The Scale (Ladder) of Perfection

About this book

"The Scale of Perfection" — an English classic of contemplation

Text from Christian Classics Ethereal Library; in the public domain.

Contents

1. Publishers' Note
2. An Essay on the Spiritual Life of Mediaeval England · Part 1
3. An Essay on the Spiritual Life of Mediaeval England · Part 2
4. An Essay on the Spiritual Life of Mediaeval England · Part 3
5. CHAPTER I: That the inward State of the Soul should be like the outward
6. CHAPTER II: Of the Active Life, and the Exercises and the Works thereof
7. CHAPTER III: Of the Contemplative Life, and the Exercises and Works thereof
8. CHAPTER IV: Of three Sorts that be of Contemplation and of the First of them
9. CHAPTER V: Of the Second Sort of Contemplation
10. CHAPTER VI: Of the Lower Degree of the Second Sort of Contemplation
11. CHAPTER VII: Of the Higher Degree of the Second Sort of Contemplation
12. CHAPTER VIII: Of the Third Sort of Contemplation
13. CHAPTER IX: Of the Difference that is betwixt the Second and Third Sort of Contemplation
14. CHAPTER X: How that Appearings or Shewings to the Corporal Senses or Feelings may be both good and evil
15. CHAPTER XI: How thou shalt know whether the Showing or Apparition to the bodily Senses and Feelings be good or evil
16. CHAPTER XII: How and in what things a Contemplative Man should be busied
17. CHAPTER XIII: How Virtue beginneth in Reason and Will and is perfected in Love and Liking, or Affection
18. CHAPTER XIV: Of the Means that bring a Soul to Contemplation
19. THE SCALE OR LADDER OF PERFECTION · BOOK I · PART I · CHAPTER XV
20. CHAPTER XVI: Of a firm Faith necessary thereto, and what things we ought to believe thereby
21. CHAPTER XV: Of a firm and resolute Intent and Purpose necessary hereto
22. CHAPTER XVIII: A brief Rehearsal of what hath been said, and of an Offering made of them altogether to Jesus
23. THE SCALE OR LADDER OF PERFECTION · BOOK I · PART II · CHAPTER I
24. THE SCALE OR LADDER OF PERFECTION · BOOK I · PART II · CHAPTER II
25. CHAPTER III: That a Man should know the measure of his Gift, that he may desire and take a better when God giveth it
26. CHAPTER I: Of the Knowledge of a Man's Soul and the Powers thereof necessary to Contemplation
27. CHAPTER II: Of the Worthiness and Excellency of the Soul and how it was lost
28. SECTION I: That a Man should be industrious to recover again his ancient Dignity and reform within him the Image of the Trinity, and how it may be done
29. SECTION II: That this Dignity and Image is restored by Jesus, and how He is to be desired, sought and found
30. SECTION I: Of the Ground and Image of Sin in us, which is first to be found out and laboured against, and how it is to be done
31. SECTION II: What the said Image of sin is, properly, and what cometh out of it
32. SECTION I: Of the Seven Deadly Sins, and first of Pride, what it is, and when it is a deadly Sin and when but venial
33. SECTION II: How Pride in Heretics and in Hypocrites is deadly sin
34. SECTION III: A short Exhortation to Humility and Charity, with a Conclusion how a Man may know how much Pride he hath in him
35. SECTION I: Of Envy and Wrath and their Branches, and how, instead of sin, the Person is often hated
36. SECTION II: That it is a Mastery and noble Skill to love Men's Persons, and yet wisely to hate their sins, and how
37. SECTION III: How a Man shall know how much Wrath and Envy is hid in the ground of his Heart, and how he may know whether he loves his Enemies, and the Examples we have thereof in our Saviour
38. CHAPTER VII: Of Covetousness and how a Man may know how much of it is hid in his Heart
39. SECTION I Of Gluttony and how a Man shall know when he sinneth not in Eating and Drinking, and when he sinneth venially, and when deadly
40. SECTION II: That a Man should be busy to put away and hinder all Motions of sin, but more busy about those of Spiritual sins than those of Bodily
41. SECTION III: What Remedy a Man should use against the Faults in Eating and Drinking
42. CHAPTER IX: Of the Five Windows of this dark Image, and what cometh in by them, and how they are to be ordered
43. CHAPTER X: Of another Hole or Window that is to be stopped as well as the Windows of the Senses, namely, the Imagination
44. CHAPTER XI: A Brief Rehearsal of what hath been said in the former Chapters, with a Portraiture of this dark Image of sin
45. CHAPTER XII: A comparing of this Image with the Image of Jesus, and how it is to be dealt with
46. CHAPTER XIII: How a Man shall be shapen to the Image of Jesus, and Jesus shapen in him
47. CHAPTER XIV: The Conclusion of this Book, and of the Cause why it was made, and how she for whom it was made was to make use of it
48. THE SECOND BOOK · PART I · CHAPTER I
49. CHAPTER II: Of two Manners of reforming of this Image, one in fulness, another in part
50. CHAPTER III: That Reforming in part is in two manners, one in Faith, another in Feeling
51. CHAPTER IV: That through the Sacrament of Baptism (which is grounded in the Passion of Christ) this Image is reformed from Original Sin
52. CHAPTER V: That through the Sacrament of Penance (that consisteth in Contrition, Confession and Satisfaction) this Image is reformed from Actual Sin
53. CHAPTER VI: That we are to believe stedfastly the reforming of this Image, if our Conscience witness to us a full forsaking of Sin, and a true turning of our Will to good living
54. CHAPTER VII: That all the Souls that live humbly in the Faith of Holy Church, and have their Faith enlivened with Love and Charity, be reformed by this Sacrament, though it be so that they cannot feel the special gift of Devotion or of spiritual feeling
55. CHAPTER VIII: That Souls reformed need ever to fight and strive against the Motions of sin while they live here. And how a Soul may know when she assenteth to these Motions and when not
56. CHAPTER IX: That this Image is both fair and foul whilst it is in this Life here, though it be reformed; and of the Differences of the secret Feelings of those that be reformed and those that be not
57. CHAPTER X: Of three sorts of Men, whereof some be not reformed, and some be reformed only in Faith, and some both in Faith and Feeling
58. CHAPTER XI: How Men that abide and live in Sin, misshape themselves into the likeness of divers Beasts, and they be called the Lovers of the World
59. SECTION I: How Lovers of this World in divers ways disenable themselves from becoming reformed in their Souls
60. SECTION II: A little Counsel how Lovers of this World should do, if they will be reformed in their Souls before their departure hence
61. CHAPTER I: OF REFORMING IN FAITH AND FEELING ALSO: That this Reforming cannot be suddenly gotten, but in length of Time, by Grace, and much Spiritual and Corporal Industry
62. SECTION I: The Causes why so few Souls in comparison of the Multitude of others, come to this Reforming that is both in Faith and Feeling
63. SECTION II: How that without great Corporal and Spiritual Industry, and without much Grace and Humility, Souls cannot come to reforming in Feeling nor keep themselves therein after they come thereto
64. CHAPTER III: An Entry or good Beginning of a Spiritual Journey, showing how a Soul should behave herself in intending and working that will come to this Reforming, by example of a Pilgrim going to Jerusalem
65. CHAPTER IV: Of certain Temptations and Lettings which Souls feel from their Spiritual Enemies, in their Spiritual knowing and going towards Jerusalem, and the Remedies against them
66. CHAPTER V: Of an evil Day and a good Night, and what they mean, and how the Love of the World is likened to an evil Day, and the love of God to a good Night
67. CHAPTER VI: How that the Desire of Jesus felt in this lightsome Darkness slayeth all Motions of Sin, and enableth the Soul to perceive spiritual Lightnings from the heavenly Jerusalem, that is, Jesus
68. CHAPTER VII: How a Man shall know false Illuminations that are feigned by the Enemy, from the true Light of knowing that cometh out of Jesus, and by what tokens
69. CHAPTER VIII: How great profit it is to the Soul to be brought through Grace into lightsome Darkness, and how a Man shall dispose himself if he will come thereto
70. CHAPTER IX: That the Working of our Lord Jesus in the Reforming of a Soul, is divided into four times, which are: Calling, Justifying, Magnifying and Glorifying
71. CHAPTER X: How it falleth out sometimes that Souls that are but beginning or profiting in Grace seem to have more Love, as to outward tokens thereof, than some have that be perfect, and yet it is not really so in their Interior
72. CHAPTER XI: After what manner a Man shall come to know his own Soul, and how a Man should set his Love in Jesus, God and Man in one Person
73. CHAPTER I: In what Sense this Manner of Speaking of Reforming of a Soul in Feeling is to be understood; and in what Manner it is reformed, and how it is found in St Paul's Writings
74. CHAPTER II: How God openeth the inward Eye of the Soul to see Him, not all at once, but by divers times, and of three Manners of reforming of a Soul explained by a familiar Example
75. CHAPTER III: How Jesus is Heaven to the Soul, and why He is called Fire
76. CHAPTER IV: Of two manner of Loves, created and uncreated, and how we are bound to love Jesus much for our Creation; but more for our Redemption; and most of all for our Salvation, through the gifts of His Love
77. CHAPTER V: How that some Souls love Jesus by bodily Fervours, and by their own human Affections that are moved by Grace and by Reason. And how some love Him more quietly by spiritual Affections only moved inwardly through spiritual Grace of the Holy Ghost
78. CHAPTER VI: That the Gift of Love, amongst all other Gifts of Jesus, is most worthy and most profitable. And how Jesus doth all that is well done in His lovers, only for Love. And how Love maketh the exercise of all virtues and all good Deeds light and easy
79. CHAPTER VII: How Love through gracious Beholding of Jesus slayeth all stirrings of Pride; and maketh the Soul to lose the savour and delight in all earthly Honours
80. CHAPTER VIII: How Love slayeth all stirrings of Wrath and Envy easily; and reformeth in the Soul the virtues of Peace and Patience, and of perfect Charity to his Neighbour, as He did specially in the Apostles
81. CHAPTER IX: How Love slayeth Covetousness, Lechery and Gluttony, and the fleshly delight and savour in all the five Bodily Senses, softly and easily, through a gracious beholding of Jesus
82. CHAPTER X: What virtues and Graces a Soul receiveth through opening of the inner eye into the gracious Beholding of Jesus, and how it cannot be gotten only by Man's Labour, but through special Grace and his own Labour also
83. CHAPTER XI: How such special Grace for the Beholding of our Lord Jesus is withdrawn sometimes from a Soul; and how a Soul is to behave herself in the Absence and in the Presence of Jesus, and how a Soul shall alway desire (as much as is in her) the gracious Presence of Jesus
84. CHAPTER XII: A Commendation of Prayer offered up to Jesus by a Contemplative Soul, and how stableness in Prayer is a secure work to stand in; and how every Feeling of Grace in a chosen Soul may be called Jesus. But the more clean the Soul is, the more worthy the Grace is
85. CHAPTER XIII: How a Soul through the opening of the spiritual Eye receiveth a gracious Love enabling to understand the Holy Scriptures, and how Jesus, that is hid in the Holy Scriptures, showeth Himself to His Lovers
86. CHAPTER XIV: Of the secret Voice of Jesus sounding in a Soul, and how it may be known. And how all the gracious Illuminations made in a Soul be called the Speakings of Jesus
87. SECTION I: How through gracious Opening of the Spiritual Eye a Soul is made Wise, humbly and truly to see the Diversities of Degrees in Holy Church, as Militant, and for to see the nature of Angels; and first of the Reprobate
88. SECTION II: How by the same light of Grace the Nature of the blessed Angels is seen. And how Jesus is God and Man above all Creatures, according to that which the Soul may see of Him here