The Way of Perfection

INTRODUCTION

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE     

GENERAL ARGUMENT   

PROTESTATION PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1 - Of the reason which moved me to found this convent

CHAPTER 2 - Treats of how the necessities of the body should be disregarded

CHAPTER 3 - Continues the subject of the first

CHAPTER 4 - Exhorts the nuns to keep their Rule

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER 4  

CHAPTER 5 - Continues speaking of confessors.

CHAPTER 6 - Returns to the subject of perfect love.

CHAPTER 7 - Treats of the same subject of spiritual love.

CHAPTER 8 - Treats of the great benefit of self-detachment.

CHAPTER 9 - Treats of the great blessing that shunning their relatives brings.

CHAPTER 10 - Teaches that detachment from things aforementioned is insufficient

CHAPTER 11 - Continues to treat of mortification

CHAPTER 12 - Teaches that the true lover of God must care little for life        

CHAPTER 13 - Continues to treat of mortification

CHAPTER 14 - Treats of not professing anyone whose spirit is contrary

CHAPTER 15 - Treats of the great advantage which comes from our not excusing ourselves,

CHAPTER 16 - Describes the difference between perfection in contemplatives and those who are content

CHAPTER 17 - How not all souls are fitted for contemplation

CHAPTER 18 - Continues the same subject

CHAPTER 19 - Begins to treat of prayer.

CHAPTER 20 - Describes how we never lack consolation on the road of prayer.

CHAPTER 21 - Describes the great importance of practice of prayer with firm resolution

CHAPTER 22 - Explains the meaning of mental prayer    

CHAPTER 23 - Describes the importance of not turning back

CHAPTER 24 - Describes how vocal prayer may be practised with perfection

CHAPTER 25 - Describes the great gain which comes from vocal prayer

CHAPTER 26 - Continues the method for recollecting the thoughts.

CHAPTER 27 - Describes the great love shown us by the Lord in the first words of the Paternoster

CHAPTER 28 - Describes the nature of the Prayer of Recollection

CHAPTER 29 - Continues to describe methods for achieving this                   

CHAPTER 30 - Describes the importance of understanding what we ask for in prayer.

CHAPTER 31 - Continues the same subject.

CHAPTER 32 - Expounds these words of the Paternoster: “Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra.

CHAPTER 33 - Treats of our need the Lord should give us “Panem nostrum quotidianum de nobis hodie.”

CHAPTER 34 - Continues the same subject.

CHAPTER 35 - Describes the recollection which should be practised after Communion.

CHAPTER 36 - Treats of these words in the Paternoster: “Dimitte nobis debita nostra”

CHAPTER 37 - Describes the excellence of this prayer called the Paternoster,

CHAPTER 38 - Treats of the great need to beseech “Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo.”

CHAPTER 39 - Continues the same subject and concerning different kinds of temptation

CHAPTER 40 - Describes how to travel safely amid all these temptations

CHAPTER 41 - Speaks of the fear of God

CHAPTER 42 - Treats of  “Sed libera nos a malo. Amen.”