The five and seventy chapitre. Of somme certein tokenes bi the whiche a man may prove whether he be clepid of God to worche in this werk.
Testing the Stirring
The author warns that a pleasant feeling while reading is not proof of a divine calling, and offers a test: a true calling is marked by a habitual, chief stirring of love that surpasses all other exercises.
All those who read the contents of this book, or hear them being read or spoken, and who find it good and pleasing, are not for that reason alone called by God to engage in this work—merely because of this pleasant stirring they feel while reading. For perhaps this stirring comes more from the intellect's natural curiosity than from any calling of grace. But if they want to test where this stirring comes from, they can test it this way, if they like. First let them see whether they have beforehand done all that is in their power, preparing themselves for it by cleansing their conscience according to the judgment of Holy Church, with their counsel agreeing. If it is so, that much is well. But if they want to know more closely, let them see whether it is always pressing on their mind more habitually than any other spiritual exercise. And if it seems to them that there is anything they do, bodily or spiritually, that is sufficiently done by the witness of their conscience unless this secret little stirring of love is, in a spiritual way, the chief of all their work—and if they feel this way—then it is a sign that they are called by God to this work. And surely not otherwise.
The Withdrawal of Grace
The author explains that the feeling of grace is often withdrawn from beginners to prevent pride, and that a renewed fervor after such a delay is the clearest sign of a true calling.
I'm not saying that it will always last and stay continually in the minds of everyone who's called to work in this work. No, it isn't so. Because from a young spiritual apprentice in this work, the actual feeling of it is often withdrawn for various reasons; sometimes so that he won't grow over-familiar with it and assume that it's largely in his own power, to have it whenever he wants and however he wants. And such a notion would be pride. And always, when the feeling of grace is withdrawn, pride is the cause: not always pride that already is, but pride that would be, if this feeling of grace weren't withdrawn. And so some young fools often think that God is their enemy, when He is their true friend. Sometimes it's withdrawn because of their carelessness; and when that happens, they soon feel a deeply bitter pain that beats them hard. Sometimes our Lord will delay it deliberately, because through this delay He wants it to grow and become more precious when it is newly found and felt again after being lost for a long time.12 And this is one of the clearest and surest signs a soul can have to know whether he is called to work in this work or not: if after such a delay and a long absence of this work, he feels that when it comes suddenly, as it does, without any effort on his part, he then has a greater fervor of desire and a greater love-longing to work in this work than he ever had before—so much so that I often believe he has more joy in finding it again than he ever had sorrow in losing it.34 And if it is like this, it is surely a true sign without error that he is called by God to work in this work, whatever he may be or has been.
Holy Desire and Farewell
The author concludes by affirming that God looks at what you would be, citing Gregory and Augustine on holy desire, and then offers a blessing and the book's colophon.
For God doesn't look with his merciful eye at what you are or what you've been, but at what you would be. And Saint Gregory bears witness that "all holy desires grow by delays; and if they wane by delays, then they were never holy desires."5 For anyone who feels ever less and less joy in new findings and sudden presentations of his old intended desires—though they may all be called natural desires toward the good—nevertheless they were never holy desires.6 Saint Augustine speaks of this holy desire and says that "the whole life of a good Christian is nothing else but holy desire."7 Farewell, spiritual friend—may God's blessing and mine be with you. And I ask Almighty God that true peace, sound counsel, and spiritual comfort in God, with an abundance of grace, may always be with you and with all who love God on earth.8 Amen. Here ends The Cloud of Unknowing.
Read the original Middle English
Alle thoo that redyn or heren the mater of this book be red or spokin, and in this redyng or hering think it good and likyng thing, ben never the rather clepid of God to worche in this werk, only for this likyng steryng that thei fele in the tyme of this redyng. For paraventure this steryng cometh more of a kyndely coriousté of witte then of any clepyng of grace.
Bot yif thei wil prove whens this steryng cometh, thei mowe prove thus, yif hem likyth. First lat hem loke yif thei have done that in hem is before, ablyng hem therto in clensyng of theire concyence, at the dome of Holi Chirche, their counseil acordyng. Yif it be thus, weel is inasmoche. Bot yif thei wil wetyn more nere, lat hem loke yif it be evermore presing in theire mynde more costumabely then is any other of goostly excersise. And yif hem think that ther is any maner of thing that thei do, bodely or goostly, that is sufficiently done with witnes of theire concyence, bot yif this privé litil love put be in maner goostly the cheef of alle theire werk, and yif thei thus fele, then it is a token that thei ben clepid of God to this werk. And sekirly elles not.
I say not that it schal ever laste and dwelle in alle theire myndes contynowely that ben clepid to worche in this werk. Nay, so is it nought. For from a yong goostly prentys in this werk the actueel felyng therof is ofttymes withdrawen for divers skyles; somtyme for he schal not take over-homely therapon and wene that it be in grete party in his owne power, to have it when him list and as him list. And soche a wenyng were pride. And evermore whan the felyng of grace is withdrawen, pride is the cause: not ever pride that is, bot pride that schuld be, ne were that this feling of grace were withdrawen. And thus wenyn ofttymes som yong foles that God is theire enemye, when He is theire ful freende.
Somtyme it is withdrawen for theire rechelesnes; and when it is thus, thei fele sone after a ful bitter pyne that betith hem ful sore. Somtyme oure Lorde wil delaye it bi a cauteel, for He wol bi soche a delaiing make it growe and be had more in deintee when it is newe founden and felt agein, that longe had be lost. And this is one of the rediest and sovereynist tokin that a soule may have to wite bi, whether he be clepid or not to worche in this werk: yif he fele after soche a delaying and a longe lackyng of this werk, that when it cometh sodenly as it doth, unpurchasid with any mene, that he hath than a gretter fervour of desire and gretter love-longing to worche in this werk, than ever he had any before, insomochel that oftymes I trowe he hath more joie of the fynding therof, then ever he had sorow of the lesing. And yif it be thus, sekirly it is a tokin verrey withoutyn errour that he is clepid of God to worche in this werk, whatsoever that he be or hath ben.
For not what thou arte, ne what thou hast ben, beholdeth God with his mercyful ighe; bot that that thou woldest be. And Seinte Gregory to witnes that "alle holy desires growen bi delaies; and yif thei wanyn bi delaies, then were thei never holy desires." For he that felith ever les joye and les in newe fyndinges and sodeyn presentacions of his olde purposid desires, thof al thei mowe be clepid kyndely desires to the goode, nevertheles holy desires weren thei never. Of this holy desire spekith Seint Austyne and seith that "al the liif of a good Cristen man is not elles bot holy desire."
Farewel, goostly freende, in Goddes blessing and myne! And I beseche Almighti God that trewe pees, hole counseil, and goostly coumforte in God with habundaunce of grace, evirmore be with thee and alle Goddes lovers in eerthe. Amen.
HERE EENDITH THE CLOWDE OF UNKNOWING
Notes
- 1 ↩enm 'cauteel' (cautela): a deliberate precaution or wise device, not mere delay; rendered as 'careful design'.
- 2 ↩enm 'in deintee': held in precious delight/esteem; rendered as 'held more precious'.
- 3 ↩enm 'unpurchasid with any mene': not obtained by any human means or device; rendered as 'unbought by any means'.
- 4 ↩enm 'sovereynist tokin': most sovereign/surest token; rendered as 'surest signs'.
- 5 ↩Attributed to Saint Gregory (likely Gregory the Great); treated as a patristic citation, not a Scripture quotation.
- 6 ↩kyndely desires = natural (of kind/nature) desires, contrasted with holy desires; not 'kindly' in the modern sentimental sense.
- 7 ↩Attributed to Saint Augustine; treated as a patristic citation, not a Scripture quotation.
- 8 ↩ME 'hole counseil' rendered as 'sound counsel' (whole/sound/wholesome guidance); 'complete counsel' is also possible.
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
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