Christian Classics
‹ The Cloud of Unknowing
Contents
IntroductionGlossaryPrayerPrologueTable of the ChaptersChapter 1: Of four degrees of Christian men's living, and of the course of his calling that this book was made untoChapter 2: A short stirring to meekness, and to the work of this bookChapter 3: How the work of this book shall be wrought and of the worthiness of it before all other worksChapter 4: Of the shortness of this work, and how it may not be come to by the curiosity of wit, nor by imaginationChapter 5: That in the time of this work all the creatures that ever have been, be now, or ever shall be, and all the works of those same creatures, should be hid under the cloud of forgettingChapter 6: A short conceit of the work of this book, treated by questionChapter 7: How a man shall have him in this work against all thoughts, and specially against all those that arise of his own curiosity, of cunning, and of natural witChapter 8: That in the time of his work all the creatures that ever have been, be now, or ever shall be, and all the works of those creatures, should be hid under the cloud of forgettingChapter 9: That in the time of this work the rememberance of the holiest creature that ever God made letteth more than it profitethChapter 10: How a man shall know when his thought is no sin; and if it be sin, when it is deadly and when it is venial.Chapter 11: That a man should weigh each thought and each stirring after that it is, and always eschew recklessness in venial sin.Chapter 12: That by Virtue of this word sin is not only destroyed, but also virtues begotten.Chapter 13: What meekness is in itself, and when it is perfect and when it is imperfect.Chapter 14: That without imperfect meekness coming before, it is impossible for a sinner to come to the perfect Virtue of meekness in this lifeChapter 15: A short proof against their error that say, that there is no perfecter cause to be meeked under, than is the knowledge of a man's own wretchednessChapter 16: That by virtue of this work a sinner truly turned and called to contemplation cometh sooner to perfection than by any other work; and by it soonest may get of God forgiveness of sinsChapter 17: That a very contemplative list not meddle him with active life, nor of anything that is done or spoken about him, nor yet to answer to his blamers in excusing of himselfChapter 18: How that yet unto this day all actives complain of contemplatives as Martha did of Mary. Of the which complaining ignorance is the causeChapter 19: A short excusation of him that made this book, teaching how all contemplatives should have all actives fully excused of their complaining words and deedsChapter 20: How Almighty God will goodly answer for all those that for the excusing of themselves list not leave their business about the love of HimChapter 21: The true exposition of this gospel word, 'Mary hath chosen the best part'Chapter 22: Of the wonderful love that Christ had to man in person of all sinners truly turned and called to the grace of contemplationChapter 23: How God will answer and purvey for them in spirit, that for business about His love list not answer nor purvey for themselvesChapter 24: What charity is in itself, and how it is truly and perfectly contained in the work of this bookChapter 25: That in the time of this work a perfect soul hath no special beholding to any one man in this lifeChapter 26: That without full special grace, or long use in common grace, the work of this book is right travailous; and in this work, which is the work of the soul helped by grace, and which is the work of only GodChapter 27: Who should work in the gracious work of this bookChapter 28: That a man should not presume to work in this work before the time that he be lawfully cleansed in conscience of all his special deeds of sinChapter 29: That a man should bidingly travail in this work, and suffer the pain thereof, and judge no manChapter 30: Who should blame and condemn other men's defaultsChapter 31: How a man should have him in beginning of this work against all thoughts and stirrings of sinChapter 32: Of two ghostly devices that be helpful to a ghostly beginner in the work of this bookChapter 33: That in this work a soul is cleansed both of his special sins and of the pain of them, and yet how there is no perfect rest in this lifeChapter 34: That God giveth this grace freely without any means, and that it may not be come to with meansChapter 35: Of three means in the which a contemplative prentice should be occupied; in reading, thinking, and prayingChapter 36: Of the meditations of them that continually travail in the work of this bookChapter 37: Of the special prayers of them that be continual workers in the work of this bookChapter 38: How and why that short prayer pierceth heavenChapter 39: How a perfect worker shall pray, and what prayer is in itself; and, if a man shall pray in words, which words accord them most to the property of prayerChapter 40: That in the time of this work a soul hath no special beholding to any vice in itself nor to any virtue in itselfChapter 41: That in all other works beneath this, men should keep discretion; but in this noneChapter 42: That by indiscretion in this, men shall keep discretion in all other things; and surely else neverChapter 43: That all writing and feeling of a man's own being must needs be lost if the perfection of this work shall verily be felt in any soul in this lifeChapter 44: How a soul shall dispose it on its own part, for to destroy all witting and feeling of its own beingChapter 45: A good declaring of some certain deceits that may befall in this workChapter 46: A good teaching how a man shall flee these deceits, and work more with a listiness of spirit than with any boisterousness of bodyChapter 47: A slight teaching of this work in purity of spirit; declaring how that on one manner a soul should shew his desire unto God, and on ye contrary, unto manChapter 48: How God will be served both with body and with soul, and reward men in both; and how men shall know when all those sounds and sweetness that fall into the body in time of prayer be both good and evilChapter 49: The substance of all perfection is nought else but a good will; and how that all sounds and comforts and sweetness that may befall in this life be to it but as it were accidentsChapter 50: Which is chaste love; and how in some creatures such sensible comforts be but seldom, and in some right oftChapter 51: That men should have great wariness so that they understand not bodily a thing that is meant ghostly; and specially it is good to be wary in understanding of this word in, and of this word upChapter 52: How these young presumptuous disciples misunderstand this word in, and of the deceits that follow thereonChapter 53: Of divers unseemly practices that follow them that lack the work of this bookChapter 54: How that by virtue of this work a man is governed full wisely, and made full seemly as well in body as in soulChapter 55: How they be deceived that follow the fervour of spirit in condemning of some without discretionChapter 56: How they be deceived that follow the fervour of spirit in condemning of some without discretionChapter 57: How these young presumptuous disciples misunderstand this other word up; and of the deceits that follow thereonChapter 58: That a man shall not take ensample of Saint Martin and of Saint Stephen, for to strain his imagination bodily upwards in the time of his prayerChapter 59: That a man shall not take ensample at the bodily ascension of Christ, for to strain his imagination upwards bodily in the time of prayer: and that time, place, and body, these three should be forgotten in all ghostly workingChapter 60: That the high and the next way to heaven is run by desires, and not by paces of feetChapter 61: That all bodily thing is subject unto ghostly thing, and is ruled thereafter by the course of nature, and not contrariwiseChapter 62: How a man may wit when his ghostly work is beneath him or without him and when it is even with him or within him, and when it is above him and under his GodChapter 63: Of the powers of a soul in general, and how Memory in special is a principal power comprehending in it all the other powers and all those things in the which they workChapter 64: Of the other two principal powers, Reason and Will, and of the work of them before sin and afterChapter 65: Of the first secondary power, Imagination by name; and of the works and of the obedience of it unto Reason, before sin and afterChapter 66: Of the other secondary power, Sensuality by name; and of the works and of the obedience of it unto Will, before sin and afterChapter 67: That whoso knoweth not the powers of a soul and the manner of her working, may lightly be deceived in understanding of ghostly words and of ghostly working; and how a soul is made a God in graceChapter 68: That nowhere bodily, is everywhere ghostly; and how our outer man calleth the work of this book noughtChapter 69: How that a man's affection is marvelously changed in ghostly feeling of this nought, when it is nowhere wroughtChapter 70: That right as by the defailing of our bodily wits we begin more readily to come to knowing of ghostly things, so by the defailing of our ghostly wits we begin most readily to come to the knowledge of God, such as is possible by grace to be had hereChapter 71: That some may not come to feel the perfection of this work but in time of ravishing, and some may have it when they will, in the common state of man's soulChapter 72: That a worker in this work should not deem nor think of another worker as he feeleth in himselfChapter 73: How that after the likeness of Moses, of Bezaleel and of Aaron meddling them about the Ark of the Testament, we profit on three manners in this grace of contemplation, for this grace is figured in that ArkChapter 74: How that the matter of this book is never more read or spoken, nor heard read or spoken, of a soul disposed thereto without feeling of a very accordance to the effect of the same work: and of rehearsing of the same charge that is written in the prologueChapter 75: Of some certain tokens by the which a man may prove whether he be called of God to work in this work

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Chapter 15: A short proof against their error that say, that there is no perfecter cause to be meeked under, than is the knowledge of a man's own wretchedness

HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER

A short proof against their error that say, that there is no perfecter cause to be meeked under, than is the knowledge of a man’s own wretchedness.

AND trust steadfastly that there is such a perfect as I speak of, and that it may be come to through in this life. And this I say in confusion of their error, that say that there is no perfecter cause of than is that which is raised of the remembrance of our wretchedness and our before‑done sins.

I grant well, that to them that have been in accustomed sins, as I am myself and have been, it is the most needful and speedful cause, to be meeked under the remembrance of our wretchedness and our before‑done sins, ever till the time be that the great rust of sin be in great part rubbed away, our conscience and our counsel to witness. But to other that be, as it were, innocents, the which never sinned deadly with an will and avisement, but through frailty and unknowing, and the which set them to be contemplatives—and to us both if our counsel and our conscience witness our lawful amendment in and in confession, and in making satisfaction after the statute and the of all‑Holy Church, and thereto if we feel us stirred and called by to be contemplatives also—there is then another cause to be meeked under as far above this cause as is the living of our Lady Mary above the living of the sinfullest in Holy Church; or the living of Christ above the living of any other man in this life; or else the living of an angel in heaven, the which never felt—nor shall feel—frailty, is above the life of the frailest man that is here in this world.

For if it so were that there were no perfect cause to be meeked under, but in seeing and feeling of wretchedness, then would I wit of them that say so, what cause they be meeked under that never see nor feel—nor never shall be in them—wretchedness nor stirring of sin: as it is of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, our Lady Mary, and all the and angels in heaven. To this perfection, and all other, our Lord JESUS CHRIST calleth us Himself in the gospel: where He biddeth that we should be perfect by as He Himself is by nature.