§ 33. JOHN OF RUYSBROECK. 277
He who would follow the Flemish mystic in these utterances must have his spirit. They seem far removed from the calm faith which leaves even the description of such ecstatic states to the future, and is content with doing the will of God in the daily avocations of this earthly life. Expressions he uses, such as " spiritual intoxication," ^ are not safe, and the experiences he describes are, as he declares, not intended for the body of Christian people to reach here below. In most men they would take the forms of spiritual hysteria and the hallucinations of hazy self-consciousness. It is well that Ruysbroeck's greatest pupil, de Groote, did not follow along this line of meditation, but devoted himself to practical questions of every-day living and works of philanthropy. The ecstatic mood is characteristic of this mystic in the secluded home in Brabant, but it is not the essential element in his religious thought. His descriptions of Christ and his work leave little to be desired. He does not dwell upon Mary, or even mention her in his chief work. He insists upon the works which proceed from genuine love to God. The chapter may be closed with two quotations : —
" Even devotion must give way to a work of love to the spiritual and to the physical man. For even should one rise in prayer higher than Peter or Paul, and hear that a poor man needed a drink of water, he would have to cease from the devotional exercise, sweet though it were, and do the deed of love. It is well pleasing to God that we leave Him in order to heli? His members. In this sense the Apostle was willing to be banished from Christ for his brethren's sake."
" Always before thou retire at night, read three books, which thou oughtest always to have with thee. The first is an old, gray, ugly volume, written over with black ink. The second is white and beautifully written in red, and the third in glittering gold letters. First read the old volume. That means, consider thine own past life, which is full of sins and errors, as are the lives of all men. Retire within thyself and read the book of conscience, which will be thrown open at the last judgment of Christ. Think over how badly thou hast lived, how negligent thou hast been in thy words, deeds, wishes and thoughts. Cast down thy eyes and cry, ' God be merciful to me a sinner.' Then God will drive away fear and anxious concern and will give thee hope and faith. Then lay the old book aside and go and fetch from memory the white book. This is the
» See Lambert, pp. 62, 63, etc.
278 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1294-1517.
guileless life of Christ, whose soul was pure and whose guileless body was bruised with stripes and marked with rose-red, precious blood. These are the letters which show his real love to us. Look at them with deep emotion and thank him that, by his death, he has opened to thee the gate of heaven. And finally lift up thine eyes on high and read the third book, written in golden script; that is, consider the glory of the life eternal, in comparison with which the earthly vanishes away as the light of the candle before the splendor of the sun at midday."^
§ 34. Gierrit de Groote and the Brothers of the Common Life.
It was fortunate for the progress of religion, that mysticism injlolland-and Jj^orthwejtern Germany did not confine itself to the channel into which it had run at Groenendal. In the latter part of the fourteenth century, and before Ruysbroeck's death, it associated with itself practical phihuithi;opic__activities under the leadership oi Gerrit Grootg,_lS40— i&§4^ and Florentius Radewyn, 1350-1400, who had finished his studies in Prag. They were the founders of the Windesheim Congregation and the genial company known as the Brothers of the Common Life, called also the Brothers of the New Devotion. To the effort to attain to union with God they gave a new impulse by insisting that men imitate the conduct of Christ.2 Originating in Holland, they spread along the Rhine and into Central Germany.
Groote was born at Dey enter, where his father had been burgomaster. Afterstudying at_Paris, he taught at Cologne, and received the appointment of canon, enjoying atTeast^wo church livings, one at Utrecht and one at Aachen. He lived the life of a man of the world until he experienced a sudden conversion through the influence of a friend, Henry of Kolcar, a Carthusian prior. He renounced his ecclesiastical livings and visited Ruysbroeck, being much influenced by him. Thomas a Kempis remarks that Groote could say, after his
1 Quoted by Galle, pp. 184-224.
2 See Grube, Gerh. Groot, p. 9 ; Langenberg, p. ix ; Pastor, I. 160. The Latin titles of the brotherhood were fratres vitce communis, fratres moderrue devotionis, fratres bonae voluntatis, with reference to Luke 11: 14, and f rat res collationarii with reference to their habit of preaching. Groote's name is spelled Geert de Groote, Gherd de Greet (Langenberg, p. 3), Gerhard Groot (Grube), etc.