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The Cloud of Unknowing · 17 of 80

Chapter 12. That by virtue of this work sin is not only destroyed, but also virtues begotten

AND, therefore, if thou wilt stand and not fall, cease never in thine intent: but beat evermore on this cloud of unknowing that is betwixt thee and thy God with a sharp dart of longing love, and loathe for to think on aught under God, and go not thence for anything that befalleth. For this is only by itself that work that destroyeth the ground and the root of sin. Fast thou never so much, wake thou never so long, rise thou never so early, lie thou never so hard, wear thou never so sharp; yea, and if it were lawful to do—as it is not—put thou out thine eyes, cut thou out thy tongue of thy mouth, stop thou thine ears and thy nose never so fast, though thou shear away thy members, and do all the pain to thy body that thou mayest or canst think: all this would help thee right nought. Yet will stirring and rising of sin be in thee.

Yea, and what more? Weep thou never so much for sorrow of thy sins, or of the Passion of Christ, or have thou never so much mind of the joys of heaven, what may it do to thee? Surely much good, much help, much profit, and much grace will it get thee. But in comparison of this blind stirring of love, it is but a little that it doth, or may do, without this. This by itself is the best part of Mary without these other. They without it profit but little or nought. It destroyeth not only the ground and the root of sin as it may be here, but thereto it getteth virtues. For an it be truly conceived, all virtues shall truly be, and perfectly conceived, and feelingly comprehended, in it, without any mingling of the intent. And have a man never so many virtues without it, all they be mingled with some crooked intent, for the which they be imperfect.

For virtue is nought else but an ordained and a measured affection, plainly directed unto God for Himself. For why? He in Himself is the pure cause of all virtues: insomuch, that if any man be stirred to any one virtue by any other cause mingled with Him, yea, although that He be the chief, yet that virtue is then imperfect. As thus by example may be seen in one virtue or two instead of all the other; and well may these two virtues be meekness and charity. For whoso might get these two clearly, him needeth no more: for why, he hath all. p. 116

Asked of Guide

Why does the author say bodily penance and tears aren't enough to root out sin?

The chapter says bodily mortification and weeping help but leave “stirring and rising of sin” because they don’t remove the inner ground of sin; only a sustained, longing attention on the “cloud of unknowing” with a “sharp dart of longing love” destroys that root. The writer insists that virtues conceived in this blind, loving attention are pure and “perfectly conceived,” while virtues gained by mixed motives remain crooked and imperfect.

The author defines virtue as “an ordained and a measured affection, plainly directed unto God for Himself,” so external acts fail when they’re motivated by anything other than God. He points to meekness and charity as examples: when they arise from that pure, loving attention, they suffice and bring all other virtues with them, echoing ideas about the primacy of interior intention found in Christian mystical texts.

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