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Francis de Sales: Introduction to the Devout Life

Francis de Sales · translated by Anonymous (Rivingtons, 1885) · 1609; translation 1885

The classic guide to holiness for people living in the world, written for a married laywoman.

Edition: CCEL · www.ccel.org

Free to read, with no account needed. Public domain or openly licensed, with every source named.

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From the opening: Part I

COUNSELS AND PRACTICES SUITABLE FOR THE SOUL'S GUIDANCE FROM THE FIRST ASPIRATION AFTER A DEVOUT LIFE TO THE POINT WHEN IT ATTAINS A CONFIRMED RESOLUTION TO FOLLOW THE SAME.

I. What True Devotion is . . . 1 II. The Nature and Excellence of Devotion . . . 5 III. Devotion is suitable to every Vocation and Profession . . . 8 IV. The Need of a Guide for those Who Would enter upon and advance in the Devout Life . . . 11 V. The First Step must be Purifying the Soul . . . 15 VI. The First Purification, namely, from Mortal Sin . . . 18 VII. The Second Purification, from all Sinful Affections . . . 20 VIII. How to effect this Second Purification . . . 22 IX. First Meditation--Of Creation . . . 24 X. Second Meditation--Of the End for which we were Created . . . 27 XI. Third Meditation--Of the Gifts of God . . . 30 XII. Fourth Meditation--On Sin . . . 32 XIII. Fifth Meditation--On Death . . . 35 XIV. Sixth Meditation--On Judgment . . . 38 XV. Seventh Meditation--Of Hell . . . 41 XVI. Eighth Meditation--On Paradise . . . 43 XVII. Ninth Meditation On the Choice open to you between Heaven and Hell . . . 45 XVIII. Tenth Meditation--How the Soul chooses the Devout Life . . . 48 XIX. How to make a General Confession . . . 51 XX. A hearty Protest made with the object of confirming the Soul's resolution to serve God, as a conclusion to its Acts of Penitence . . . 53 XXI. Conclusion of this First Purification . . . 56 XXII. The Necessity of Purging away all tendency to Venial Sins . . . 57 XXIII. It is needful to put away all Inclination for Useless and Dangerous Things . . . 60 XXIV. All Evil Inclinations must be purged away . . . 62

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Contents (54 sections)

  1. Opening
  2. Preface by the Author
  3. Part I
  4. Containing Sundry Counsels as to Uplifting the Soul to God in Prayer and the Use of the…
  5. Containing Counsels concerning the Practice of Virtue
  6. Containing Needful Counsels concerning Some Ordinary Temptations
  7. Containing Counsels and Practices for Renewing and Confirming the Soul in Devotion
  8. Chapters III–IV
  9. Chapters V–VII
  10. Chapters VIII–X
  11. Chapters XI–XIII
  12. Chapters XIV–XVI
  13. Chapters XVII–XIX
  14. Chapters XX–XXII
  15. Chapters XXIII–XXIV
  16. Chapters I–II
  17. Chapters III–VIII
  18. Chapters IX–XII
  19. Chapter XIII — Aspirations, Ejaculatory Prayer and Holy Thoughts
  20. Chapters XIV–XVI
  21. Chapters XVII–XIX
  22. Chapters XX–XXI
  23. Chapter I — How to select that which we should chiefly Practise
  24. Chapters II–III
  25. Chapters IV–V
  26. Chapters VI–VII
  27. Chapter VIII — Gentleness towards others and Remedies against Anger
  28. Chapters IX–X
  29. Chapters XI–XII
  30. Chapters XIII–XIV
  31. Chapters XV–XVI
  32. Chapters XVII–XVIII
  33. Chapters XIX–XX
  34. Chapters XXI–XXII
  35. Chapter XXIII — On The Practice of Bodily Mortification
  36. Chapters XXIV–XXV
  37. Chapters XXVI–XXVIII
  38. Chapter XXIX — On Slander
  39. Chapters XXX–XXXIII
  40. Chapters XXXIV–XXXVI
  41. Chapters XXXVII–XXXVIII
  42. Chapters XXXIX–XL
  43. Chapter XLI — One Word to Maidens
  44. Chapters I–II
  45. Chapters III–IV
  46. Chapters V–VII
  47. Chapters VIII–XI
  48. Chapters XII–XIII
  49. Chapter XIV — Of Dryness and Spiritual Barrenness
  50. Chapter XV — An Illustration
  51. Chapters I–III
  52. Chapters IV–VII
  53. Chapters VIII–XIII
  54. Chapters XIV–XVIII

How to cite it

Chicago
Francis de Sales. Francis de Sales: Introduction to the Devout Life. Translated by Anonymous (Rivingtons, 1885). CCEL, 1609; translation 1885. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life
MLA
Francis de Sales. Francis de Sales: Introduction to the Devout Life. Translated by Anonymous (Rivingtons, 1885), CCEL, 1609; translation 1885. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life
APA
Francis de Sales (1609; translation 1885). Francis de Sales: Introduction to the Devout Life (Anonymous (Rivingtons, 1885), Trans.). CCEL. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life

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