?The Little Book of Eternal Wisdom is among the best of the writings of Blessed Henry Suso, a priest of the Order of St. Dominic, who lived a life of wonderful labours and sufferings, and died in the Fourteenth century with a reputation for sanctity which the Church has solemnly confirmed. . . . It would be difficult to speak too highly of this little book or of its author. In soundness of teaching, sublimity of thought, clearness of expression, and beauty of illustration, we do not know of a spiritual writer that surpasses Henry Suso.? from the introduction by C. H. McKenna

Father Faber writes in Growth in Holiness: "I should also mention old Walter Hilton's Treatise to a Devout Man of Secular State, though it is not easy to procure." It is with great pleasure that we make this work easy to procure. We have added the second part from Father John Henry's Manual of Self-Knowledge and Christian Perfection

This is a photographic reprint of the original to insure accuracy. OF all the old English ascetical works which were extant before the Reformation none have maintained their reputation longer than Walter Hilton's "Scale of Perfection." Hilton was a canon of Thurgarton in Nottinghamshire, and died in 1395. His "Scale of Perfection" is found in no less than five MSS. in the British Museum alone. Wynkyn de Worde printed it at least three times-in the years 1494, 1519 and 1525. Many other editions were printed at the same period. After the Reformation it was a favourite book of Father Augustine Baker's, the well-known author of "Sancta Sophia," and his comments on it are among his manuscripts at Downside. In 1659 Father Baker's biographer and editor, Dom Serenus Cressy, O.S.B., published an edition of the "Scale," the title-page of which claims that "by the changing of some antiquated words it is] rendered more intelligible." Another edition appeared in 1672, and yet another in 1679. Within our own times two editions have been published-one by the late Father Ephrem Guy, O.S.B., in 1869, the other, a reprint of Cressy's, in 1870.

THE LITTLE BOOK OF ETERNAL WISDOM is among the best of the writings of Blessed Henry Suso, a priest of the Order of St. Dominic, who lived a life of wonderful labours and sufferings, and died in the Fourteenth century with a reputation for sanctity which the Church has solemnly confirmed. Gregory XVI. granted to the whole Order of St. Dominic the privilege of celebrating his office, and of offering the Mass yearly in his honour, appointing the Second of March for his festival. The Order of St. Dominic, known in the Church both as the Order of Truth and the Order of Preachers, so rich in pontiffs, martyrs, and confessors, is also illustrious for its theologians, its ascetic writers, its great masters of the spiritual life. Its mystic theologians stand in the first rank of those who have scaled the wondrous heights of sublime perfection. Not only have they stood on the mountain tops of the spiritual life, but they have pointed out, with a clearness surpassed by no other writers, the path of ascent, marking for the unwary its every danger. The wiles of the enemy are exposed; where, when, and how he seeks to accomplish our ruin. Our defence is first outlined, and then given in detail. The source of strength is pointed out, and thus the perilous journey may safely be made.

Much like Thomas A Kempis' "Imitation of Christ" this book reveals the mystic way toward right living, loving, and yearning for God.

This was the dignity and worth of man's soul by nature at his first creation, which thou hadst in Adam before the first sin. But when Adam sinned, choosing love and delight in himself and in the creatures, he lost all his excellency and dignity, and thou, also, in him, and fell from that Blessed Trinity into a foul, dark, wretched trinity; that is to say, into forgetting of God and ignorance of himself, and into a beastly love and liking of himself, and all this he did wittingly and willingly.

Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text.

Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text.

This was the dignity and worth of man's soul by nature at his first creation, which thou hadst in Adam before the first sin. But when Adam sinned, choosing love and delight in himself and in the creatures, he lost all his excellency and dignity, and thou, also, in him, and fell from that Blessed Trinity into a foul, dark, wretched trinity; that is to say, into forgetting of God and ignorance of himself, and into a beastly love and liking of himself, and all this he did wittingly and willingly.

THIS 22 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Goad of Love, by Walter Hilton. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1564595609.

Much like Thomas A Kempis' "Imitation of Christ" this book reveals the mystic way toward right living, loving, and yearning for God.

Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text.

THIS 22 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Goad of Love, by Walter Hilton. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1564595609.