Introduction
Thomas à Kempis · The Imitation of Christ · 1 of 116
The Imitation of Christ
by Thomas à Kempis
Translated by Rev. William Benham
Contents
INTRODUCTORY NOTETHE IMITATION OF CHRISTTHE FIRST BOOK ADMONITIONS PROFITABLE FOR THE SPIRITUAL LIFECHAPTER I Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all its vanitiesCHAPTER II Of thinking humbly of oneselfCHAPTER III Of the knowledge of truthCHAPTER IV Of prudence in actionCHAPTER V Of the reading of Holy ScripturesCHAPTER VI Of inordinate affectionsCHAPTER VII Of fleeing from vain hope and prideCHAPTER VIII Of the danger of too much familiarityCHAPTER IX Of Obedience and SubjectionCHAPTER X Of the danger of superfluity of wordsCHAPTER XI Of seeking peace of mind and of spiritual progressCHAPTER XII Of the uses of adversityCHAPTER XIII Of resisting temptationCHAPTER XIV On avoiding rash judgmentCHAPTER XV Of works of charityCHAPTER XVI Of bearing with the faults of othersCHAPTER XVII Of a Religious lifeCHAPTER XVIII Of the example of the holy fathersCHAPTER XIX Of the exercises of a religious manCHAPTER XX Of the love of solitude and silenceCHAPTER XXI Of compunction of heartCHAPTER XXII On the contemplation of human miseryCHAPTER XXIII Of meditation upon deathCHAPTER XXIV Of the judgment and punishment of the wickedCHAPTER XXV Of the zealous amendment of our whole life
THE SECOND BOOK ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE INNER LIFECHAPTER I Of the inward lifeCHAPTER II Of lowly submissionCHAPTER III Of the good, peaceable manCHAPTER IV Of a pure mind and simple intentionCHAPTER V Of self-esteemCHAPTER VI Of the joy of a good conscienceCHAPTER VII Of loving Jesus above all thingsCHAPTER VIII Of the intimate love of JesusCHAPTER IX Of the lack of all comfortCHAPTER X Of gratitude for the Grace of GodCHAPTER XI Of the fewness of those who love the Cross of JesusCHAPTER XII Of the royal way of the Holy Cross
THE THIRD BOOK ON INWARD CONSOLATIONCHAPTER I Of the inward voice of Christ to the faithful soulCHAPTER II What the truth saith inwardly without noise of wordsCHAPTER III How all the words of God are to be heard with humility, and how many consider them notCHAPTER IV How we must walk in truth and humility before GodCHAPTER V Of the wonderful power of the Divine LoveCHAPTER VI Of the proving of the true loverCHAPTER VII Of hiding our grace under the guard of humilityCHAPTER VIII Of a low estimation of self in the sight of GodCHAPTER IX That all things are to be referred to God, as the final endCHAPTER X That it is sweet to despise the world and to serve GodCHAPTER XI That the desires of the heart are to be examined and governedCHAPTER XII Of the inward growth of patience, and of the struggle against evil desiresCHAPTER XIII Of the obedience of one in lowly subjection after the example of Jesus ChristCHAPTER XIV Of meditation upon the hidden judgments of God, that we may not be lifted up because of our well-doingCHAPTER XV How we must stand and speak, in everything that we desireCHAPTER XVI That true solace is to be sought in God aloneCHAPTER XVII That all care is to be cast upon GodCHAPTER XVIII That temporal miseries are to be borne patiently after the example of ChristCHAPTER XIX Of bearing injuries, and who shall be approved as truly patientCHAPTER XX Of confession of our infirmity and of the miseries of this lifeCHAPTER XXI That we must rest in God above all goods and giftsCHAPTER XXII Of the recollection of God’s manifold benefitsCHAPTER XXIII Of four things which bring great peaceCHAPTER XXIV Of avoiding of curious inquiry into the life of anotherCHAPTER XXV Wherein firm peace of heart and true profit consistCHAPTER XXVI Of the exaltation of a free spirit, which humble prayer more deserveth than doth frequent readingCHAPTER XXVII That personal love greatly hindereth from the highest goodCHAPTER XXVIII Against the tongues of detractorsCHAPTER XXIX How when tribulation cometh we must call upon and bless GodCHAPTER XXX Of seeking divine help, and the confidence of obtaining graceCHAPTER XXXI Of the neglect of every creature, that the Creator may be foundCHAPTER XXXII Of self-denial and the casting away all selfishnessCHAPTER XXXIII Of instability of the heart, and of directing the aim towards GodCHAPTER XXXIV That to him who loveth God is sweet above all things and in all thingsCHAPTER XXXV That there is no security against temptation in this lifeCHAPTER XXXVI Against vain judgments of menCHAPTER XXXVII Of pure and entire resignation of self, for the obtaining liberty of heartCHAPTER XXXVIII Of a good government in external things, and of having recourse to God in dangersCHAPTER XXXIX That man must not be immersed in businessCHAPTER XL That man hath no good in himself, and nothing whereof to gloryCHAPTER XLI Of contempt of all temporal honourCHAPTER XLII That our peace is not to be placed in menCHAPTER XLIII Against vain and worldly knowledgeCHAPTER XLIV Of not troubling ourselves about outward thingsCHAPTER XLV That we must not believe everyone, and that we are prone to fall in our wordsCHAPTER XLVI Of having confidence in God when evil words are cast at usCHAPTER XLVII That all troubles are to be endured for the sake of eternal lifeCHAPTER XLVIII Of the day of eternity and of the straitnesses of this lifeCHAPTER XLIX Of the desire after eternal life, and how great blessings are promised to those who striveCHAPTER L How a desolate man ought to commit himself into the hands of GodCHAPTER LI That we must give ourselves to humble works when we are unequal to those that are loftyCHAPTER LII That a man ought not to reckon himself worthy of consolation, but more worthy of chastisementCHAPTER LIII That the Grace of God doth not join itself to those who mind earthly thingsCHAPTER LIV Of the diverse motions of Nature and of GraceCHAPTER LV Of the corruption of Nature and the efficacy of Divine GraceCHAPTER LVI That we ought to deny ourselves, and to imitate Christ by means of the CrossCHAPTER LVII That a man must not be too much cast down when he falleth into some faultsCHAPTER LVIII Of deeper matters, and God’s hidden judgments which are not to be inquired intoCHAPTER LIX That all hope and trust is to be fixed in God alone
THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTARCHAPTER I With how great reverence Christ must be receivedCHAPTER II That the greatness and charity of God is shown to men in the SacramentCHAPTER III That it is profitable to Communicate oftenCHAPTER IV That many good gifts are bestowed upon those who Communicate devoutlyCHAPTER V Of the dignity of this Sacrament, and of the office of the priestCHAPTER VI An inquiry concerning preparation for CommunionCHAPTER VII Of the examination of conscience, and purpose of amendmentCHAPTER VIII Of the oblation of Christ upon the cross, and of resignation of selfCHAPTER IX That we ought to offer ourselves and all that is ours to God, and to pray for allCHAPTER X That Holy Communion is not lightly to be omittedCHAPTER XI That the Body and Blood of Christ and the Holy Scriptures are most necessary to a faithful soulCHAPTER XII That he who is about to Communicate with Christ ought to prepare himself with great diligenceCHAPTER XIII That the devout soul ought with the whole heart to yearn after union with Christ in the SacramentCHAPTER XIV Of the fervent desire of certain devout persons to receive the Body and Blood of ChristCHAPTER XV That the grace of devotion is acquired by humility and self-denialCHAPTER XVI That we ought to lay open our necessities to Christ and to require His GraceCHAPTER XVII Of fervent love and vehement desire of receiving ChristCHAPTER XVIII That a man should not be a curious searcher of the Sacrament, but a humble imitator of Christ, submitting his sense to holy faith
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 à 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.
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
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Introduction