A full deuoute and gostely treatyse of the imytacyon and folowynge the blessed lyfe of our moste mercyfull Sauyour cryste compyled in Laten by the right worshypful Doctor Mayster Iohn Gerson: and translate into Englisshe the yere of owre lorde M.d.ii. by maister william Atkynson Doctor of diuinite: at ye speciall request [and] co[m]maundeme[n]t of the full excellent Pryncesse Margarete moder to our souerayne lorde Kynge Henry the. vii. and Countesse of Rychemount and Derby.

Title

A full deuoute and gostely treatyse of the imytacyon and folowynge the blessed lyfe of our moste mercyfull Sauyour cryste compyled in Laten by the right worshypful Doctor Mayster Iohn Gerson: and translate into Englisshe the yere of owre lorde M.d.ii. by maister william Atkynson Doctor of diuinite: at ye speciall request [and] co[m]maundeme[n]t of the full excellent Pryncesse Margarete moder to our souerayne lorde Kynge Henry the. vii. and Countesse of Rychemount and Derby.

Publication

[Emprynted in London :: By Rycharde Pynson, in Flete strete at the sygne of the george, at the commaundement and instaunce of the right noble [and] excelle[n]t princes Margarete moder to our soueraygne lorde Kyng Henry the. vii. [and] cou[n]tesse of Rychmou[n]t [and] Derby,

the yere of our lorde god. M.CCCCC. and. xvii. The. vii. day of October.] [1517]

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Subject terms

Meditations -- Early works to 1800.

Link to this Item

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Cite this Item

"A full deuoute and gostely treatyse of the imytacyon and folowynge the blessed lyfe of our moste mercyfull Sauyour cryste compyled in Laten by the right worshypful Doctor Mayster Iohn Gerson: and translate into Englisshe the yere of owre lorde M.d.ii. by maister william Atkynson Doctor of diuinite: at ye speciall request [and] co[m]maundeme[n]t of the full excellent Pryncesse Margarete moder to our souerayne lorde Kynge Henry the. vii. and Countesse of Rychemount and Derby." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/a13670.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 4, 2024. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• illustration
• ¶Here begynneth the boke of Iohn̄ Gersō chaū∣celer of Paris {con}teynīg y• holy doctrine of crist how e shulde folowe hym & {con}tēpne all wordly vanites.
  • ¶The first Chaptre.
  • ¶ The seconde Chaptre of the humble knowe∣lege of mannesselfe.
  • ¶ The .iii. Chaptre of the doctryne of truthe.
  • ¶ The forthe Chaptre ys of credence in byleuynge.
  • ¶ The .v. Chaptre is of ye redīge of holy scripture
  • ¶ The .vi. Chaptre of affeccōns īordynate
  • ¶ The .vii. chaptre of vanite & elaciō to be auoided
  • ¶ The .viii. Chaptre of moche famyliarite to be auoyded.
  • ¶ The .ix. Chaptre of meke subieccōn & obediēce
  • ¶ The .x. Chaptre of superfluous wordes to be auoyed.
  • ¶ The .xi. Chaptre of the desire to profite spiri∣tually & pease to be purchased.
  • ¶ The .xii. Chaptre is of the {pro}fyte of aduersyte.
  • ¶ The .xiii. chaptre of resistēce ageinst tēptacions.
  • ¶ The .xiiii. Chaptre of vndiscrete iugement to be auoyded.
  • ¶ The .xv. chapt̄ of y• {pro}fite of warkis ōde ī charite
  • ¶ The .xvi. Chaptre howe a man shulde suffre the defautes of his neyghbour.
  • ¶ The .xvii. chaptre how a {per}sone shulde order him
  • ¶ The .xviii. chaptre of the examples of holy seitis
  • ¶ The .xix. Chaptre of the good relygious exer∣cyse of a religiou & soule.
  • ¶ The .xxi. Chap¦tre is moche cōueniēt for religious people how thei shulde kepe theyr solytary lyfe & sylēce.
  • ¶ The .xxi. chaptre is of y• cōpuncciō of mānis hert
  • ¶ The .xxii. chaptre of the consideracyon of the mysery of man.
  • ¶ The .xxiii. Chaptre of the meditacion of dethe.
  • ¶ The .xxiiii. Chaptre is of the last iugenent & pey¦nes deputed for synne.
  • ¶ The .xxv. chaptre of the feruent emandacyon of all the life of man.
• ¶Here begynneth the .ii. boke of Iohn̄ Ger∣son of the inwarde & deuoute conuersacion of the soule of man.
  • chapter - 1
  • ¶ The seconde chaptre of the humble subieccyon of the subiecte to the prelate.
  • ¶ The .iii. chaptre of ye restfull & quyet persone.
  • ¶ The .iiii. chapt̄ of pure mīde & a true entent.
  • ¶ The .v. chapt of the {pro}pre cōsideracion of man.
  • ¶ The .vi. chapt of ye gladnes of a good cōscience.
  • ¶ The .vii. chapt of y• loue of Iesu aboue al thīges
  • ¶ The .viii. chaptre of the famylyer amyte (be and loue of Iesu criste.
  • ¶ The .ix. Chaptre of the dysolacyon of wordly cō¦solacyon.
  • ¶ The .x. chaptre of yeldīge thākes to god for hys graces.
  • ¶ The .xi. chaptre of the smalle noumbre of the lo∣uers of the crosse of Iesu.
  • ¶ The .xii. chaptre is of the royall & victorio{us} way of the holy crosse.
• ¶ Here begynneth the .iii. boke.
  • ¶ The fyrste chaptre cōteyneth the inward speke∣ynge of our lorde Iesu criste to mānis soule that he hath specially chosen.
  • ¶ The seconde chaptre howe treuthe spekerhe in∣wardly to mannes soule without noyse.
  • ¶ The .iii. chaptre howe the wordes of god shulde be wekely herde / & howe many ponder them nat in theyr conscience.
  • ¶ The .iiii. chapter how by prayer we may opteyn to deuocyon.
  • ¶The .v. chapter how we ought to beleue truthe & hūilite before god here.
  • ¶The .vi. chapyter of the marueylous desyre and affecte of the loue of God.
  • ¶ The .viii. chaptre howe a true louer is proued.
  • ¶ The .viii. chaptre how grace is to be hyd vnder the palle of humylyte.
  • ¶ The .ix. chapter how a mā shuld nat repute hym¦selfe of any valour but vylypende hym.
  • ¶ The .x. chapter / all that we haue or do is to be re∣ferred to god / as to the ende of euery thynge.
  • ¶ The .xi. chapter how it is full swete to serue god to hym that forsaketh the worlde truly.
  • ¶ The .xii. chaptre The de¦sire of herte is to be examined & modered.
  • ¶ The .xiii. chap of the informacion of pacience & of stryfe ageynst sensualite.
  • ¶ The .xiiii. chaptre howe an hūble subiect ought to be obedient after the example of criste.
  • ¶ The .xv. chaptre: of the hyd iugementes of god to be cōsidered for yu repressyon of vayne glory and magnyfiynge of man in graces receyued.
  • ¶ The .xvi. chaptre howe a man shulde make hys peticion to god.
  • ¶ The .xvii. chapter A prayer & desyre alway to ly¦ue and do the pleasour of god.
  • ¶ The .xviii. chapter very solace & conforte is alon¦ly to be sought in god.
  • ¶ The .xix. chapter / howe all busynes of our soule is to be put in God.
  • ¶ The .xx. chapter temporall myseryes we oughte to suffer with Cryste.
  • ¶ The .xxi. chaptre of suffraunce of iniuries & who
  • ¶ The .xxii. chapt of the cōfessyon of mānes infyr∣mitees and of wordly myseries.
  • ¶ The .xxiii. chapiter how man shuld rest in god aboue all gyftes and goodes erthely.
  • ¶ The .xxiiii. chap¦ter / a remēbraūce or repetynge of ye bn̄fayt{is} of god.
  • ¶ The .xxv. cha¦pyter / howe .iiii. thynges brynge pease to man.
  • ¶ The .xxvi. cha∣pyter / a prayer agayne euyll thoughtes.
  • ¶ The .xxvii. chapter a deuout prayer for the illumynacyon of mānes mynde.
  • ¶ The .xxviii. chapter / howe a man shuld eschewe to enquyre busyly of an other mannes dedes.
  • ¶ The .xxix. chapiter / In what thynges standeth very peace and profyte of man.
  • ¶ The .xxx. Chapiter of the preemynence of a fre mynde and howe prayers precellyth lesson.
  • ¶ The .xxxi. chapiter the loue of pryuat thynges & of mannys selfe letteth the perfyte goodnes of man¦nys soule.
  • ¶ The .xxxii. chapyter / an oreson for ye pourgynge of mannes soule and for grace.
  • ¶ The .xxxiii. chapt how a man shuld behaue hī ayenst detracciō.
  • ¶ The .xxxiiii. chapiter / god almyghty is to be in∣wardly called and blessyd in tyme of tribulacyon.
  • ¶ The .xxxv. chapter how man shuld aske the helpe of God trustynge in hym to recouer grace loste by deuout prayer.
  • ¶ The .xxxvii. chapt how all creaturis shuld beset a syde yt we may fynd god.
  • ¶ The .xxxvii. chapiter how man shuld forsake hym selfe and all couetyse.
  • ¶ The .xxxviii. chapyter of the vnstablenes of the herte of man / & how man shuld fynally lyfte vp and order his hert and mynde to god.
  • ¶ The .xxxix. chapiter howe god almyghty sauou¦reth to his louer aboue all thynges.
  • ¶ The .xl. chapiter how no man may be sure from temptacyon whyles he lyueth here.
  • ¶ The .xli. cha¦piter agaynste the vayne iugementes of men.
  • ¶ The .xlii. chapter / if man wyll opteyn fredom of hert he must holy forsake hymselfe.
  • ¶ The .xliii. Chapyter howe man shulde gouerne hym in outwarde thynges & renne to god for helpe and socour in parels and daungers.
  • ¶ The .xliiii. chapter / a man shuld nat be importune in his wayes or nedys
  • ¶ The .xlv. chapt̄ man hath no goodnes of hym selfe / ne any thyng yt he may haue any glory or pryde of but all of ye good¦nes of god.
  • ¶ The .xlvi. chapter how all tēporall honour is to be dyspysed.
  • ¶ The .xlvii. chapt / how no man ought to put his peas fynally in man.
  • ¶The .xlviii. chapt ageynevayne & seculerscyēce.
  • ¶ The .xlix. chapiter / howe we shuld despyse & nat greatly desyre outwarde worldly thynges.
  • ¶ The .l. chapyter howe euery tale or worde is nat to be beleued / & howe mannes worde soone slydeth.
  • ¶ The .li. chap¦ter / howe a man shulde put his confydence in God whan sharpe wordes touche hym.
  • ¶ The .lii. chapter / how man shulde suffer all gre∣uys & aduersytes for the lyfe euerlastynge that we all hope and abyde here.
  • ¶ The .liii. chapiter / of the day of eternyte / & of the anguysshe of this present lyfe.
  • ¶ The .liiii. chapiter / of the desyre of euerlastynge lyfe & what goodes be promysed to the knyghtys of god that fyght ayenst synne.
  • ¶ The .lv. chapt a man beynge in heuynes & desolaciō shulde cōmytte hym into the handes of god / & to his grace sayinge.
  • ¶ The .lvi. chapter / A man shulde gyue hym to hū¦ble warkes whan he is nat inclyned or dysposed to hye warkes.
  • ¶ The▪ lvii. chapiter / a man shuld nat repute hym selfe worthy to haue cōsolacy∣on / but rather worthy indygnacyon sayinge.
  • ¶ The .lviii. chapter / grace is nat myxt with folke that delyteth in erthely thynges.
  • ¶ The lix. chapt / of dyuers mouynges of nature & grace.
  • ¶ The .lx. chapter / of the corrupcyon of nature and the workynge of grace.
  • ¶ The .lxi. chapiter we ought to forsake our selfe & folowe Cryste with our crosse.
  • ¶ The .lxii. capter / a man shuld nat be dyscomfor∣ted whan he falleth in any aduersyte or defaute.
  • ¶ The .lxiii. chapiter / how a man shulde nat serche hye thynges / ne seke auentures the which God wor¦keth here in his hyd Iugement.
  • ¶ The .lxiiii. chapiter / All hope and truste that mā hath is to be fyxed in God all onely.
  • colophon

• ¶ Here be∣ginethe the forthe boke of the folo∣wynge Ie∣su cryst & of the contēp∣nīge of the world. In prynted at the cōmaū¦demēt of the most excellēt pri∣ces Margarete: moder vnto our souereine lorde: kinge Hē∣ry the .vii. Countes of Ryche∣moūt & Derby And by the sa∣me Prynces it was trāslated out of frēche into Englysshe in fourme & maner ensuynge The yere of our lorde god M. D. iiii.
  • ¶ Prologus.
  • ¶ In what great reuerence and feruent desyre we ought to receyue our lorde Iesu crist. Capitulo primo.
  • ¶Howe the great charyte / & bounte of god is shewede vnto man in the holy sacrament. Cap̄ .ii.
  • ¶ What greate profyte it is often to receyue the body of our lorde Iesu cryst. C .iii.a
  • ¶ Howe many cōmodities be gyuen vnto them that de∣uoutly receyueth this holy sacrament C iiii.
  • ¶Of the dygnite of the sacrament of the aulter & of thor∣dre of presthod. Cap̄ .v.
  • ¶ A inwarde remembraunce and excercyse that a man ought to haue afore the receyuīge of the body of our lor∣de Iesu crist. Cap̄ .vi.
  • ¶ The remēbrynge of his {pro}pre conscience with pour∣pose of amendment. Cap̄ .vii.
  • ¶ Of ye oblacion of Iesu Crist in the crosse of ye {pro}pre re∣signacōn that man shulde make of hymselfe. Ca .viii.
  • ¶ That we ought to offre vnto god all that we haue / & to praye for all people. Cap̄ .ix.
  • ¶ That the holy sacrament ought nat lyghtely to be forborne. Cap̄ .x.
  • ¶ Howe the blessed body of our lorde Iesu criste is gre∣atly necessarye for the helth of mannys soule. Ca .xi.
  • ¶ With howe great diligence he ought to prepayre hym selfe that shulde receiue the sacramēt of iesu crist. Ca .xii.
  • ¶ Howe the deuout soule ought effectuously with al his herte to be vnight vnto Iesu crist. Ca .xiii.
  • ¶ Of the brēnynge desire that some creatures haue in y• blessed body of our lorde iesu crist. Ca .xiiii.
  • ¶ Howe mekely thou oughtest to beseche the grace of de∣uocion and to renounce thy selfe. Cap .xv.
  • ¶ Howe we ought to she we our necessites vnto iesu crist and aske hym benygne grace. Cap .xvi.
  • ¶ Of the brēnynge loue & great affeccion that we shulde haue to receyue our sauyour crist iesu. Cap̄ .xvii.
  • ¶ That a man shulde nat be to curious a īquisitor of y• holy sacramēt: but a meke folower of crist iesu in submittynge his reason & felynge to the holy feyth. Ca .xviii.
• colophon