English

The Spiritual Ascent: A Devotional Treatise

Contents The Translator's Note The Life of Gerard Zerbolt of Zutphen by Thomas a Kempis Page vij The Devout Treatise of Gerard of Zutphen, concerning the steps that lead upward in the Spiritual Life 1 Chapter I. Concerning" five things needful for them that order themselves for progress in the Religious Life 1 Chapter II. Concerning the place and state of natural and primitive worthiness in which God did set man in the beginning, and concerning the many gifts which He gave to him. 4 Chapter III. Concerning the valley of tears to the which mankind hath fallen, through the lapse of the first man ; also of the minishing of the powers of the soul and the ill-adjustment thereof which man hath incurred; and how this is the first lapse from our aforesaid state of uprightness. 7 Chapter IV. How that mankind have not only departed from a state of uprightness through the fall of the first man, but also have gone very far to impurity of heart, being beguiled by their concupiscence ; the nature of thisimpurity of heart, and how this is the second lapse 9 Chapter V. Of the third downfall of man, namely, by mortal sin, by the which he hath gone very far off, to a land of estrangement 12 Chapter

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