feel the special gift of Devotion or of spiritual feeling
      • CHAPTER VIII: That Souls reformed need ever to fight and strive against the Motions of sin while they live here. And how a Soul may know when she assenteth to these Motions and when not
      • CHAPTER IX: That this Image is both fair and foul whilst it is in this Life here, though it be reformed; and of the Differences of the secret Feelings of those that be reformed and those that be not
      • CHAPTER X: Of three sorts of Men, whereof some be not reformed, and some be reformed only in Faith, and some both in Faith and Feeling
      • CHAPTER XI: How Men that abide and live in Sin, misshape themselves into the likeness of divers Beasts, and they be called the Lovers of the World
      • CHAPTER XII
        • SECTION I: How Lovers of this World in divers ways disenable themselves from becoming reformed in their Souls
        • SECTION II: A little Counsel how Lovers of this World should do, if they will be reformed in their Souls before their departure hence
    • PART II
      • CHAPTER I: OF REFORMING IN FAITH AND FEELING ALSO: That this Reforming cannot be suddenly gotten, but in length of Time, by Grace, and much Spiritual and Corporal Industry
      • CHAPTER II
        • SECTION I: The Causes why so few Souls in comparison of the Multitude of others, come to this Reforming that is both in Faith and Feeling
        • SECTION II: How that without great Corporal and Spiritual Industry, and without much Grace and Humility, Souls cannot come to reforming in Feeling nor keep themselves therein after they come thereto
      • CHAPTER III: An Entry or good Beginning of a Spiritual Journey, showing how a Soul should behave herself in intending and working that will come to this Reforming, by example of a Pilgrim going to Jerusalem
      • CHAPTER IV: Of certain Temptations and Lettings which Souls feel from their Spiritual Enemies, in their Spiritual knowing and going towards Jerusalem, and the Remedies against them
      • CHAPTER V: Of an evil Day and a good Night, and what they mean, and how the Love of the World is likened to an evil Day, and the love of God to a good Night
      • CHAPTER VI: How that the Desire of Jesus felt in this lightsome Darkness slayeth all Motions of Sin, and enableth the Soul to perceive spiritual Lightnings from the heavenly Jerusalem, that is, Jesus
      • CHAPTER VII: How a Man shall know false Illuminations that are feigned by the Enemy, from the true Light of knowing that cometh out of Jesus, and by what tokens
      • CHAPTER VIII: How great profit it is to the Soul to be brought through Grace into lightsome Darkness, and how a Man shall dispose himself if he will come thereto
      • CHAPTER IX: That the Working of our Lord Jesus in the Reforming of a Soul, is divided into four times, which are: Calling, Justifying, Magnifying and Glorifying
      • CHAPTER X: How it falleth out sometimes that Souls that are but beginning or profiting in Grace seem to have more Love, as to outward tokens thereof, than some have that be perfect, and yet it is not really so in their Interior
      • CHAPTER XI: After what manner a Man shall come to know his own Soul, and how a Man should set his Love in Jesus, God and Man in one Person
    • PART III
      • CHAPTER I: In what Sense this Manner of Speaking of Reforming of a Soul in Feeling is to be understood; and in what Manner it is reformed, and how it is found in St Paul's Writings
      • CHAPTER II: How God openeth the inward Eye of the Soul to see Him, not all at once, but by divers times, and of three Manners of reforming of a Soul explained by a familiar Example
      • CHAPTER III: How Jesus is Heaven to the Soul, and why He is called Fire
      • CHAPTER IV: Of two manner of Loves, created and uncreated, and how we are bound to love Jesus much for our Creation; but more for our Redemption; and most of all for our Salvation, through the gifts of His Love
      • CHAPTER V: How that some Souls love Jesus by bodily Fervours, and by their own human Affections that are moved by Grace and by Reason. And how some love Him more quietly by spiritual Affections only moved inwardly through spiritual Grace of the Holy Ghost
      • CHAPTER VII: How Love through gracious Beholding of Jesus slayeth all stirrings of Pride; and maketh the Soul to lose the savour and delight in all earthly Honours
      • CHAPTER VIII: How Love slayeth all stirrings of Wrath and Envy easily; and reformeth in the Soul the virtues of Peace and Patience, and of perfect Charity to his Neighbour, as He did specially in the Apostles
      • CHAPTER IX: How Love slayeth Covetousness, Lechery and Gluttony, and the fleshly delight and savour in all the five Bodily Senses, softly and easily, through a gracious beholding of Jesus
      • CHAPTER X: What virtues and Graces a Soul receiveth through opening of the inner eye into the gracious Beholding of Jesus, and how it cannot be gotten only by Man's Labour, but through special Grace and his own Labour also
      • CHAPTER XIII: How a Soul through the opening of the spiritual Eye receiveth a gracious Love enabling to understand the Holy Scriptures, and how Jesus, that is hid in the Holy Scriptures, showeth Himself to His Lovers
      • CHAPTER XIV: Of the secret Voice of Jesus sounding in a Soul, and how it may be known. And how all the gracious Illuminations made in a Soul be called the Speakings of Jesus
      • CHAPTER XV
        • SECTION I: How through gracious Opening of the Spiritual Eye a Soul is made Wise, humbly and truly to see the Diversities of Degrees in Holy Church, as Militant, and for to see the nature of Angels; and first of the Reprobate
        • SECTION II: How by the same light of Grace the Nature of the blessed Angels is seen. And how Jesus is God and Man above all Creatures, according to that which the Soul may see of Him here