Title Page

PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION.

TO OUR MOST REV. FATHER LAURENCE REYNER,

A PREFACE TO THE READER.

THE FIRST TREATISE AND THE FIRST SECTION OF A CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE IN GENERAL. THE NATURE AND END THEREOF, AND GENERAL DISPOSITION REQUIRED THERETO.

CHAPTER I. Continual union in spirit with God the end of man's creation…

CHAPTER II. Commonly those only are said to aspire to perfection that consecrate themselves to God.…

CHAPTER III. The contemplative state more perfect.…

CHAPTER IV. A strong resolution necessary in the beginning.…

CHAPTER V. A third motive to resolution is the danger of tepidity…

CHAPTER VI. A confirmation of what hath been said, particularly of the necessity of a strong resolution…

THE SECOND SECTION OF THE FIRST TREATISE, IN WHICH IS DECLARED AND PROVED THAT GOD ONLY BY HIS HOLY INSPIRATIONS IS THE GUIDE AND DIRECTOR IN AN INTERNAL CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE.

CHAPTER I. In internal contemplative ways a guide is necessary, and why? §§ 2…

CHAPTER II. Why an external guide is necessary in the beginning.…

CHAPTER III. Of reading, which is next to prayer.…

CHAPTER IV. Of the third and principal way by which God teaches internal livers…

CHAPTER V. All internal livers obliged to attend to God's inspirations.…

CHAPTER VI. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the principle of all good actions in us.…

CHAPTER VII. How a soul is to behave herself to obtain light in doubtful cases of moment.…

CHAPTER VIII. Sufficient assurance may be had that inspirations are from God.…

CHAPTER IX. Objections prevented.…

THE THIRD SECTION OF THE FIRST TREATISE, TOUCHING THE SCHOOL OF CONTEMPLATION, VIZ. SOLITUDE AND A RELIGIOUS PROFESSION.

CHAPTER I. That the proper school of contemplation is solitude.…

CHAPTER II. How a secular person may make use of these instructions…

CHAPTER III. Of a religious state.…

CHAPTER IV. Motives inducing to religion to be examined…

CHAPTER V. A religious person is not perfect by his profession.…

CHAPTER VI. That internal prayer was the practice of ancient hermits…

CHAPTER VII. Of special duties of religious persons.…

CHAPTER VIII. Superiors ought carefully to examine the dispositions of those that they admit to religion.…

CHAPTER IX. Advices to novices.…

CHAPTER X. Of the obligation of the English Benedictines to the Mission…

THE SECOND TREATISE. OF THE FIRST INSTRUMENT OF PERFECTION, VIZ. MORTIFICATION. THE FIRST SECTION. OF MORTIFICATION IN GENERAL; AND OF NECESSARY AND VOLUNTARY MORTIFICATIONS.

CHAPTER I. All the duties of a contemplative life reduced to two heads…

CHAPTER II. The mortifications here treated of in particular are not of such sinful deordinations of passions…

CHAPTER III. Naturally we love ourselves only.…

CHAPTER IV. Certain general rules for mortification sufficient for some.…

CHAPTER V. Mortifications divided into: 1…

CHAPTER VI. Of certain sorts of mortification which are more general.…

CHAPTER VII. The third kind of general mortification is silence; the which is strictly enjoined in St…

CHAPTER VIII. Of the fourth kind of general mortifications, viz…

THE SECOND SECTION OF THE SECOND TREATISE. TOUCHING CERTAIN SPECIAL MORTIFICATIONS OF THE PASSIONS, ETC.

CHAPTER I. Mortification properly is not of the senses or cognoscitive faculties…

CHAPTER II. Love is the root of all other passions.…

CHAPTER III. The proper seat of charity is the superior will…

CHAPTER IV. Of charity, as it is the same with Purity of intention…

CHAPTER V. Of the loving of God in ourselves and other creatures…

CHAPTER VI. Of the mortification of sensual love to meats, &c.…

CHAPTER VII. Of the mortification of anger by patience.…

CHAPTER VIII. Of mortification of fear and scrupulosity, which is the most disquieting passion.…

CHAPTER IX. Of scrupulosity arising from certain inward temptations.…

CHAPTER X. Of scrupulosities about external duties, as the Office, fasting…

CHAPTER XI. Of the most bitter kind of scrupulosity touching Confession.…

CHAPTER XII. Of a scruple concerning a soul's vocation to a religious life.…

CHAPTER XIII. Of the mortification of the affections of the will…

CHAPTER XIV. Of the mortification of our natural inclination to liberty or independency…

CHAPTER XV. We do not here treat of all kinds of mortification or virtues…

TO THE VENERABLE AND R. LADY D. CATHERINE GASCOIGNE

THE FIRST SECTION. OF PRAYER IN GENERAL, AND THE GENERAL DIVISION OF IT.

CHAPTER I. Of Prayer in general…

CHAPTER II. Of Vocal prayer.…

CHAPTER III. Of internal prayer in general, and principally of internal affective prayer.…

CHAPTER IV. Conditions required to affective prayer: of which the first is…

CHAPTER V. The second condition requisite in affective prayer, to wit…

CHAPTER VI. A second discouragement in prayer opposite to perseverance, to wit…

CHAPTER VII. Internal affective prayer of contemplation hath always been entertained at first with jealousy and rigour.…

THE SECOND SECTION OF THE THIRD TREATISE. OF THE FIRST DEGREE OF INTERNAL PRAYER, VIZ. MEDITATION.

CHAPTER I. Several degrees and stations in an internal life; as the three ways…

CHAPTER II. Of Meditation: the first and lowest degree of internal prayer.…

CHAPTER III. How a soul is to exercise Meditation.…

CHAPTER IV. Of the custom of set appointed Retreats for Meditation…

CHAPTER V. A change from meditation to prayer of the will is necessary in an internal life.…

THE THIRD SECTION OF THE THIRD TREATISE. OF THE EXERCISES OF IMMEDIATE FORCED ACTS OF THE WILL, BEING THE SECOND DEGREE OF INTERNAL PRAYER.

CHAPTER I. Of exercises of the will: to wit, forced immediate acts…

CHAPTER II. Touching certain forms of immediate acts, &c.…

CHAPTER III. More special advices touching the exercise of affections of divine Love.…

CHAPTER IV. How internal exercises are to be practised in times improper and distractive.…

CHAPTER V. How internal livers ought to behave themselves in time of sickness…

CHAPTER VI. Internal exercises weaken the body, yet oft prolong life.…

CHAPTER VII. Touching a special sort of internal prayer prescribed by Antonio de Rojas…

THE FOURTH SECTION OF THE THIRD TREATISE. OF CONTEMPLATION.

CHAPTER I. Of contemplation in general; what it is.…

CHAPTER II. Of the prayer proper to the state of contemplation…

CHAPTER III. Of the second sort of unions: to wit, passive.…

CHAPTER IV. Of the second and more perfect sort of passive unions…

CHAPTER V. Of the great desolation usually following an intellectual passive union.…

CHAPTER VI. Of the end of all the precedent exercises, and of all the changes in a…

AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER.

A POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER.

A MEMORIAL

CERTAIN PATTERNS OF DEVOUT EXERCISES OF IMMEDIATE ACTS AND AFFECTIONS OF THE WILL.

TO THE DEVOUT READER.

HAIL, JESUS;

PSALMUS DE PASSIONE D. N. JESU CHRISTI.

HOLY EXERCISES OF CONTRITION.

ACTUS CONTRITIONIS, &c.

HOLY EXERCISES OF PURE LOVE TO GOD.

CERTAIN AMOROUS DESIRES, &c.

CERTAIN AMOROUS SPEECHES OF THE SOUL TO HERSELF IN PRAYER:

HOLY EXERCISES

HOLY EXERCISES OF RESIGNATION.

A DAILY CONSTANT EXERCISE.

EXERCITIUM QUOTIDIANUM.

INDEX.