The foure and sixty chapitre. Of the other two principal mightes, reson and wil; and of the werk of hem bifore sinne and after.
The Work of Reason Before and After the Fall
Reason, created to discern good from evil, was capable by nature before sin, but now requires grace to function rightly, and both reason and its objects are contained in the mind.
Reason is a power that lets us separate the evil from the good, the evil from the worse, the good from the better, the worse from the worst, the better from the best. Before man ever sinned, reason could have done all this by nature. But now it's so blinded by original sin that it can't work this work unless it's illuminated by grace. And both reason itself and the thing it works on are comprehended and contained in the mind.
The Work of Will Before and After the Fall
Will, which chooses and delights in the good discerned by reason, was undeceivable before sin but now needs anointing with grace to avoid being deceived by false semblances of good, and both will and its objects are contained in the mind.
The will is a power through which we choose the good once reason has determined it; it’s also the power through which we love the good, desire the good, and ultimately find our rest in God with full delight and consent. Before humanity sinned, the will couldn't be deceived in its choosing, its loving, or any of its works, because by nature it could then savor each thing exactly as it was.1 But now, it can’t do that unless it’s anointed with grace. For often, because of the infection of original sin, it savors as good a thing that is thoroughly evil, and that has only the likeness of good. And both the will and the thing that it wills are contained and comprehended in the mind.
Read the original Middle English
Reson is a myght thorou the whiche we departe the ivel fro the good, the ivel fro the worse, the good fro the betir, the worse fro the worste, the betir from the best. Before er man synned, might reson have done al this by kynde. Bot now it is so blendid with the original synne that it may not kon worche this werk bot yif it be illuminid by grace. And bothe the self reson, and the thing that it worcheth in, ben comprehendid and contened in the mynde.
Wille is a myght thorou the whiche we chese good, after that it be determinid with reson; and thorow the whiche we love good, we desire good, and resten us with ful likyng and consent eendli in God. Before er man synnid, might not wille be disceyvid in his chesyng, in his lovyng, ne in none of his werkes; for whi it had than by kynde to savour iche thing as it was. Bot now it may not do so, bot yif it be anointed with grace. For oftymes, bicause of infeccion of the original synne, it savoreth a thing for good that is ful yvel, and that hath bot the licnes of goode. And bothe the wille and the thing that it wilnith the mynde conteneth and comprehendith in it.
Notes
- 1 ↩savour: ME spiritual-psychological sense of tasting/perceiving a thing's true quality; rendered 'savor' to keep that force without archaism.
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