Of the imitation of Christ, three, both for wisedome, and godlines, most excellent bookes; made 170. yeeres since by one Thomas of Kempis, and for the worthines thereof oft since translated out of Latine into sundrie languages by diuers godlie and learned men: now newlie corrected, translated, and with most ample textes, and sentences of holie Scripture illustrated by Thomas Rogers

Title

Of the imitation of Christ, three, both for wisedome, and godlines, most excellent bookes; made 170. yeeres since by one Thomas of Kempis, and for the worthines thereof oft since translated out of Latine into sundrie languages by diuers godlie and learned men: now newlie corrected, translated, and with most ample textes, and sentences of holie Scripture illustrated by Thomas Rogers

Publication

Imprinted at London :: By Henrie Denham, dwelling in Pater noster Row, at the signe of the Starre,

[1580]

Rights/Permissions

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Subject terms

Meditations -- Early works to 1800.

Christian life -- Early works to 1800.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A13680.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"Of the imitation of Christ, three, both for wisedome, and godlines, most excellent bookes; made 170. yeeres since by one Thomas of Kempis, and for the worthines thereof oft since translated out of Latine into sundrie languages by diuers godlie and learned men: now newlie corrected, translated, and with most ample textes, and sentences of holie Scripture illustrated by Thomas Rogers." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A13680.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 20, 2024. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• dedication
• The first Epistle of the Translator touching Christi∣an imitation in general, to the faithful Imitators of our Sauior Christ in England, S.
• ¶ A second Epistle concerning the trans∣lation and correction of this Booke.
• A godlie Preface made by him, whosoeuer he was, that translated this booke out of the Latin tongue into French.
• illustration
• The first Booke of the Imitation of Christ.
  • Chapter. 1. That al worldlie things are vaine, and to be contemned.
  • Chap. 2. Against vaine glorie in spiri∣tual things.
  • Chap. 3. Of true knowledge, or knowledge of the truth.
  • Chap. 4. Wisedome must be vsed in al our dealings.
  • Chap. 5. How to reade, and studie the holie Scriptures with profit.
  • Chap. 6. That inordinate, and carnal affections must be mortified.
  • Chap. 7. Against vaine hope, and vaine glorie.
  • Chap. 8. What companie is to be folowed, or refrained.
  • Chap. 9. For obedience, and sub∣iection.
  • Chap. 10. Against idle meetings, and vaine talke.
  • Chap. 11. How to come to quietnes in minde▪ and to a godlie life.
  • Chap. 12. Of the profite gotten by aduersitie.
  • Chap. 13. That no man either is, or hath bin without tentation, and how both to suffer and resist the same.
  • Chap. 14. Against rash iudgement.
  • Chap. 15. Of the workes of charitie; and how to do good workes.
  • Chap. 16. That men which offend must be borne withal sometime.
  • Chap. 17. The waie to quietnes both temporal, and eternal.
  • Chap. 18. The virtuous life of the holie Fathers.
  • Chap. 19. The exercise of a true Christian.
  • Chap. 20. Of solitarines, and silence.
  • Chap. 21. Preparatiues vnto Godlines.
  • Chap. 22. A viewe of the miserie of mankinde.
  • Chap. 23. That man ought to thinke vpon his end.
  • Chap. 24. Of the last iudgement; and of the punishment for si ne.
  • Chap. 25. That we must earnestlie endeuor to amend our liues.
• The second Booke of the Jmitation of Christ.
  • Chapter. 1. Of the inward life of man.
  • Chap. 2. Of Patience, and humilitie, two vir∣tues necessarie to be in a Christian.
  • Chap. 3. That we ought to be at peace both with our selues, and with al men.
  • Chap. 4. Of purenes in minde, and plainenes in meaning.
  • Chap. 5. Of the consideration of a mans selfe.
  • Chap. 6. The ioie of a good conscience.
  • Chap. 7. That our Sauior Christ is to be loued aboue al things.
  • Chap. 8. Of the familiaritie with Iesus.
  • Chap. 9. Of the want of comfort.
  • Chap. 10. Of thankefulnes vnto God for his benefits.
  • Chap. 11. The smal number that loue Christ vnfeinedlie.
  • Chap. 12. Of patient bearing the crosse of Christ.
• The thirde Booke of the Jmitation of Christ.
  • Chapter. 1. Of the spiritual communication betweene Christ, and the faithful soule.
  • Chap. 2. That the truth speaketh inwardlie without noise of wordes.
  • Chap. 3. That the wordes of God with al reuerence should be heard; and that they are not vnderstood of most men.
  • Chap. 4. A praier for the attaining of the true know∣ledge of Gods heauenlie wil; ad for zeale in religion.
  • Chap. 5. That we must walke syncerelie, and humblie before God.
  • Chap. 6. A praise and thankes-giuing to God for his benefits.
  • Chap. 7. The praise and force of godlie loue.
  • Chap. 8. How to trie a true freend; also, how to resist the enimie.
  • Chap. 9. Of modest concealing the bene∣fites of God.
  • Chap. 10. That man must debase himselfe in the sight of God.
  • Chap. 11. That al things are to be directed vnto God, as to the principal end.
  • Chap. 12. That it is a sweete thing to serue God, and to despise the world.
  • Chap. 13. That the desires of the minde must be examined, and bridled.
  • Chap. 14. The waie to patience, and to fight against fleshlie desires.
  • Chap. 15. Of obedience to our betters, after the example of Christ.
  • Chap. 16. That we are to consider the secret iudge∣ments of God, least we waxe proude in his gifts.
  • Chap. 17. What wordes, and manner we should vse in desiring anie thing at the hands of God.
  • Chap. 18. A praier for grace to do the wil of God.
  • Chap. 19. That the true comfort is to be sought for, in God alone.
  • Chap. 20. That al our cares must be cast vpon God.
  • Chap. 21. That the troubles of this life are pa∣tientlie to be suffered after the example of our Sa∣uior Christ.
  • Chap. 22. Of long-suffering; and who is patient in deede.
  • Chap. 23. A confession of mans weakenes, and miserie.
  • Chap. 24. That we must repose no confidence in anie creature, but in God alone.
  • Chap. 25. Of the continual calling into minde the infinit blessings, and be∣nefits of God.
  • Chap. 26. Of the thing, in number foure, which procure quietnes.
  • Chap. 27. A praier against euil thoughtes, or cogitations.
  • Chap. 28. A praier vnto almightie God to haue the eies of our vnder∣standing opened.
  • Chap. 29. That we ought not curiouslie to enquire how other men do liue.
  • Chap. 30. Wherein the true peace, and profiting of the minde doth consist.
  • Chap. 31. In praise of a quiet, and free minde; with an humble petition for the attaining of the same.
  • Chap. 32. That selfe loue is the cause of pedition.
  • Chap. 33. A praier to obteine the puritie of minde, of heauenlie wisedome.
  • Chap. 34. Against il tongues.
  • Chap. 35. How we ought to cal vpon God, and to praise him in aduersitie.
  • Chap. 36. Of calling for Gods assistance, and hope to recouer his fauor againe.
  • Chap. 37. That to finde God, our creator, we should forsake al things.
  • Chap. 38. That we must denie our selues, and renounce vtterlie al carnal desires.
  • Chap. 39. The mutabilitie of mans hart; and of thinking vpon God in, and afore al things.
  • Chap. 40. That it is a pleasure aboue al pleasures, to loue God aboue al, and in al things.
  • Chap. 41. That this life is neuer free from tentations.
  • Chap. 42. Against the vaine iudgement of men.
  • Chap. 43. That we must wholie resigne ouer our selues vnto God, if we minde to at∣taine vnto the freedome of mind.
  • Chap. 44. Of the right vse of outward things; and that we should flie vnto God when we are afflicted.
  • Chap. 45. That man should not be too i∣portunate in his matters.
  • Chap. 46. That man hath nothing which good is of himselfe; neither that he should glorie of anie thing.
  • Chap. 47. That the praise of this world is to be contemned.
  • Chap. 48. That we must not rest, or depend vpon man.
  • Chap. 49. Against vaine, and worldlie knowledge.
  • Chap. 50. That we should not couet after earth∣lie, and outward things.
  • Chap. 51. That euerie man is not to be credited; and that by wordes we easilie offend.
  • Chap. 52. That we ought to repose our confidence in the Lord, when we are pierced with the dartes of slandering tongues.
  • Chap. 53. That for the attainement of euerlasting life, al maner trobles must be endured.
  • Chap. 54. Of the happines of the life to come; and of the miseries of this present world.
  • Chap. 55. Of the desire of eternal life; and of the good things promised to such as fight.
  • Chap. 56. How a man oppressed with trobles, ought to yeeld him selfe to the Lordes wil.
  • Chap. 57. That we are to exercise our selues with baser works, when we can∣not doo the best.
  • Chap. 58. That man should thinke himselfe to deserue not comfort at Gods hand, but condemnation.
  • Chap. 59. Men carnalie minded finde no fauor before God.
  • Chap. 60. The diuers working of Nature, and of Grace.
  • Chap. 61. Of the corruption of Nature; and power of Gods heauenlie Grace.
  • Chap. 62. That we ought to denie our selues, and to imitate Christ by the crosse.
  • Chap. 63. That we should take heede of despaire, though we fal sometime.
  • Chap. 64. That high matters, and secret iudge∣ments of God should not be searcht after.
  • Chap. 65. That al our trust, and confidence must be fixed on God alone.
• Faultes escaped in the Printing.
• Certaine special praiers contained in this Booke.
• table of contents
• colophon