Ruysbroeck was constantly desirous of preserving the distinction between the uncreated and created spirits. In the unifying of the soul with God he does not assert an identification of personality, but merely a cessation of the difference in thought and desire, and a giving-up of the independence of the creature. His language was often so strong, however, and liis thought often so sub- limated, that more cautious thinkers found serious cause to charge his writings with pantheism. This was true of Gerson {0pp. vol. i, pt. i, p. 59 sq.). Few mystics
RUYSBROEK
184
RYE
have ascended to the empyrean where Ruysbroeek so constantly dwelt; and the endeavor to compress into forms of speech the visions seen in a state where all clear and real apprehension is at an end occasioned the fault of indetiniteness with which his writings must be charged. His inriuence over theological and philosoph- ical thought was not so great as that exercised by EcU- art and Tauler, and was chiefly limited to his immedi- ate surroundings. The Brotherhood of the Common Life (q. v.) was founded by Gerhard Groot, one of Ruys- broeck's pupils, and its first inception may perhaps be traced back to Ruysbroeek himself — a proof that he was not whollv inditferent to the conditions of practical life. See Engelhardt, Richard v. St. Victor u. J. Ruysbroeek (Erlang. 1838); Ullmann, Reformatoren vor der Re- J'ormation, \i,3o sq. ; Schmidt, Etudes sur le Mysticisnm Alleiimnd itu lime Siecle, in Memoires de rAcademie des Sciences Morales (1847); Noack, Die christliche Mystik, i, 147 sq. ; Bohringer, Deutsche Mystiker d. l-ifen u. loten Jahrhiuulerts, p. 462 sq. — Herzog, Real-Eiicy- klop. s. V.
Ruysbroek (or Rubruquis), Willem de, a
medi;eval traveller and missionary, was born in Bra- bant about 122t). In 1253 Louis IX of France sent him and two other friars to Tartary. The object of their mission was to propagate Christianity among the Tar- tars, to search for Prester John, and to visit Sartach, a Tartar chief, who was reported to be a Christian. Ruys- broek performed this arduous enterprise bravely, and, returning through Persia and Asia Minor, reached home in August. 1255. He died after 1256. He wrote a work, which is divided into two parts, De Gestis (or De Mori- bus) Tartartoruin, and Itiiierarium Orienth. Hakhiyt published one part in his Principal Navigations (Lond. 1598-160G, 3 vols, fol.); but the story of Ruysbroek is found most complete in Purchas's Pilgrims (1626, 4 vols, fol.). — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generule, s. v.
Ruze, GuiLi.AUME, a French prelate, was horn at Paris about 1530. He taught rhetoric and philosophy in the College of Navarre, where he received the degree of doctor. He was councillor under Henry H, Charles IX, and Henry HI, who made him grand almoner. In 1570 he was promoted to the bishopric of Saint-Malo, but resigned it two years later to receive that of Angers. In 1583 he assisted at the Council of Tours, and ren- dered into French the confession of faith adopted by that council. He was also the author of a French trans- lation of tlie Commonitorium adversus Hcereticos of Vin- cent de Lerius. Ruze died Sept. 28, 1587. See Gallia Chi-istiana. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.
Rybaut (or Ribaut), Paui., a French Protestant minister, was born near JMontpellier in 1718. While the law made the preaching of Protestant doctrine a capital otfence, he lived and preached for many years in caves and huts in the forest. He was a man of extensive in- fluence, and often used it to restrain his people from vi- olent measures. He died in 1795.
Ryder, Henry, D.D., an English prelate, a younger son of the earl of llarrowby, was born in 1777, became dean of Wells in 1812, bishop of Gloucester in 1815, and was translated to Lichfield and Coventry in 1824. He died in 1836. He published several Sermons and Charges (1806-32). For full obituary, see Gentleman's Magazine, 1836, i, 658.
Ryder, James, D.D., a Roman Catholic ecclesias- tic, was born in Dublin in 1800. and emigrated to the United States in early youth. He entered the novitiate of the Societ}' of .Jesus in 1815, and |nirsued his secular studies at (ieorgetown College, JNId., from 1815 to 1820, and his theological studies at Rome from 1820 to 1825. He then received holy orders, and occupied the chair of theology and Sacred Scriptures in the College of Spo- leto, Italy, from 1825 to 1828. He returned to America in 1828, and was for several years professor of theology and vice-president of Georgetown College. In 1839 he
was pastor of St. Mary's Church, Philadelphia, and also of St. John's Church, Frederick, Md. From 1840 to 184.5, and also from 1848 to 1851, he was president of Georgetown College, and from 1845 to 1848 president of the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass. He was also superior of the Order of Jesuits in the province of North America. Ryder died in 1860. He published occasional Lectures and Discourses, and was a contribu- tor to the EncyclopcBdia A mericana. See Allibone, Diet, of Brit, and A nier. A uthors, s. v.
Ryder, 'William, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was born in Holliston, Middlesex Co., Mass., June 27, 1805. He joined the Church in Fort Ann, N. Y., in 1824, and in 1830 was licensed to preach. A year or two afterwards he entered the Troy Conference. He was ordained ileacon in 1833, but was obliged through ill-health in 1834 to take a superannu- ated relation. His disease was of a rheumatic-neuralgic nature, and so severe that in 1837 he lost all power of locomotion, and the use of almost every muscle. His sufferings were verj' intense, and from them he had very little release. He contrived to have a book so placed before him that he could read, and was thus en- abled to beguile many painful hours each day. He died in 1849. See Wentworth, The Superannuate (N. Y. 1846); Minutes of Annual Conferences, 1850, p. 458.