Thomas à Kempis · translated by Bishop Richard Challoner (“The Following of Christ”, 1838)

The Imitation of Christ

Table of Contents

  1. The Life of Thomas à KempisLife

Book I

  1. Of Following Christ, and Despising All the Vanities of the WorldBook I, Chapter I
  2. Of Having a Humble Sentiment of One’s SelfBook I, Chapter II
  3. Of the Doctrine of TruthBook I, Chapter III
  4. Of Prudence in Our DoingsBook I, Chapter IV
  5. Of Reading the Holy ScripturesBook I, Chapter V
  6. Of Inordinate AffectionsBook I, Chapter VI
  7. Of Flying Vain Hope and PrideBook I, Chapter VII
  8. Of Shunning Too Much FamiliarityBook I, Chapter VIII
  9. Of Obedience and SubjectionBook I, Chapter IX
  10. Of Avoiding Superfluity of WordsBook I, Chapter X
  11. Of Acquiring Peace and Zeal of Spiritual ProgressBook I, Chapter XI
  12. Of the Advantage of AdversityBook I, Chapter XII
  13. Of Resisting TemptationsBook I, Chapter XIII
  14. Of Avoiding Rash JudgmentBook I, Chapter XIV
  15. Of Works Done Out of CharityBook I, Chapter XV
  16. Of Bearing the Defects of OthersBook I, Chapter XVI
  17. Of a Monastic LifeBook I, Chapter XVII
  18. Of the Examples of the Holy FathersBook I, Chapter XVIII
  19. Of the Exercises of a Good Religious ManBook I, Chapter XIX
  20. Of the Love of Solitude and SilenceBook I, Chapter XX
  21. Of Compunction of HeartBook I, Chapter XXI
  22. Of the Consideration of the Misery of ManBook I, Chapter XXII
  23. Of the Thoughts of DeathBook I, Chapter XXIII
  24. Of Judgment and the Punishments of SinsBook I, Chapter XXIV
  25. Of the Fervent Amendment of Our Whole LifeBook I, Chapter XXV

Book II

  1. Of Interior ConversationBook II, Chapter I
  2. Of Humble SubmissionBook II, Chapter II
  3. Of a Good, Peaceable ManBook II, Chapter III
  4. Of a Pure Mind and Simple IntentionBook II, Chapter IV
  5. Of the Consideration of One’s SelfBook II, Chapter V
  6. Of the Joy of a Good ConscienceBook II, Chapter VI
  7. Of the Love of Jesus Above All ThingsBook II, Chapter VII
  8. Of Familiar Friendship with JesusBook II, Chapter VIII
  9. Of the Want of All ComfortBook II, Chapter IX
  10. Of Gratitude for the Grace of GodBook II, Chapter X
  11. Of the Small Number of the Lovers of the Cross of JesusBook II, Chapter XI
  12. Of the King’s Highway of the Holy CrossBook II, Chapter XII

Book III

  1. Of the Internal Speech of Christ to a Faithful SoulBook III, Chapter I
  2. That Truth Speaks within Us without Noise of WordsBook III, Chapter II
  3. That the Words of God Are to Be Heard with Humility, and that Many Weigh Them NotBook III, Chapter III
  4. That We Ought to Walk in Truth and Humility in God’s PresenceBook III, Chapter IV
  5. Of the Wonderful Effect of Divine LoveBook III, Chapter V
  6. Of the Proof of a True LoverBook III, Chapter VI
  7. That Grace Is to Be Hid under the Guardianship of HumilityBook III, Chapter VII
  8. Of the Mean Esteem of One’s Self in the Sight of GodBook III, Chapter VIII
  9. That All Things Are to Be Referred to God, as to Our Last EndBook III, Chapter IX
  10. That It Is Sweet to Serve God, Despising This WorldBook III, Chapter X
  11. That the Desires of Our Heart Are to be Examined and ModeratedBook III, Chapter XI
  12. Of Learning Patience, and of Fighting against ConcupiscenceBook III, Chapter XII
  13. Of the Obedience of a Humble Subject, After the Example of Jesus ChristBook III, Chapter XIII
  14. Of Considering the Secret Judgments of God, Lest We Be Puffed Up by Our Good WorksBook III, Chapter XIV
  15. How We Are to be Disposed, and What We Are to Say When We Desire Any ThingBook III, Chapter XV
  16. That True Comfort Is to be Sought in God AloneBook III, Chapter XVI
  17. That We Ought to Cast All Our Care Upon GodBook III, Chapter XVII
  18. That Temporal Miseries Are to be Borne with Patience, After the Example of Jesus ChristBook III, Chapter XVIII
  19. Of Supporting Injuries, and Who Is Proved to Be Truly PatientBook III, Chapter XIX
  20. Of the Confession of Our Infirmity, and of the Miseries of This LifeBook III, Chapter XX
  21. That We Are to Rest in God above All Goods and GiftsBook III, Chapter XXI
  22. Of the Remembrance of the Manifold Benefits of GodBook III, Chapter XXII
  23. Of Four Things Which Bring Much PeaceBook III, Chapter XXIII
  24. That We Are not to be Curious in Inquiring into the Life of OthersBook III, Chapter XXIV
  25. In What Things the Firm Peace of the Heart and True Progress Doth ConsistBook III, Chapter XXV
  26. Of the Eminence of a Free Mind, Which Humble Prayer Better Procures than ReadingBook III, Chapter XXVI
  27. That Self-love Chiefly Keeps a Person Back from the Sovereign GoodBook III, Chapter XXVII
  28. Against the Tongues of DetractorsBook III, Chapter XXVIII
  29. How, in the Time of Tribulation, God Is to be Invoked and BlessedBook III, Chapter XXIX
  30. Of Asking the Divine Assistance, and of Confidence of Recovering GraceBook III, Chapter XXX
  31. Of Disregarding All Things Created, that So We May Find the CreatorBook III, Chapter XXXI
  32. Of Denying Ourselves, and Renouncing All CupidityBook III, Chapter XXXII
  33. Of the Inconstancy of Our Heart, and of Directing Our Final Intention to GodBook III, Chapter XXXIII
  34. That He that Loves God Relishes Him Above All Things, and in All ThingsBook III, Chapter XXXIV
  35. That There Is No Being Secure from Temptation in This LifeBook III, Chapter XXXV
  36. Against the Vain Judgments of MenBook III, Chapter XXXVI
  37. Of a Pure and Full Resignation of Ourselves, for the Obtaining Freedom of HeartBook III, Chapter XXXVII
  38. Of the Good Government of Ourselves in Outward Things, and of Having Recourse to God in DangersBook III, Chapter XXXVIII
  39. That a Man Must Not Be Overeager in His AffairsBook III, Chapter XXXIX
  40. That Man Hath No Good of Himself, and that He Cannot Glory in Any ThingBook III, Chapter XL
  41. Of the Contempt of All Temporal HonorBook III, Chapter XLI
  42. That Our Peace Is not to be Placed in MenBook III, Chapter XLII
  43. Against Vain and Worldly LearningBook III, Chapter XLIII
  44. Of Not Drawing to Ourselves Exterior ThingsBook III, Chapter XLIV
  45. That Credit Is Not to Be Given to All Men, and that Men Are Prone to Offend in WordsBook III, Chapter XLV
  46. Of Having Confidence in God, When Words Arise Against UsBook III, Chapter XLVI
  47. That All Grievous Things Are to be Endured for Life EverlastingBook III, Chapter XLVII
  48. Of the Day of Eternity, and of the Miseries of This LifeBook III, Chapter XLVIII
  49. Of the Desire of Eternal Life, and How Great Things Are Promised to Them that FightBook III, Chapter XLIX
  50. How a Desolate Person Ought to Offer Himself into the Hands of GodBook III, Chapter L
  51. That We Must Practise Ourselves in Humble Works, When We Cannot Attain to High ThingsBook III, Chapter LI
  52. That a Man Ought not to Esteem Himself Worthy of Consolation, but Rather Guilty of StripesBook III, Chapter LII
  53. That the Grace of God Is Not Communicated to the Earthly-mindedBook III, Chapter LIII
  54. Of the Different Motions of Nature and GraceBook III, Chapter LIV
  55. Of the Corruption of Nature, and of the Efficacy of Divine GraceBook III, Chapter LV
  56. That We Ought to Deny Ourselves, and to Imitate Christ by the CrossBook III, Chapter LVI
  57. That a Man Should not be Too Much Dejected When He Falls into Some DefectsBook III, Chapter LVII
  58. Of Not Searching into High Matters, nor into the Secret Judgments of GodBook III, Chapter LVIII
  59. That All Hope and Confidence Is to be Fixed in God AloneBook III, Chapter LIX

Book IV

  1. With How Great Reverence Christ Is to be ReceivedBook IV, Chapter I
  2. That the Great Goodness and Charity of God Is Showed to Man in This SacramentBook IV, Chapter II
  3. That It Is Profitable to Communicate OftenBook IV, Chapter III
  4. That Many Benefits Are Bestowed on Them Who Communicate DevoutlyBook IV, Chapter IV
  5. Of the Dignity of the Sacrament, and of the Priestly StateBook IV, Chapter V
  6. A Petition Concerning the Exercise Proper before CommunionBook IV, Chapter VI
  7. Of the Discussion of One’s Own Conscience, and of a Resolution of AmendmentBook IV, Chapter VII
  8. Of the Oblation of Christ on the Cross, and of the Resignation of OurselvesBook IV, Chapter VIII
  9. That We Must Offer Ourselves, and All that Is Ours, to God, and Pray for AllBook IV, Chapter IX
  10. That the Holy Communion Is not Lightly to be ForborneBook IV, Chapter X
  11. That the Body of Christ and the Holy Scripture Are Most Necessary to a Faithful SoulBook IV, Chapter XI
  12. That He Who Is to Communicate Ought to Prepare Himself for Christ with Great DiligenceBook IV, Chapter XII
  13. That a Devout Soul Ought to Desire with Her Whole Heart to Be United to Christ in the SacramentBook IV, Chapter XIII
  14. Of the Ardent Desire of Some Devout Persons to Receive the Body of ChristBook IV, Chapter XIV
  15. That the Grace of Devotion Is Obtained by Humility and Self-denialBook IV, Chapter XV
  16. That We Ought to Lay Open Our Necessities to Christ, and Crave His GraceBook IV, Chapter XVI
  17. Of Fervent Love, and Vehement Desire to Receive ChristBook IV, Chapter XVII
  18. That a Man Be Not a Curious Searcher into This Sacrament, but a Humble Follower of Christ, Submitting His Sense to Holy FaithBook IV, Chapter XVIII

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