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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13694	The follovving of Christ Diuided into foure bookes. Written in Latin by the learned and deuout man, Thomas a Kempis, canon-regular of the order of S. Augustine. Whereunto also is added the golden Epistle of S. Bernard. And also certaine rules of a Christian life, made by Iohn Picus the elder, Earle of Mirandula. Translated into English by B.F.; Imitatio Christi. English.	Hoskins, Anthony, 1568-1615.; Elyot, Thomas, Sir, 1490?-1546.; Bernard, of Clairvaux, Saint, 1090 or 91-1153. Epistola de perfectione vitae. English.; Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, 1463-1494, Regulae duodecim portim excitantes portim dirigentes hominem in pugna spirituali. English. aut; Thomas, à Kempis, 1380-1471, attributed name.; Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?	1615 (1615)	STC 23988; ESTC S111535	135,170	483

passe avvay Eccl. 2. Would God their life had beene answerable to their learning then had their study and reading bin to good purpose How many perish in this world by reason of vaine learning who take little care of the seruice of God Tit. 1. And because they rather choose to bee great then humble Rom. 1. therefore they vanish away in their owne thoughts Mat. 18. and 23. He is truely great that is great in charity He is truly great that is little in himselfe and that maketh no account of the height of honor He is truly wise that accounteth all earthly things as dung that he may gaine Christ And he is truly learned that fulfilleth the will of Christ and forsaketh his owne Phil. 3. CHAP. IV. Of Prudence and Fore-sight in our actions WE must not giue eare to euery suggestion or instinct but ought warily leasurely to ponder things according to the wil of God 1. Io. 4. But alas such is our weakenesse that wee rather often beleeue and speake euill of others then good Those that are perfectly vertuous do not easily giue credit to euery thing that is told them Gen. 8. for they know that humane frailtie is prone to euill and very subiect to faile in words Iam. 3. 2 It is great wisedome not to be rash in thy proceedings nor to stand stiffely in thine owne conceits Prouerb 19. as also not to beleeue euery thing which thou hearest nor presently to relate againe to others what thou hast heard or doest beleeue Prou. 17. Consult with him that is wise and of a good conscience and seeke to be instructed by a better then thy selfe rather then to follow thine owne inuentions A good life maketh a man wise according to God and giueth him experience in many things Prou. 15. and Eccl. 1. How much the humbler one is in himselfe and more subiect and resigned vnto God so much the more prudent shall hee bee in all his affaires and enioy greater peace and quiet of heart CHAP. V. Of the reading of holy Scriptures TRuth not eloquence is to bee sought for in holy Scriptures Each part of them is to be read with the same spirit it was made Wee should rather search after spirituall profit in Scriptures then subtility of speech Rom. 15. We ought to reade deuout and simple books as willingly as high and learned Let not the reputation of the writer offend thee whether he be of great or small learning but let the pure word of truth moue thee to reade Search not who spake this or that but marke what is spoken 1. Cor. 2. 2 Men passe away but the truth of our Lord remaineth for euer Psal 110. and Luk. 21. God speaketh vnto vs sundry wayes without respect of persons Our owne curiosity often hindereth vs in reading of the Scriptures when as we will examine and discusse that which wee should rather passe ouer without more ado Rom. 2. 10. Col. 3. If thou desire to reape profite reade humbly plainly and faithfully neuer desire the estimation of learning Inquire willingly and heare with silence the words of holy men dislike not the Parables of Elders for they are not recounted without cause Prou. 1. and 18. CHAP. VI. Of inordinate desires and affections WHensoeuer a man desireth any thing inordinately he is presently disquieted in himselfe The proud and couetous can neuer rest The poore and humble in spirit liue together in all peace The man that is not wholly dead in himselfe is quickely tempted and ouercome in small and trifling things The weake in spirit and that is yet in a manner subiect to his appetites and prone to sensible things can hardly withdraw himselfe altogether from earthly desires And therefore hee is often afflicted when hee goeth about to retire himselfe from them and easily falleth into indignation when any opposition is made against him 2 And if he hath followed therein his appetite hee is presently disquieted with remorse of conscience for that hee yeeldeth to his passion which profiteth him nothing to the obtaining of the peace hee sought for True quiet of minde therefore is gotten by resisting our passions not by obeying them There is no peace in the heart of a carnall man nor of him that is addicted to outward things but in the spirituall and feruent CHAP. VII Of flying vaine Hope and Pride HEE is vaine that putteth his trust in men or creatures Hier. 17.1 Bee not ashamed to serue others for the loue of Iesus Christ nor to be esteemed poore in this world Presume not vpon thy selfe but place thy hope in God Psalm 30. Doe vvhat lyeth in thy power and God will assist thee Trust not in thine owne knowledge nor in the wisdome or prudence of any liuing creature but rather in the grace of God who helpeth the humble and humbleth the presumptuous and proud Hier. 9. 2 Glory not in wealth if thou haue it nor in the power of thy friends but in God who giueth all things and aboue all desireth to giue thee himselfe Extol not thy selfe for the stature and beauty of thy bodie which is dissolued disfigured with euery little sicknes Take not pleasure in thy naturall gifts or wit lest therby thou displease God to whom appertaineth all the good whatsoeuer Nature hath giuen thee 3 Esteeme not thy selfe better then others lest perhaps in the sight of God who knoweth what is in man thou be accounted worse then they Exod. 3. 12. Bee not proud of thy good workes for the iudgements of God are far different from the iudgements of men and that often offendeth him which pleaseth them Iob 9. If there be any good in thee beleeue that there is much more in others that so thou mayst the better keepe within thy heart the precious treasure of humility It is no preiudice vnto thee to esteeme thy selfe worse then all the world but it hurteth thee very much to preferre thy selfe before any one The humble enioy continuall peace but in the heart of the proud is enuy and often indignation CHAP. VIII That too much familiarity is to be shunned LAy not thy heart open to euery one but treate of thy affaires with the wise and such as feare God Eccl. 8. Conuerse not much with yong people and strangers Flatter not the rich neither doe thou appeare willingly before great personages Keep company with the humble simple deuout and vertuous and conferre with them of those things that may edifie Be not familiar with any woman but in generall commend all good women to God Prou. 5. Desire to bee familiar with God alone and his Angels and fly the knowledge of men 2 Wee must haue charitie towards all but familiaritie with all is not expedient Sometimes it falleth out that the fame of some person that is not knowne is much esteemed whose presence notwithstanding is not gratefull to the eyes of the beholders Wee thinke sometimes to please others by our company and wee rather distate them with

THE FOLLOWING OF CHRIST Diuided into foure Bookes Written in Latin by the Learned and deuout Man THOMAS A KEMPIS Canon-Regular of the Order of S. AVGVSTINE Whereunto also is added the golden EPISTLE of S. BERNARD And Also certaine rules of a Christian life made by IOHN PICVS the elder Earle of MIRANDVLA· Translated into English by B. F. Printed with licence 1615. TO THE HONORABLE AND VERTVOVS ELIZABETH VAVX Mother to the Lord HARRODOVVNE HOnorable Right Worthy the publike demonstration which you haue lately giuen of your true desire to follow the footsteps of our Lord vndergoing so heauy a Crosse for his sake with so ready and resolued a minde hath moued mee to dedicate this little Booke of the IMITATION OF CHRIST vnto you assuring my selfe that it will be no lesse gratefull to you to see it appeare in light purged from many mistaken sentences which were in the former Translation then the reading and practise thereof wil be profitable to others it being so diuine and excellent a worke as in the opinion of such as can best judge of this matter of all the Bookes which are written that treate of Spirit Christian Perfection the holy Scripture excepted it is inferiour to none if it excelleth not all No book hath bin more approued by generall consent none more often printed translated into diuers languages none more esteemed commended yea commanded also by the chiefe Masters of Spirit of some religious Orders to be often read by euery one in priuate and once a week publikely to al. So full of sweet sense is this diuine Flower that the most spirituall Bees may daily draw from thence great plentie of celestiall hony It is a dish of so diuine meat that it neuer satiates the deuout mind but as the Wisdome of God doth promise to all such as sit at that heauenly banquent so shal they find in this spiritual food The more they eat it the more they shall hunger after it Eccles 4. And the reason hereof is for that it containeth so great depth of spirit and so great store and variety of heauenly documents that it seemeth euer new to the Reader and like another Manna affordeth to euery one that delightfull taste which best agreeth with the palate of his soule and none can loath it but they whose lustes doe carry them to Aegyptian slauery A true Israelite may feed vpon it forty yeares together and euer finde such pleasing taste and encreasing strength by vse therof as wil sustaine him in the desert of this world and enable him to goe on without fainting till he arriue at his promised inheritance of eternall rest The practise of that which this booke doth teach couereth the soule with the rich garment of grace and adorneth it with the splendent pearls of Euangelical perfection which maketh vs more pleasing in the sight of God then can the deckings of all earthly jewels make the fairest Lady in the Kingdome where you are appeare beautifull to the eyes of men It returneth abundant gaine for sustained losses and enlargeth the liberty which is now restrained It raiseth vp to cheerefull confidence the debased head placeth in a Throne of endlesse honour those who in this world doe seeme imprisoned in the blacke cloud of disgrace To you therefore who haue so willingly endured the losse of your earthly substance I haue thought good to present this Euangelicall Pearle and incomparable Treasure contained in a little roome Here you shall find the most perfect manner of conforming our selues to Christ our heauenly paterne see the vertues set forth in their colours which did most shine in the life of our Lord himselfe and reade in plaine and vulgar phrase those Lessons of high perfection which are commended vnto vs by the highest Wisdome which haue made as many Saints as they haue had diligent and obseruant followers Accept therefore I beseech you this little Present presented by him who wisheth you much more temporall happines then your present state affordeth and that endlesse glory whereof your present suffering is no vncertaine pledge This first of Nouember 1612. Yours in all dutie B. F. A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THIS ensuing Booke THE FIRST BOOKE OF the imitation of Christ and contempt of all the vanities of the world pag. 1 Of the humble conceit of our selues pag. 4 Of the doctrine of truth pag. 7 Of prudence and foresight in our actions pag. 13 Of the reading of holy Scriptures pag. 14 Of inordinate desires and affections pag. 16 Of flying vaine hope and pride pag. 17 That too much familiarity is to be shunned pag. 19 Of obedience and subiection pag. 21 Of auoiding superfluitie of words pag. 23 Of the obtaining of peace and zeale of spirituall profit pag. 25 Of the profit of aduersitie pag. 29 Of resisting temptations pag. 30 Of auoiding rash iudgement pag. 36 Of workes done of charitie pag. 38 Of bearing with the defects of others pag. 40 Of religious life pag. 42 Of the examples of the holy Fathers pag. 44 Of the exercise of a good and religious person pag. 48 Of the loue of solitude and silence pag. 54 Of compunction of heart pag. 60 Of the consideration of humane misery pag. 64 Of the consideration of death pag. 70 Of iudgement and the punishment of sin pag. 77 Of the feruent amendment of our whole life pag. 83 THE SECOND BOOKE OF spirituall conuersation pag. 93 Of humble submission pag. 99 Of a good and peaceable man pag. 101 Of a pure minde and vpright intention pag. 104 Of the consideration of ones selfe pag. 106 Of the comfort of a good conscience pag. 108 Of the loue of Iesus aboue all things pag. 111 Of familiar conuersation with Iesus pag. 114 Of the want of all comfort pag. 118 Of thankefulnes for the grace of God pag. 124 How few the the louers of the Crosse of Christ are pag. 128 Of the high way of the holy Crosse pag. 131 THE THIRD BOOKE OF the inward speech of Christ vnto a faithfull-soule pag. 143 That truth speaketh inwardly without noise of words pag. 145 That the words of God are to bee heard with humilitie and that many weigh them not pag. 147 That we ought to liue in truth and humilitie in the sight of God pag. 152 Of the wonderfull effect of diuine grace pag. 156 Of the proofe of a true Louer pag. 161 That grace is to be hid vnder the veile of humilitie pag. 165 Of a meane conceit of our selues in the sight of God pag. 170 That all things are to bee referred vnto God as vnto the last end pag. 173 That despising the world it is sweet to serue God pag. 175 That the desires of our heart are to be examined and moderated pag. 179 Of the effects of patience and of strife against concupiscence pag. 182 Of the humble obedience of a subiect according to the example of Christ pag. 185 Of the secret Iudgements of God to bee considered lest

so dealt withall we that are poore and weake ought not to despaire if we be somtimes feruent and sometimes cold for the spirit commeth and goeth according to the good pleasure of his will Ioh. 3. For which cause blessed Iob saith Thou visitest him early in the morning and suddenly thou prouest him Iob 7. 6 Whereupon therefore can I hope or wherin ought I to trust but in the great mercy of God alone and in the only hope of heauenly grace For whether I enioy the presence of good men or deuout brethren or faithfull friends or holy bookes or learned treatises or sweet songs and hymnes all these helpe little haue little sauour when grace forsaketh mee and I remaine left in my owne pouerty At such a time there is no better remedy then patience and the resigning of my selfe vnto the will of God Luk. 9. 7 I neuer found any so religious and deuout that hath not had sometimes a withdrawing of grace or felt not a decrease of feruour There was neuer Saint so highly wrapt and illuminated who first or last was not tempted For he is not worthy of the high contemplation of God who hath not bin exercised with some tribulation for God sake For temptation going before is wont to bee a signe of ensuing comfort And vnto those that are proued by temptations heauenly comfort is promised He that shal ouercome saith he I wil giue him to eate of the wood of life Apocal. 21. 8 But diuine comfort is giuen that a man may be stronger to beare aduersities There followeth also temptatiō lest we should wax proud of that good The diuel sleepeth not neither is our flesh as yet dead 1. Pet. 5. therefore cease not to prepare thy selfe to the battaile for on thy right hand and on thy left are enemies that neuer rest CHAP. X. Of thankefulnesse for the grace of God WHy seekest thou rest since thou art borne to labour Iob 3. Dispose thy selfe to patience rather then to comforts and to the bearing of the Crosse rather then to gladnes What secular person is there that would not willingly receiue spirituall joy and comfort if hee could alwayes haue it Luk. 14. Spirituall comforts exceed all the delights of the world all the pleasures of the flesh All worldly delights are either vaine or vncleane but spirituall delights are onely pleasant and honest produced by vertues and infused by God into pure hearts But no man can alwayes enioy these diuine comforts according to his desire for the time of temptation is not long away 2 False freedome of minde and great trust of our selues is very contrary to heauēly visitation God doth well in giuing grace but man doth euill in not returning it againe wholy vnto God with thankesgiuing And therefore the gifts of grace cannot flow in vs because wee are vngratefull to the giuer and returne them not wholly to the head-fountaine Eccles 1. For grace is euer due to him that is thankefull and from the proud shall be taken that which is wont to be giuen to the humble 3 I desire not that consolation that taketh from me compunction nor that contemplation which breedeth a haughtie minde For all that is high is not holy nor all that is sweet good nor euery desire pure nor euery thing that is deare vnto vs is gratefull to God I do willingly accept of that grace whereby I may euer become more humble and fearfull and be made more ready able to forsake my selfe He that is taught by the gift of grace by the scourge of the withdrawing thereof wil not dare to attribute any good to himselfe but will rather acknowledge himselfe poore and naked Giue vnto God that which is Gods Mat. 22. and ascribe vnto thy selfe that which is thine owne that is giue thankes vnto God for his grace and acknowledge that nothing is to be attributed to thee but only sinne and the punishment due thereunto 4 Content thy selfe and desire alwaies the meanest lowest things and the highest shall be giuen thee for the highest stand not without the lowest The highest Saints before God are the least in their own iudgments Luk. 14. And how much the more glorious so much the humbler within themselues Those that are ful of truth and heauenly glory are not desirous of the vaine-glory of this world Those that are firmely setled and grounded in God can no way be proud And they that ascribe all vnto God what good soeuer they haue receiued seeke not glory one of another Ioh. 5. but would haue that glory which is from God alone and desire aboue all things to praise God in himselfe and in all the Saints and alwaies tend vnto the same 5 Bee therefore gratefull for the least gift and thou shalt bee made worthy to receiue greater Let the least bee vnto thee also as the greatest and the most contemptible as an especiall gift If thou consider the worth of the giuer no gift wil seeme little or of meane esteeme For it is not little that is giuen by the soueraigne Maiesty of God Yea if hee should giue punishment and stripes it ought to be gratefull for that hee doth it alwayes for our saluation whatsoeuer he permitteth to happen vnto vs. He that desireth to keep the grace of God let him be thankefull for the grace giuen and patient for the taking away thereof Let him pray that it may returne Let him be wary and humble lest he leese it CHAP. XI How few the louers of the Crosse of Christ are IEsus hath now many louers of his heauenly kingdome but few bearers of his Crosse He hath many desirous of comfort but few of tribulation He findeth many companions of his Table but few of his abstinence Al desire to rejoyce with him few will suffer any thing for him or with him Many follow Iesus vnto the breaking of bread but few to the drinking of the Chalice of his Passion Many reuerence his miracles few follow the ignominy of his Crosse Luk. 9.22 Many loue Iesus as long as aduersities happen not Many praise and blesse him as long as they receiue any comfort from him But if Iesus hide himselfe and leaue them but a while they fal either into complaint or into too much deiection of minde 2 But they that loue Iesus for Iesus and not for some comfort of their own blesse him in al tribulation and anguish of hart as wel as in the greatest comfort And although he should neuer giue them comfort they notwithstanding would euer praise him and alwayes giue him thankes 3 O how powerfull is the pure loue of Iesus which is mixed with no selfe-loue nor proper interest Phil. 2. Are they not all to be called hirelings that euer seeke comforts Doe they not shew themselues to be rather louers of themselues then of Christ that alwaies think of their cōmoditie and gaine Where may one be found that will serue God without looking for reward 4 It is hard to finde