An Essay on the Spiritual Life of Mediaeval England
PART I
II. Of the Active Life, and the Exercises and the Works thereof
III. Of the Contemplative Life, and the Exercises and Works thereof
IV. Of three Sorts that be of Contemplation, and of the First of them
V. Of the Second Sort of Contemplation
VI. Of the Lower Degree of the Second Sort of Contemplation
VII. Of the Higher Degree of the Second Sort of Contemplation
VIII. Of the Third Sort of Contemplation
IX. Of the Difference that is betwixt the Second and Third Sort of Contemplation
X. How that Appearings or Shewings to the Corporal Senses or Feelings may be both good and evil
XI. How thou shalt know whether the Showing or Apparition to the bodily Senses and Feelings be good or evil
XII. How and in what things a Contemplative Man should be busied
XIII. How virtue beginneth in Reason and Will and is perfected in Love and Liking, or Affection
XIV. Of the Means that bring a Soul to Contemplation
XV. (i) What a Man should use and refuse by the virtue of Humility
(ii) How Hypocrites and Heretics, for want of Humility, exalt themselves in their Hearts above others
XVI. Of a firm Faith necessary thereto, and what things we ought to believe thereby
XVII. Of a firm and resolute Intent and Purpose necessary thereto
XVIII. A brief Rehearsal of what hath been said, and of an Offering made of them altogether to Jesus
I. (i) Of Prayer, and the several Sorts thereof
(ii) How they should do that are troubled with vain Thoughts in their Prayers
II. (i) Of Meditation
(ii) Of divers Temptations of the Enemy, and the Remedies against them
III. That a Man should know the measure of his Gift, that he may desire and take a better when God giveth it
I. Of the Knowledge of a Man's Soul, and the Powers thereof necessary to Contemplation
II. Of the Worthiness and Excellency of the Soul and how it was lost
III. (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
(ii) That this Dignity and Image is restored by Jesus, and how He is to be desired, sought and found
IV. (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
(ii) What the said Image of sin is, properly, and what cometh out of it
V. (i) Of the Seven Deadly sins, and first of Pride, what it is, and when it is a deadly sin and when but venial
(ii) How Pride in Heretics and in Hypocrites is deadly sin
(iii) A short Exhortation to Humility and Charity, with a Conclusion how a Man may know how much Pride he hath in him
VI. (i) Of Envy and Wrath and their Branches, and how, instead of sin, the Person is often hated
(ii) That it is a Mastery and noble Skill to love Men's Persons, and yet wisely to hate their sins, and how
(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
VII. Of Covetousness, and how a Man may know how much of it is hid in his Heart
VIII. (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
(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
(iii) What Remedy a Man should use against the Faults in Eating and Drinking
IX. Of the Five Windows of this dark Image, and what cometh in by them, and how they are to be ordered
X. Of another Hole or Window that is to be stopped as well as the Windows of the Senses, viz., the Imagination
XI. A Brief Rehearsal of what hath been said in the former Chapters, with a Portraiture of this dark Image of sin
XII. A comparing of this Image with the Image of Jesus, and how it is to be dealt with
XIII. How a Man shall be shapen to the Image of Jesus, and Jesus shapen in him
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
PART I
(ii) That Jews and Pagans and also false Christians are not reformed effectually through the virtue of the Passion through their own Faults
II. Of two Manners of Reforming of this Image, one in fulness, another in part
III. That Reforming in part is in two manners, one in Faith, another in Feeling
IV. That through the Sacrament of Baptism (which is grounded in the Passion of Christ) this Image is reformed from Original sin
V. That through the Sacrament of Penance (that consisteth in Contrition, Confession and Satisfaction) this Image is reformed from Actual sin
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
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
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
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
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
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
XII. (i) How Lovers of this World in divers ways disenable themselves from becoming reformed in their Souls
(ii) A little Counsel how Lovers of this World should do, if they will be reformed in their Souls before their departure hence
Of Reforming in Faith and Feeling also
II. (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
(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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
III. How Jesus is Heaven to the Soul, and why He is called Fire
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
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
VI. That the Gift of Love, amongst all other Gifts of Jesus, is most worthy and most profitable. And how Jesus doth all that is well done in His lovers, only for Love. And how Love maketh the exercise of all Virtues and all good Deeds light and easy
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
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
IX. 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
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
XI. How such special Grace for the Beholding of our Lord Jesus is withdrawn sometimes from a Soul; and how a Soul is to Behave herself in the Absence and in the Presence of Jesus, and how a Soul shall always desire (as much as is in her) the gracious Presence of Jesus
XII. A Commendation of Prayer offered up to Jesus by a Contemplative Soul, and how stableness in Prayer is a secure work to stand in; and how every Feeling of Grace in a chosen Soul may be called Jesus. But the more clean the Soul is, the more worthy the Grace is
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
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
XV. (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
(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