The five and twenty chapitre. That in the tyme of this werk a parfite soule hath no special beholding to any o man in this liif.
No Special Regard in the Work
In the contemplative work, the soul forgets all particular persons, yet afterward charity makes it love foe as much as friend.
I'm not saying that in this work he'll have a special regard for any particular person in this life, whether friend or foe, kin or stranger. For that can't be if this work is to be done perfectly—as it is when everything under God is fully forgotten, as this work requires. But I say that through the power of this work he'll be made so virtuous and so charitable that afterward, when he comes down to converse with others or to pray for his fellow Christians—not withdrawing from this work entirely, for that can't be done without great sin, but withdrawing from the height of this work, which it is sometimes expedient and necessary to do, as charity asks—his will will then be directed as specially to his foe as to his friend, to the stranger as to his kin.1 Yes! And sometimes more to his foe than to his friend.
Equal Love for All in Contemplation
In the time of this work, all persons are loved equally and nakedly for God, without partiality.
Nevertheless, in this work he has no time to consider who is his friend or his foe, his kin or a stranger. I'm not saying he won't feel it sometimes — yes!2 very often — his affection more intimately toward one, two, or three than toward all these others; for that is allowed for many reasons, as charity requires.3 For Christ felt such an intimate affection toward John, and toward Mary, and toward Peter before many others. But I say that in the time of this work all will be equally intimate to him; for then he will feel no cause but only God.4 So that all will be loved plainly and nakedly for God, and as well as himself.5
Universal Charity and Christ's Example
The soul united to God in this work wills the perfection and salvation of all people, as Christ did on the Cross.
For just as all people were lost in Adam, and all people who by their actions intend to show their desire for salvation are saved—and will be saved—by the power of Christ's Passion alone (not in the same way, but in a sense the same way), so a soul that is perfectly disposed in this work, and thus united to God in spirit, as the evidence of this work shows, does everything it can to make all people as perfect in this work as it is itself.6 For just as when a limb of our body feels pain, all the other limbs are pained and distressed by it, or if a limb is well, all the rest rejoice with it: so it is spiritually with all the members of Holy Church.✦ For Christ is our head, and we are the limbs, if we are in charity; and anyone who wants to be a perfect disciple of our Lord must lift his spirit upward in this work spiritually for the salvation of all his brothers and sisters by nature, as our Lord offered His body on the Cross.7 And how? Not for His friends and His family and His intimate companions, but generally for all humankind, without any special regard for one over another.8 For all who turn from sin and ask for mercy will be saved through the power of His Passion.
All Virtues in One Loving Stirring
All virtues are subtly contained in the little impulse of love that defines this contemplative work.
And as it's said of meekness and charity, so it should be understood of all other virtues. For they are all subtly contained in this little impulse of love touched on before.9
Read the original Middle English
I say not that in this werke he schal have a specyal beholdyng to any man in this liif, whether that he be freende or fo, sib or fremmyd. For that may not be yif this werke schal parfitely be done, as it is whan alle thinges under God ben fully forgetyn, as fallith for this werke. Bot I sey that he schal be maad so vertuous and so charitable by the vertewe of this werke, that his wille schal be afterwardes, whan he condesendith to comoun or to pray for his even Cristen -- not fro alle this werk, for that may not be withouten grete synne, bot fro the height of this werk, the whiche is speedful and needful to do sumtyme, as charité askith -- as specialy than directe to his foo as to his freende, his fremmyd as his sib. Ye! and somtyme more to his fo then to his freende.
Nevertheles in this werk he hath no leyser to loke after who is his frende or his fo, his sib or his fremmid. I say not bot he schal fele somtyme -- ye! ful ofte -- his affeccion more homely to one, two, or thre, then to alle thees other; for that is leveful to be for many causis, as charité askith. For soche an homly affeccion felid Criste to Jhonn, and unto Marye, and unto Petre bifore many other. Bot I say that in the tyme of this werk schal alle be iliche homly unto hym; for he schal fele than no cause bot only God. So that alle schul be lovid pleinly and nakidly for God, and as wel as himself.
For as alle men weren lost in Adam, and alle men, that with werke wil witnes theire wille of salvacion, ben savid, and scholen be, by vertewe of the Passion of only Criste -- not in the same maner, bot as it were in the same maner -- a soule that is parfitely affecte in this werk, and onyd thus to God in spirit, as the preof of this werk witnessith, doth that in it is to maak alle men as parfite in this werk as itself is. For right as if a lyme of oure body felith sore, alle the tother lymes ben pined and disesid therfore, or yif a lyme fare wel, alle the remenaunt ben gladid therwith: right so is it goostly of alle the limes of Holy Chirche. For Crist is oure hede, and we ben the lymes, if we be in charité; and whoso wile be a parfite dissiple of oure Lordes, him behovith streyne up his spirite in this werk goostly for the salvacion of alle his brethren and sistren in kynde, as oure Lorde did His body on the Cros. And how? Not for His freendes and His sib and His homely lovers, bot generaly for alle mankynde, withouten any special beholdyng more to one then to another. For alle that wylen leve sinne and axe mercy scholen be savid thorow the vertewe of His Passion.
And as it is seyde of meeknes and charité, so it is to understonden of alle other vertues. For alle thei ben sotely comprehendid in this litil love put touchid before.
Scripture echoes
- ↩1Cor.12.26 — And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'the whiche is speedful and needful to do sumtyme, as charité askith' most naturally refers to withdrawing from the height (coming down for neighbor-love), not to abandoning the work itself; 'comoun' rendered as ordinary converse/dealings with others.
- 2 ↩ME 'I say not bot' is a litotes meaning 'I do not deny that' / 'I'm not saying he won't'.
- 3 ↩ME 'homely' here means familiar/intimate closeness, not modern 'plain-looking'.
- 4 ↩'Cause' here means a particular ground or reason for preferring one person over another; during the work, God alone is felt as the ground.
- 5 ↩ME 'nakidly' is Cloud technical diction for bare love without covering particular motives; retained as 'nakedly'.
- 6 ↩"not in the same maner, bot as it were in the same maner" marks an analogy, not identity: the contemplative soul's effect is like Adam/Christ corporate solidarity only by likeness.
- 7 ↩"charité" rendered as charity (theological virtue/state of being in charity), not generic warmth. "in kynde" = by nature / fellow human beings.
- 8 ↩"homely lovers" = intimate/familiar beloved ones (close companions), not romantic lovers in the modern sense.
- 9 ↩ME 'love put' is the Cloud's technical term for a brief contemplative impulse or stirring of love toward God; rendered here as 'impulse of love'.
The Cloud of Unknowing companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent