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Holy Wisdom: Or, Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation

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Holy Wisdom: Or, Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation Holy Wisdom: or, Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation Author(s): Baker, Ven. F. Augustine (1575-1641) Publisher: Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: As a Catholic priest in 17th century England, Augustine Baker lived in constant danger. His persecutors followed him wherever he went to pray and profess religion.This collection of ascetical treatises exhibits the breadth of Baker©s spiritual teachings. Baker©s first treatise advises Christians to live an internal life with God as their guide. The second treatise de- scribes the process of mortification, by which the ascetic person strengthens the will to overcome the desire for sin. The third treatise focuses on prayer, illuminating the useful- ness of different types of prayer and meditation. Baker be- lieved that the continued practice of holy exercises draws Christians close to God. His persuasive treatises urge Christians to develop their spiritual lives with the observance of prayer, mortification, meditation, and contemplation. Emmalon Davis CCEL Staff Writer Subjects: Practical theology Practical religion. The Christian life Asceticism i Contents Title Page 1 Introductory 3 Editor’s Preface 4 Approbations 14 Author’s Preface 19 The First Treatise. Of an Internal Life in General. 36 First Section. Of a Contemplative Life. 37 Chapter I. The Nature and End of an Internal Life 37 Chapter II. Of Natural Propensions to Devotion 41 Chapter III. Of a State Contemplative and Active 44 Chapter IV. Of the Necessity of a Strong Resolution 48 Chapter V. Of the Danger of a Tepid Life 55 Chapter VI. The Parable of a Pilgrim 58 Second Section. God is the Guide and Director. 64 Chapter I. Two Internal Guides in all Christians 65 Chapter II. Of an External Director 70 Chapter III. Of reading Spiritual Books 80 Chapter IV. Of immediate Divine Inspirations 85 Chapter V. Impediments to Divine Inspirations 90 Chapter VI. How God communicates Internal Light 95 Chapter VII. How to obtain Light in Doubtful Cases 101 Chapter VIII. What is the certainty of Divine Inspiration? 109 Chapter IX. Divine Calls do not prejudice Authority 112 Third Section. The School of Contemplation, viz. Solitude and a Religious 117 Profession. Chapter I. All Conditions capable of Contemplation 118 ii Chapter II. These Instructions Profitable to Seculars 122 Chapter III. The Great Advantages of a Religious State 126 Chapter IV. A State of Introversion is the end of Religion 129 Chapter V. How Far Ignorance will excuse Religious Persons 138 Chapter VI. The Contemplation of the Primitive Monks 142 Chapter VII. The Special Duties of Religious Persons 146 Chapter VIII. The Duties of Superiors 150 Chapter IX. The Duties of Novices 155 Chapter X. Of the Apostolical Mission into England 158 The Second Treatise. Of the First Instrument of Perfection, viz., Mortification. 162 First Section. Of Mortifications in General. 163 Chapter I. All duties contained in Mortification and Prayer 164 Chapter II. Mortification of an Affection to Venial Sins 167 Chapter III. Absolute Necessity of Mortification 172 Chapter IV. General Rules of Mortification 176 Chapter V. Of Mortifications, Voluntary and Necessary 181 Chapter VI. Of Abstraction of Life, and Solitude 186 Chapter VII. Of Silence 190 Chapter VIII. Of Tranquillity of Mind 195 Second Section. Certain Special Mortifications of the Passions. 199 Chapter I. Of Special Mortifications 200 Chapter II. Of the Mortification of Love 202 Chapter III. The Nature and Acts of Divine Charity 205 Chapter IV. Of Purity of Intention 208 Chapter V. The Order and Degrees of Charity to others 213 Chapter VI. Of Temperance in Refection 221 Chapter VII. Of Patience 227 Chapter VIII. Of Scrupulosity 232 Chapter IX. Of Scruples arising from Inward Sources 236 Chapter X. Of Scruples concerning External Duties 240 Chapter XI. Of Scruples concerning Confession 244 Chapter XII. Of Scruples concerning Vocation 253 iii Chapter XIII. Of Humility 256 Chapter XIV. Of Obedience 265 Chapter XV. Of Virtues in General 273 The Third Treatise. Of Prayer. 277 First Section. Of Prayer in General. 279 Chapter I. The Excellency of Prayer in General 280 Chapter II. Of Vocal Prayer 282 Chapter III. The Excellency of Internal Affective Prayer 286 Chapter IV. Of Prayer without Ceasing 292 Chapter V. Of Sensible Devotion 299 Chapter VI. Of Distractions 308 Chapter VII. The Doctrine of Fr. Baltazar Alvarez, S.J. Defended 313 Second Section. Of the first degree of Internal Prayer, viz., Meditation. 321 Chapter I. The degrees of Prayer 322 Chapter II. Of Meditation 330 Chapter III. How Meditation is to be Exercised 333 Chapter IV. Of set Retirements for Meditation 338 Chapter V. Signs when a Change of Prayer is Seasonable 341 Third Section. Of the Exercises of Immediate Forced Acts of Will, Being the Second 348 Degree of Internal Prayer. Chapter I. Of Acts of the Will and Affections 349 Chapter II. Variety of Acts, how to be exercised 354 Chapter III. Of the Exercise of Acts of Resignation 364 Chapter IV. How Prayer is to be Exercised in Distractive Offices 369 Chapter V. How Prayer is to be Practised in Sickness 375 Chapter VI. Of Spiritual Discretion 387 Chapter VII. Of the Prayer of Interior Silence 393 Fourth Section. Of Contemplation. 402 Chapter I. Of Contemplation in General 403 Chapter II. Of the Prayer of Aspirations 409 Chapter III. Of Passive Unions 416 Chapter IV. Of a Passive Union purely Intellectual 425 iv Chapter V. OF the Great Desolation 429 Chapter VI. OF the State of Perfection 433 Acts and Affections. 437 An Advertisement to the Reader 437 A Postscript to the Reader 439 A Memorial by Fr. Leander 444 Certain Patterns of Devout Exercises of Immediate Acts and Affections of the 451 Will. To the Devout Reader 452 Acts upon the Life and Passion of Jesus Christ 453 Psalmus de Passione D. N. Jesu Christi 470 Holy Exercises of Contrition 472 Actus Contritionis, &c. 480 Holy Exercises of Pure Love to God 483 Certain Amorous Desires, &c. 487 Certain Amorous Speeches of the Soul to Herself in Prayer 491 Holy Exercises of Acts of the Will 496 Holy Exercises of Resignation 501 A Daily Constant Exercise 516 Exercitium Quotidianum 521 Subject Index 527 Indexes 535 Index of Scripture References 536 Index of Pages of the Print Edition 537 v This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, Kindle, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/baker/holy_wisdom.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/2984. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. vi Title Page Title Page Holy Wisdom i Or Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation iiiii Extracted out of more than Forty Treatises BY THE VEN. FATHER F. AUGUSTINE BAKER A MONK OF THE ENGLISH CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY ORDER OF S. BENEDICT METHODICALLY DIGESTED BY R. F. SERENUS CRESSY OF THE SAME ORDER AND CONGREGATION AND NOW EDITED FROM THE DOUAY EDITION OF 1657 BY THE RIGHT REV. ABBOT SWEENEY, D.D. OF THE SAME ORDER AND CONGREGATION 1 Title Page LONDON BURNS GATES & WASHBOURNE LTD PUBLISHERS TO THE HOLY SEE iv 2 Introductory Introductory v vi 3 Editor's Preface Editor’s Preface PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION. IF it is a duty to apply to holy books the practice which the Following of Christ bids us observe towards holy persons, ‘not to dispute concerning the merits of the saints, as to who is more holy than another, or greater in the kingdom of heaven,’ it will not be right to give xi the preference to the work which we are now offering in a new form to the public, over the many, spiritual books which have helped on souls in the way of perfection. But it will not be right either to give to other books a preference over this. Certainly Sancta Sophia has been of great service in instructing beginners, in guiding proficients, and in securing those that have arrived at some degree of perfection, in the way along which Almighty God has called and led souls that have been highly privileged; and the Holy Spirit, who breatheth where He will, has through the words of the Venerable Father Baker whispered to these souls, and has drawn them on to a closer and closer union with Himself. Ever since the time that I first became acquainted with the writings of Father Augustine Baker, either in the epitome of them in which Father Serenus Cressy has so successfully presented them in his compilation, to which he gave the appropriate name which this book bears, Sancta Sophia, Holy Wisdom, or in their extended and full form, as they exist in various portions in some of our convents, I felt the desire to enter upon the task, which by God’s blessing I have at last completed, of republishing with necessary annotations this golden treasury.
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