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3 Clin
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http://archive.org/details/cu31924029356429
A MEDIAEVAL MYSTIC
NIHIL OBSTAT F.
Osmund Cooney, O.F.M. Provincial
Censor Deputa'us,
IMPRIMATUR Edmundus Canonicus Sukmont Vicarius Generalise
Westmonasterii Die
17
OcTOBRis 1910
A MEDIEVAL MYSTIC A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF BLESSED JOHN RUYSBROECK, CANON REGULAR OF GROENENDAEL A.D. 1293-1 381
DOM VINCENT
SCULLY,
C.R.L.
{Permissu Superiorum)
NEW YORK
BENZIGER BROTHERS 1911
/^
,^3/-^^-^-5"
PRINTED BV HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEV, FOR THOMAS BAKER,
72,
NEWMAN
LD.,
LONDON AND AYLESBURY,
STREET, LONDON, W.
TO
THE RIGHT REV. AUGUSTIN
H.
WHITE,
LORD ABBOT OF WALTHAM
C.R.L.
CONTENTS PiGJJ
INTRODUCTION I.
II.
ix
EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION
,
AS A SECULAR PRIEST IN
BRUSSELS III.
I
FALSE MYSTICS
6 .
.
.
.10
IV.
THE HERMITAGE OF GROENENDAEL
I7
V.
THE CANONS REGULAR OF GROENENDAEL
25
PRIOR OF GROENENDAEL
33
VI. VII. VIII.
IX.
X. XI.
.
...
RUYSBROECK's TREE
A DIRECTOR OF SOULS
.
.
43 47
RUYSBROECK AND GERARD GROOTE
50
RUYSBROECK AND
58
WINDESHEIM
THE WRITINGS OF RUYSBROECK vii
.
6/
Contents
viii
PAGE
XII. XIII.
THE TEACHING OF RUYSBROECK
SOME APPRECIATIONS
XIV. LAST
XV.
.
.
93
.
.
DAYS
It8
THE CULTUS OF BLESSED
RUYSBROECK
I05
.
.
JOHN .
.124
INTRODUCTION The
object of the following unpretentious
little
volume
is
to give a simple
account in English of the
life
and readable and writings
of a remarkable Flemish Mystic of the four-
teenth century, a contemporary of our
Walter Hilton.
Though
honour have never faded
his
own
memory and
in his
own
native
Belgium, and though France and Germany
have vied with each other
in spreading his
teaching and singing his praises, the very
name
of Blessed
tically
unknown
John Ruysbroeck
is
this side of the water.
are acquainted with only one small
prac-
W^e
work
in
English dealing directly with the Saint or his
work
at
all, viz.
Reflections from the
Mirror
3ntvobuction
Mystic* giving the
of
life
briefest sketch of his
and some short extracts from
as translated
his writings
from the French rendering of
Ernest Hello.
The
original authorities for the history of
Ruysbroeck are practically reduced to one,
by Henry Pomerius,
the biography
a
Canon
Regular of Groenendael, entitled De Origine monasterii
monasterii
edited
primi
Rusbrochii
Joannis
una cum
Viridisvallis
et
aliqtiot
John
of
B.
hujus
ejus,
re-
Brussels, 1885.
It
certain that a disciple of
is
prions
coaetaneorum
by the BoUandists,
vitis
John Ruysbroeck,
Scoenhoven, also of Groenendael,
who undertook
the defence of Blessed John's
writings against Gerson, composed a short
biography, but this was embodied in the work of
Pomerius, and
volume fell out *
By
of use
Earle Bailie.
thereby
as
and memory.
London
:
a
separate
Pomerius
Thomas Baker.
1905.
3ntrobuction
had Scoenhoven's MS. some still
to
work upon, and
Ruysbroeck's contemporaries were
of
at
living
Groenendael when he com-
posed his biography there. ences
xi
The
brief refer-
by the Venerable Thomas a Kempis
his Vita Gerardi interest
and
Magni
in.
are likewise of great
intrinsic worth.
For the purposes of this brief biography,,
which lays no claim whatever to original
made very great Auger, De Doctrina
research, the compiler has
use of the labours of Dr. et
Mentis Joannis van Ruysbroeck, Louvain,
and Willem de Vreese, Jean de Ruysbroeck, an extract from the Biographie published
Nationale,
by I'Academie royale des
sciences,,
des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique,. Brussels, igog.
true of the
works
of
Later plete
This indebtedness is especially
summarised analysis
of the various
Ruysbroeck. it
and
may
be possible to give a com-
faithful English rendering of all
3ntvo&uction
xii
Ruysbroeck's Works from the
which
is
at present
where there this great
is
critical edition
preparing in Louvain,
an active revival
and holy Mystic
of interest in
of the Nether-
lands.
For the judgment as to the
of
competent witnesses
permanent value and extraordinary
sublimity of B. John's writings the reader is
referred to the
body
of
this
work under
the heading, Some Appreciations.
The usual
protest
is
made
according to
the Decrees of Urban VIII. concerning alleged miracles, etc., recorded in these pages. St. Ives,
Cornwall, Feast of Our Lady's Nativity, 1910.
I
Early Years and Education Blessed John Ruysbroeck, surnamed the Admirable and the Divine Doctor, by common consent the greatest Mystic the tries
at
Low Coun-
have ever produced, was born, a.d. 1293,
Ruysbroeck, a village some miles south
of Brussels, lying
between that
city
and Hal.
According to the fashion of those days, pecially with Religious,
es-
he was named after
his birthplace,
John van Ruysbroeck,
Ruysbroeck.
The Venerable a Kempis, the
Latinised form of
is
John
a case
Thomas was so named after his town, Kempen, though his patro-
in point
native
van Kempen,
or
;
U nymic
fiDebi^val nbi^Btie
Haemerken.
was
know
however, we
of
no other surname
neither do his biographers so his
father.
But
much
many
like
Ruysbroeck,
Of
;
mention
as
another great
servant of God, John was blessed with a
good mother, a devout
woman who
trained
her child from the cradle to walk in the paths of
Christian piety and perfection.
charged with only one her son too tenderly
fault, that
She
she loved
!
Perhaps we are to understand by that the poor aspirations
woman opposed
after
is
this
the boy's early
a more retired
life
than
could be found even in the peaceful shelter of his
own
pious home.
explain John's
first
of eleven years
How many himself
This would also
recorded act.
At the age
he ran away from home
a lad before
away from
and
a loving
!
since has torn
mother's too
fond embrace to quell the ardour of a restless spirit in the
quest of adventure
!
John
anb £bucation
£siv\^ l^eara
also
was eager and
dissatisfied
;
3
but the larger
sphere for which he sighed was to be sought along the unaccustomed ways which lead to the sublime heights and the rarified atmo-
sphere of mystic contemplation.
The pious truant made there to call
his
upon an uncle
way
to Brussels,
of his,
one John
Hinckaert, a major Canon of St. Gudule's.
The son and
heir of a wealthy magistrate of
the city, and possessed, moreover, of a rich benefice, for
many
years John Hinckaert had
been somewhat worldly
in his
ways
;
but one
day Divine grace found him out as he was listening to a sermon,
and strongly to a and
mortification.
followed
by a
life
and drew him sweetly of
His example was soon
fellow Canon,
van Coudenberg, a Master of considerable
by name Francis
of Arts, possessed
means, and a
repute with the people. for their
extreme simplicity
mutual
man
of great
These two agreed,
edification
and support,
to
H live
riDeMaeval HD^stic
together
common.
in
requirements were necessaries
;
material
Their
reduced to the barest
and the surplus
was distributed among the
of their
revenue
poor.
In this
devout household the lad John met with a kindly welcome
home
;
and there he found
at
own
heart in an atmo" sphere saturated with " other-worldliness
once a
and prayer.
after his
His good uncle also took charge
of his education.
For four years Ruysbroeck
followed the ordinary course of Humanities in the public schools of Brussels,
and then,
with a view to the priesthood, he devoted himself to the more congenial study of the
sacred sciences.
Meanwhile the bereaved mother had
dis-
covered the place of John's retreat and had quitted her village of Ruysbroeck to reside
with him at Brussels.
As, however, she was
not permitted to dwell in the Presbytery, she
made
her abode in a Beguinage hard by.
lEarl^ ll)ears
Thus she had
anb lEbucation
5
at least the consolation of seeing
She must have
her son from time to time.
been much comforted also for the deprivation of his of
his
company by
growing sanctity.
are assured that profit of her
own person and
the constant evidence
And,
further,
she set herself to
sacrifice
the holy
by emulating life of
make in her
her son John,
his saintly masters, Hinckaert
Coudenberg.
we
and van
II
As A Secular Priest In
in
Brussels
due course Canon Hinckaert procured
for his
nephew one
St. Gudule's,
of the lesser
prebends of
and John was ordained
priest
in the year 1317, at the age of twenty-four.
His good mother did not survive to witness this
happy event
in the flesh,
nevertheless
even beyond the grave she had good cause to rejoice this
son,
therein.
After her departure from
world she had often appeared to her
lamenting her
prayers,
pains,
beseeching
his
and sighing for the day when he would
be able to
offer for her
And John was
the holy Sacrifice.
unceasing in his supplications.
But immediately his first Mass, as
after
the celebration
of
he related to his Religious 6
Us a Secular pdcst Brethren of
Brussels
God granted him
later,
consolation
and thank him
her deliverance
for
The touching
worth recording,
if
oblation
mother came to
his
incident
of
visit
from
is
well
show that
only to
was through no lack
7
a vision full
when the sacred
:
was accomplished,
Purgatory.
in
it
natural affection
that the child John had so unceremoniously
forsaken
home and mother.
these two holy souls
it
was
Moreover, of singularly true
that having loved each other in they were not farted,
for
life,
in death
they were privi-
leged often to converse together, and finally it
was from
his
mother that Ruysbroeck
learned the date of his
own approaching
departure.
For twenty-six years
in all Blessed
lived as a secular priest in Brussels.
tent
with
Church
of
his St.
modest
chaplaincy in
John Conthe
Gudule, and with his holy
companions Hinckaert and van Coudenberg
a
8
riDebi^val flD^stic
happily in
continuing
apostolic
and poverty the Common he had entered a mere
on which
Life
child,
simplicity
Ruysbroeck
passed his days in peaceful retirement and uninterrupted prayer and contem-
almost plation.
A
characteristic
mean
us the
to
reveals
garb,
episode
man
period
this
as in a flash, his
emaciated
his
of
figure,
his
ab-
sorbed demeanour, his utter abandonment
God.
in
He was
of Brussels
as
was
passing through a square
one day, silent and recollected,
his wont,
when two laymen remarked
him. "
My
God," exclaimed one, " would
as holy as that priest " Nay, for " I
my
I
were
" !
part," returned the other,
would not be
in his shoes for all the
wealth of the world.
I
should never
know
a day's pleasure on earth." "
Then you know nothing
of the delights
Bs a Secular piicst which God bestows, or of the
in JBvussels
of the delicious savour
Holy Ghost," thought Ruysbroeck
himself,
for
9
to
he happened to overhear the
words, and he proceeded tranquilly on his
way.
Ill
False Mystics
But with
his love of peace
all
ment, when
it
was a question
and of
retire-
guarding
the integrity of the Faith and of warding peril
off
from immortal
souls,
Ruysbroeck
hesitated not to stand in the breach
though others the for
and
Church
chaplain
of
a
nor so
St.
higher
much
of
learning
theological
finger
much
of
;
even
position in
higher
than the
repute
obscure
Gudule's should raise not
much
as utter a warning
word.
The student
many and
of history is well
startling
dictions presented
was an epoch
contrasts
aware of the
and contra-
by the Middle Ages.
of magnificent virtues IQ
and
It
of
n
false flD^stics gross vices, of splendid heroism
and
of un-
speakable cruelty, of superb generosity and
meanness, and, which
of disgusting
is
more
to our point at present, of intense devotion
and
of the
most revolting vagaries
While also on the one hand
and morals.
was much genuine
there
in doctrine
zeal,
much
earnest
endeavour to reform crying abuses in Church
and State and
;
on the other hand hypocrites
fanatics abounded,
destruction
on the plea
of
at the
of
authority
amending those
in power,
the
of
who aimed
principle
who, the while they inveighed against
or
merely exterior religion
the
futility
of
and
insisted
on the supreme need
themselves
of
heart,
of
neglecting
times
all
a
all
fell
into
external
of purity
the
form,
excess
and
at
outward decency and observance
of morality.
In varying degrees these latter errors are to be encountered under one shape or another
a
12
in every age
ADeMj^val (ID^stic but at the period of which we
;
treat they were especially intense
treme.
The
Beghards
and
the
and exBcguines
(when and where these broke loose from ecclesiastical
control),
the
Flagellants,
the
Brethren of the Free Spirit were chief of a
group of extravagant sects which
afflicted
the Church in Italy, France, Germany, and the
Netherlands
;
while
England at the
same time was disturbed by the fanaticism the Lollards.
of
In general their peculiar tenets
were a strange admixture of pantheism,
false
mysticism, apparent austerity, and very real immorality.
The
following
is
one of their
propositions,
condemned by
Clement V. in the Council
of Vienna, a.d.
characteristic
1311-1312
;
"
That those who are
aforesaid grade of perfection
and
in
the
in the spirit
of liberty (contemplatives) are not subject to
human
authority and are not obliged to obey
any precepts
of the Church, because (as they
13
3fal0e flD^stlcs
say) where the spirit of the Lord
is,
there is
liberty." It so
happened that contemporary with our
Saint in Brussels
was a prominent leader
the heretics of the Free Spirit,
whose name
is
a
of
woman
given as Bloemardinne, a good
by the
type, to judge
description of Ruys-
broeck's biographer, of the whole genus of
such teachers in those days and in our own.*
So great was sanctity that
this creature's reputation for it
was commonly reported that
two Seraphim accompanied her
when
she approached to receive Holy
munion. ings,
of
Com-
She always delivered her teach-
whether by word or in writing, seated
on a throne chair
to the altar
of silver.
was presented
Brabant.
After
At her demise
this
to the reigning Duchess
Bloemardinne's
* Cf. the Polish sect of Mariavites, or
under the misguidance of the
death
Mystic Priests,
woman Mary
Frances,
whose extravagances were condemned by Rome, September 1904, and again April 1906.
a
14
also cripples
nn>ebi«v)al
came
^^5tic body
to touch her
in the
persuasion that they would be miraculously
Her teaching was
healed thereby.
of
the
kind indicated above, concerned chiefly with the so-called liberty of the spirit
the passion
;
of lust she
had the impudence
phic love.
She issued numerous pamphlets
remarkable
their
for
to call sera-
subtlety
;
and
by
one means and another she managed to win
and retain a very considerable number
of
disciples.
Moved by
zeal
and compassion on witness-
ing the ruin
and
loss of souls thus effected,
John Ruysbroeck
set himself to confute this
heretic's various publications point
as they appeared.
curred not a Possibly
it
In consequence, he
little hostility
was
by point in-
and persecution.
this opposition
which
finally
decided Ruysbroeck and his holy companions to quit Brussels for the
more peaceful
re-
tirement of the neighbouring forest of Soignes.
But meanwhile he never desisted Faith,
from
and
the
in the propagation of the doctrines
Of the
lished professedly against is
moment
in defence of
his efforts
sane mysticism.
of
a
for
pub-
Bloemardinne there
But
nothing extant.
treatises
in
works
his
all
Ruysbroeck keeps an eye on the errors of
He
the day.
returns to
them again and
again, analysing their sources, describing their characteristics, indicating the mischief they
work,
and
confutation.
rich
solid
time,
with
perspicacity,
from
a
reasoned
At
the
same
and
wondrous sureness the
and
offering
stores
his
of
perience, he points
own
intimate
ex-
out the safe and sure
paths which lead the soul to loving union
with God.
Some thirty years after Ruysbroeck's
death,
Cambrai
called
in 1410, the
Archbishop
his disciples, the
endael, to
of
Canons Regular
come and
aid
him
of
Groen-
in preaching
6
a
1
against
the
Bloemardinne
flDebia^val (^^etic
successors
—a
of
the
notorious
fact eloquent both of
the
obstinacy of this particular heresy and of Blessed John's reputation as
opponent.
its
most vigorous
IV
The Hermitage of Groenendael It appears that of Francis
was on the suggestion
it
van Coudenberg that the three holy
priests resolved to
abandon Brussels
to seek
elsewhere for themselves a refuge of greater security
and retirement.
was through
It
the influence also of van Coudenberg with
John
III.,
Duke
of
Brabant, that they ob-
tained the cession of an ideal property for their
purpose,
the
Groenendael, with
hermitage,
namely,
of
lands and lake.
its
The spot had already been
sanctified
by
the prayers and penances of holy recluses for
nigh forty years.
thither
The
first
to
had been one John Busch,
retire
of the
ducal house of Brabant, who, weary of the 17
2
a
i8
flDeM^val
frivolities,
strife,
and
flDi^stic
perils
court
of
obtained from his kinsman, John
II.,
life,
leave
to retire into the forest of Soignes, to build
himself a hut and enclose a space of land there to be cultivated with his his
The deed
support.
own hands
of gift
for
was dated
the Friday after the Assumption of Mary, 1304,
and
it
stipulated that on the death or
departure of the grantee,
another hermit
should take his place, and so on for ever. In
effect,
the noble John Busch was succeeded
by one Arnold
made
of Diest,
vow never
a
festivals for the
to sally forth save on
purpose of hearing Mass and
Holy Communion
receiving
Church
who, on entering,
of
St.
in
the Parish
Clement at Hoolaert.
God
generous sacrifice by a singular
rewarded
this
favour
Arnold was passionately devoted
to the
:
memory
of the
Holy Apostles and
Martyrs of Rome, and he was transported in spirit so
frequently thither that the shrines
trbc Ibermitage of (Broenenbael
and sanctuaries as familiar to
of the Eternal City
him
green old age he the bystanders
as to a native.
came
19
became
When
in a
to die, Arnold surprised
with the request that he
should be laid to rest in the hermitage grounds.
They
objected that the enclosure was not
consecrated
he responded that one day
:
would be the
site of a
it
monastery, the home
and the Mother-house
of
saintly Religious,
of
a holy congregation.
However, he was
buried in the Parish Church of Hoolaert before the
altar
of
St.
Lambert, the mits,
was
His successor,
Nicholas.
last of the
Groenendael her-
so poor in spirit
attached even
to his
as not
He
cell.
to be
cheerfully
yielded place to John Hinckaert, van Coudenberg,
and Ruysbroeck, and
which they had procured dael,
the modern Uccle.
handed over
Duke
of
to the three
retired to a cell
for
him
at Hoeten-
Groenendael was
companions by the
Brabant on Easter Wednesday, 1343,
a
20
fin>ebiftval fin>^0tic
on the condition that they should forthwith
accommodate
erect a hotise to of at least five,
two
of
community
a
whom should be priests
viventes religiose.
The taking
of
possession
recorded in
is
the Groenendael Chronicle thus
"In 1344
:
the aforesaid, with the bishop's consent, began to build a chapel in Groenendael.
And
the
Vicars of Lord Guy, then Bishop of Cambrai, inspected the building on March 13, 1344,
and decreed that together altars,
On
with
it
should be consecrated,
cemetery
a
adjacent,
two
and other necessary appurtenances.
the same day of the same year the said
Vicars conferred on
Dom
Francis the cure of
the brethren, the household, and the servants,
Priest.
him
their
Father
and Parish
Then the same
year, on
March 17, the
appointing
Venerable Lord Brother Matthias, Bishop of the Church of Trebizond (Coadjutor of brai),
by faculty and
licence
of
Cam-
the said
^be
Iberniitage of (Sroenenbael
21
Vicars of the Lord Bishop Guy, consecrated the aforesaid St.
first
church in the honour of
James, and erected
Church
for the
into a Parochial
it
same Dom Francis, his brethren
and household." For
five years
Dom
Francis van Couden-
bcrg and his companions continued to live thus in community, bound by no other rule
than their own profound
and intense they long
left to
company
enjoy alone the solitude of
Many ;
prayer
Nor were
desire of perfection.
their retreat.
their
of
spirit
still
sought admission into larger
numbers flocked
from Brussels and elsewhere to seek aid
and consolation.
his
own
inclination
If
spiritual
he had consulted
and bent, Ruysbroeck
would have denied himself to
all
;
but van
Coudenberg represented that they should not in charity refuse assistance to souls in need.
And
easily,
remarks one of his biographers, be-
Blessed John yielded the more
a
22
riDe&ifeval flDptic
cause for his part he was assured of being able
God amid
to repose in calls
the most distracting
and absorbing occupations.
One
of their earliest associates,
John van
Leeixwen,
attained
sanctity.
A
Aflflighem,
he had offered his services as their
domestic far
a
high
reputation
poor and ignorant layman of
gratis.
Before long he was
and wide as the " Good Cook
The multitude
dael."
of visitors
he was called to attend leisure,
for
left
of
known
Groenen-
whom
upon
him but
little
yet he found time not only to be
absorbed in prayer and contemplation, but
even
to
compose
spirituality.
Like
treatises
his
of
master Ruysbroeck,
whom he venerated profoundly, recollected
an exalted
he was deeply
amid the most exacting
duties,
and frequently he was favoured with heavenly visions.
It
was while
in a state of ecstasy
that the sublime gifts and heroic holiness of
Blessed John were revealed to him
;
ever
.after
tlbe Ibermitaoc of (Broenenbael
23
no terms seemed to him too exalted in which to describe the
worth
of the servant of
God.
which van Leeuwen
The general esteem
in
himself was held
sufficiently attested
the
inscription
is
on
tomb
his
:
by
" Reliquiae
Fratris Joannis de Leeuwis vulgo Boni Coci viri
a
Deo
clari obiit
illuminati
et
scriptis
mysticis
anno MCCCLXXVII. V. Februarii."
The Remains
commonly
called the
lightened by writings.
John van Leeuwen,
of Brother
Good Cook, a man en-
God and renowned
He
Much more
for his mystic
died February 5, 1377.
distracting to the recluses than
the frequent visits of pilgrim penitents or the arrival of fresh neophytes
coming and going
of
was the constant
huntsmen from the
household of the Duke of forest is
of
situate,
'chase, itself,
Soignes,
in
Brabant.
which
was a favourite
and the position
of
The
Groenendael
resort
for
the
the hermitage
within ^ few miles of the capital, niad§
a
24
it
flDeMjeval
flDi^stic
a very convenient place of rest and re-
freshment for the hunters and their hounds.
But the
noise
and bustle attendant on such
company were
scarcely
spirit of prayer,
and the demands thus made
on the hospitality
of the
were a heavy drain on
conducive
to
the
young Community Never-
its resources.
theless the solitaries were naturally fearful of giving offence
Patron the Duke
.
to the followers of
their
Moreover, since they were
not established as a regular Religious Com-
munity, they could not claim the privileges of the cloister.
V The Canons Regular of Groenendael The
inconveniences
just
together
noted,
with the continual increase in their numbers,
gave point and force to a strong remonstrance addressed to Francis
van Couden-
berg and his Brethren by Pierre de Saulx, Prior of the Canons Regular of St. Victor, Paris,
concerning
the
irregularity
unaccustomed manner good Prior was opinion of
many
among both
in
effect
rife in
mystics,
and
so
life.
their
Herein the
only voicing the
zealous and prudent leaders
clergy
were so
of
of
sects
much
and and
laity.
The times
societies of false
mischief was wrought
under the guise of piety, that any form of
community
life
outside the cloister and the 25
a
26
flDcMfeval flD^stic
vows was regarded with strong
three regular
and
suspicion
dislike.
A
few
Director of the Venerable
founded a lay association
and
Sisters
society also sition
of
the beaten track. to
Devout Brothers Life,
and
fierce
this
oppo-
from the same sentiment
distrust for all religious
able
of
was subjected to a
arising
spiritual
first
Thomas a Kempis,
Common
the
later
Ruysbroeck,
Gerard Groote, a disciple of
and Florence Radewyn, the
years
weather
movement
of
outside
Happily, the Brothers were the
storm by producing
irrefragable proofs of their orthodoxy,
and
of their entire submission to the ecclesiastical
authorities.
But
also,
by the advice and
according to the desires of Gerard Groote himself,
they placed themselves under the
protection
and guidance
of a Religious
Order
springing from their
own body, namely
Canons Regular
Windesheim,
of
of
the
which
congregation the Venerable a Kempis wa§
^be Canons one of the
IReanlar of (Broenenbael
earliest
members
27
as well as the
brightest ornament. Prior
dc
Pierre
Coudenberg and their
status,
many
the
present
Saulx
his associates
silence
they were
to regularise
suspicion,
inconveniences
to
exposed
van
on
urged
and escape which
at
by embracing
the Rule and adopting the habit of some
With
already established Religious Order.
humility the
edifying
Commtmity
enendael accepted the reproof and
companying counsel to
Peter Andrew,
the
necessary
St.
and applied
its
ac-
at once
Bishop of Cambrai, for
authorisation
Institute of the
Rule of
;
Gro-
of
to
adopt
the
Canons Regular under the
Augustin of Hippo.
This per-
mission the Ordinary granted most readily.
With
his
own hands he
van
Coudenberg,
their
companions
March
10,
1349,
^^d
Francis
Ruysbroeck
John in
clothed
the
canonical
^^^
following
and habit,
day
H
28
riDebia^val flDi^stic
Dom
he appointed
Francis
John Ruysbroeck he made
To
new Canonry. other
members
van
of the
professed
exception,
of
the
Coudenberg
the
Prior
Community, with one canonical
according to St. Augustin's Rule.
bestowed upon them
exemptions under
;
them with
many
while the
obedience,
The Bishop
sufficient
and
privileges
Duke took them
protection and
special
his
and
Provost,*
endowed
revenues for the upkeep
of a large establishment.
The one exception noted above was Ruysuncle
broeck's
and van Coudenberg's old
friend
and master, John Hinckaert.
date
John Ruysbroeck was
of
age,
fifty-six
this
years
and Francis van Coudenberg was
several years his senior.
have been men *
At
Provost
is
They must
of great zeal
certainly
and courage
to
the equivalent in a College of Clergy of the
though many Congregations of Canons Regular have borrowed the title and style of Abbot from the monastic institute.
Abbot
in a
Monastery
;
Canons IRcouIar
tEbe
undertake the
of (Broenenbae!
rigour and
29
discipline
of
the Canonical Life, as they understood
it,
full
advanced an
at so
age.
was much older than out
lest
powers
temper
the
the good old
observance,
them
in
can
be
his
man
induced
to
of their
resolved to
We
the profession of the vows.
what
picture
However,
must
a
source
of
regret
have been to
this
three.
all
Hinckaert remained as near his
friends as possible until the end.
was
failing
himself the happiness of joining
separation
cell
for fear
any degree the austerity
in
for
for
should
others
And
either.
consideration
of
forgo
Hinckaert, again,
A
built just outside the cloister,
little
and
there after a few years he peacefully passed
away, their predecessor to eternal glory as he had been their forerunner in the way of perfection.
The Canon Regular, had reason
Prior Pierre de Saulx,
to be well content with the issue
U
30
fiDeM^evat
fibi^stic
of his intervention in the affairs of
Seventeen years later we find him
dael.
addressing to the
Community another
formula of their profession, which ran
of the
follows
"
:
with
myself this
char-
This time he complained
acteristic rebuke.
as
Groenen-
Church
I,
N.
these of St.
,
gifts
offer
and deliver
the
to
service
James, Apostle.
of
And
I
promise God in the presence of clergy and people that the end of
will
I
my
abide here henceforth to
days without proprietorship, the
according to the rule of
Canons and
Blessed Augustin, to the best of ledge
and power.
I
nor shall
I
is
needful for
for
any way
my
any motion
soul
this
I
can
and body,
of fickleness or
under any pretext of a more change
know-
also promise stability
to this place as long as in
obtain what
my
strict
Order
habit or quit this cloister.
I
also promise obedience to all the prelates of
the aforesaid Church
whom
the better part
tlbe
Canons IReouIar
of the
Community
order that life
I
may
of (BroenenbacI
31
shall canonically elect, in
receive a hundredfold
and
everlasting."
As a matter fession
is
form
this
fact,
was quite adequate.
contained the tity
of
vow
Implicitly
it
chas-
of chastity, since
an integral part
the Canonical
of
However, the Prior
Rule.
pro-
of
of
Victor
St.
resided in Paris, the metropolis of scholasticism,
and
maintained the
of
he
whereas chastity
that,
three
argued
strenuously
essential
vows
of
is
and one
Religion,
and the formula made no mention
thereof,
the said formula was incomplete, erroneous,
contrary sanctions.
and in
to
the
And
decretals
again he urges the Provost
the Brethren this,
as
in
and canonical
to
all
authorised branch of
conform themselves else,
to
some
the institute
fully
of
the
Once more the good men humbly
ac-
Canons Regular.
a
33 quiesced
;
flDebia^vat flDi^Btic
and
it
seems that they modelled
their religious family
upon the famous Con-
gregation of St. Victor, of which their zealous counsellor
was then the
chief
Superior.
VI Prior of Groenendael
Meanwhile
Community
the
grew and
flourished,
tinued to
make
heroic
virtue,
of
Groenendael
The holy
Prior con-
progress in the practice of his
gifts
of
contemplation
became ever more sublime, and reputation for sanctity increased.
his
still
His con-
temporary biographers, after the fashion their day, catalogue the Christian virtues,
one by one show
Let
it
suffice
how they
here
to
virtues which he the
his
own
person.
and
excelled in him.
remark that those most earnestly com-
mends and the most highly writings, he the
of
exalts
in
most constantly exercised Chief of these
his
in
was humility,
which he terms everywhere the foundation 33
3
H
34
fll>et)i«v)al flD^stic
perfection
of
resignation
tender
then obedience to
;
the
to
will
towards
devotion
the Blessed Sacrament in
A
neighbour.
a
most
Christ
Jesus
the Altar,
of
an ardent love
fine,
God,
of
men and
of
few instances
and,
God and
may
in
the
be given
in illustration.
On ill
;
one occasion Blessed John was seriously
consumed by fever and tortured by an
intense thirst, he
begged the Brother In-
The Provost,
firmarian for a drink of water.
who happened draught, fearing
was
literally
to it
be present, forbade the
He
might do him harm.
dying of
thirst,
and
were
his lips
cracking, they were so parched, yet Ruys-
broeck humbly acquiesced. flecting
how
remorse of actually
marked
But
later,
great would be the grief his
and superior
friend
if
re-
and he
died of his agony, he quietly re:
" Father Provost,
a drink of water
now
I
if
I
have not
shall certainly not
prior of (5roenent>aeI recover from this malady." great alarm,
him
drink.
man began Another
Dom
35
Thereupon, in
Francis immediately bade
And from
moment
that
the holy
to regain his strength.
and a continual proof
of
his
humility was the willingness with which he
took part in the heavy manual labour of the
Community. his
His dignity, his advanced age,
inexperience in such
work,
other calls upon his time and strength
and the
exempt
should be
refused to listen.
Truth to
advantage from his
toil
tell,
was but
and in his ignorance he was liable,
weeds
!
up seedlings
But
the
in the
;
but he
little
:
his
austerities,
for instance,
garden instead of
spiritual
Brethren was incalculable
all this
the material
frame was enfeebled by years and
to root
—
urged as motives
like the brethren
wherefore he
many
the
;
gain
to
the
there was not
only the example of his humility, but of his unfailing recollection too.
In the midst of
H
36
fIDeDiaeval flDi^stlc
labour he never lost his sense of the
his
Indeed he was
nearness of God's presence.
wont to say that his soul to
it
was
God than
easier for
to
lift
his
him
to raise
hand
to his
forehead.
His humility also and his zeal for the regular observance prevented
him ever seeking
dispensation from the customary exercises of
community
the
any
of
life,
or exemption
the monastic austerities,
from
vigils,
or
fasts.
His love for the neighbour was shown by the readiness and affability with which he received
on
his
and welcomed innumerable claimants
sympathy,
help,
and counsel.
ever left his presence dissatisfied
went back from a edified
and
visit to
inwardly
;
No
soul
every one
Groenendael greatly refreshed.
On
one
occasion the Brethren were distressed for the
moment by an apparent
exception.
Parisian clerics had visited the holy old
Two man
prior of (Broenenbacl and had demanded some word
Ruysbroeck merely observed
you wish
sarcasm,
of
mortified,
the
who
as
cause
the
led
of
is it
?
?
You
Your good- will
wish.
to the
Canons
your sanctity.
Look
man
Learning
some
of
the
back to Blessed John
explain
not simple
not quite true
see
chagrin,
to
are
deeply
retired
to believe.
clerics
and begged him
But
You
disappointed in the
them
their
Brethren led the
"
strangers
much
"
:
evidently was not so saintly a
rumour had
for
Suspecting him
to be."
and they complained
that they were Prior,
motto
or
and encouragement.
their guidance
as holy as
37
"
he
his
meaning.
cried.
" Is
are as holy as is
into
the
it
you
measure of
yourselves
what good-will you have, and you
and will
behold also the standard of your holiness."
And
then the visitors retired appeased and
edified. .
Naturally his
own Brethren were
the
first
a
38
and chief
and
to benefit
zeal.
made
flDcM^eval flD^stic
He
himself
by the holy
Prior's charity
denied himself to none, he
all
to
Sometimes he gave
all.
a spiritual conference after Compline,
and
then perhaps he would be so carried away as he enlarged
and the
upon the goodness
bliss of
of
God
heaven, for instance, that
neither he nor his listeners would note the
The midnight
passage of time.
would surprise them words.
by
his
still
Office bell
hanging upon his
But such was the fervour infused burning eloquence that not one
felt
the loss of the three or four hours' accus-
tomed
sleep.
Ruysbroeck
always
immediate preparation teristic
of
the
by the Canons ference, all
he
man or
would
spoke ;
but
that
by
without it
any
was charac-
when requested
strangers for a Con-
sometimes
simplicity that inspiration
that he had nothing to say.
confess
in
was
lacking,
It
was the
prior of (Broenenbael
39
same with
his written treatises
of his life
he was able to declare that he
:
at the close
had never committed anything to writing save
under the immediate motion of the
Holy
Spirit.
As
so
often
happens with
the
Saints,
Blessed John's love for the neighbour over-
flowed in tenderness for his brothers and sisters of the
this trait, the
lower creation
poor
it is
little
Knowing
Canons would remark to him
on the approach Prior,
also.
of winter
:
snowing already. birds do
now?
"
" See,
Father
What will And with
the ex-
pressions of heartfelt compassion this sublime
mystic,
who was
habitually lost in dizziest
heights of contemplation, would give instructions that the feathered choristers outside the cloister
should not be abandoned to perish of
hunger.
Very frequently
in his
works Blessed Ruys-
broeck takes occasion to treat of the Holy
40
a
Sacrament
of the Altar,
of this sacred
vivid faith it
as a
flDeMa^val flD^stic
mystery
on a par with the
tell
in
terms of the most
and intense devotion, discussing
supreme proof
carnation,
and ever he speaks
of
God's love for men,
gifts of Creation, the In-
and Redemption.
His biographers
us of his personal love for the Blessed
Eucharist, and especially of his ecstatic devotion in offering the great Sacrifice. close of his long
sight could
life,
To the
even when his failing
no longer distinguish the
figure of
the Crucified stamped upon the Host, nothing
but grave sickness could hold him back from daily
celebration.
from the excess his soul
Sometimes he swooned
of the sweetness
with which
was inundated during the canon
of
the Mass.
On
one such occasion not only did he
faint,
but he seemed on the point of expiring, so that the terrified server reported the matter to
the Provost.
Attributing the faintnes§
prior of 0roenen^ael to advancing age
was about celebrate
and weakness, the Superior
any
more,
assuring
to forbear,
to the failing
but to the overpowering
of divine
non propter senium sed divinae
grace,
collatum xenium.
"
gratiae
Even to-day," he added,
" Jesus Christ appeared
to me,
and
filling
soul with a deliciousness all divine,
said to
my
heart.
to
when Blessed John
him that the swoon was due not
my
man
to forbid the holy old
humbly besought him
of years
41
Thou
art
Mine and I
He am
thine."
Such heavenly favours seem to have been
by no means
He was
rare with our Saint.
frequently ravished with
a
vision
Divine Lord in His sacred Humanity.
of
Our
Christ
appeared to him, accompanied by His Blessed
Mother and a numerous retinue
of Saints,
and conversed familiarly with him.
On
one
such occasion, penetrating his whole being
with
a
sense
of
wondrous sweetness,
He
a
42 greeted
thus
:
riDebiasval riDi^stic
him with
"Thou
well pleased."
art
ineffable
My dear
son, in
Then Jesus
him and presented him
to
condescension
Christ
My
chosen servant
!
I
am
embraced
Our Lady and the
attendant Saints with the words "
whom
:
" Behold
VII
Ruysbroeck's Tree
Whenever God
full
cloister
Blessed John
felt
upon him, even the was not
the Spirit of
solitude of the
sufficiently retired for the
intimacy of the divine union.
wander away into the depths
He would
of the forest
surrounding the monastery, there to abandon himself to the action of the Holy Ghost un-
On
disturbed.
wont
these occasions also he
to take with
him a
tablet, in order to jot
and
lights as
writing.
on
stylus
and a wax
down such thoughts
he was moved to preserve in
Of these notes a
fair
his return to the Priory.
of his days,
was
when
his sight
copy was made
Towards the end
was
failing
and
otherwise the effort of making these notes was 43
H
44 too
much
flDebi^val HD^stic
for him,
one of the Canons always
accompanied him into the
weeks would
down
whatever he was moved to
at his dictation
communicate.
forest to write
Sometimes
pass,
and
for
days
want
whole
or
of inspiration
not a line nor a word would be added to the treatise in
hand.
But when again the
Spirit
breathed, he continued from the very sentence or phrase where he
there
had paused,
just as
if
had been no interval between.
One day
the Saint had retired as usual
into the forest,
and the Brethren, knowing
his
But when
occupation, respected his privacy.
hours passed and there was no sign of his return, they
became alarmed and
scour the woods in search of him.
set out to
One
of the
Canons was especially intimate with Prior
and loved him most tenderly.
his anxiety
Perhaps
urged him ahead of the
rest.
a glade of the forest his eye lighted
wondrous scene.
He
perceived
the
a
In
upon a tree
as
s
IRu^sbroeck's (Tree it
On
were in flames.
discovered that
it
And under
fire.
was
nearer approach he
in fact encircled with
the tree, in the midst of the
John Ruysbroeck
mysterious conflagration,
was seated, manifestly rapt
The memory the
in
tree
45
in ecstasy.
of this miracle
Community.
For
was never
lost
the
generations
was known and venerated as Ruysbroeck'
At the
Tree.
the Prior,
James van Dynter, planted a
tree in the
respect
close of the fifteenth century
same
place,
shown hitherto
lime-
which received the which
to the original,
presumably had died down.
When
in
1577
the Canons were obliged to abandon Groenen-
on account
dael
religious wars,
away
it is
until only its
of
the
vexations
of
the
said that this tree withered
bark was
the
Community returned
and
flourished again.
left
;
but when
in 1607, it revived
This episode also has fixed the traditional representation of Blessed John Ruysbroeck.
a
46
He
is
flDeM^val dC^^etic
usually pictured seated under a tree,
a stylus in his
hand and a wax
tablet rest-
ing on his knee, while Saint and tree alike are
encircled
light.
in
brilliant
rays
of
celestial
VIII
A Director It
is
and
of Souls
no wonder that as the fame
these
of
similar marvels spread abroad,
multi-
tudes of the faithful, young and old, clergy
and
laity, flocked to see
Prior of Groenendael.
and hear the holy
They came
to
him
from Flanders, Brabant, Holland, Germany,
and France.
Ruysbroeck received
unvarying simple courtesy, and
all
his
with
unpre-
meditated words were ever found to meet exactly
the
needs of each.
Many
placed
themselves unreservedly in his hands, and frequently
sought
his
direction
by
corre-
spondence, or came long distances to consult
him
in person.
One
of these penitents 47
was the Baroness
H
48
van Marke,
fll>eM£evaI flDi^stic
of Rhode-St. -Agatha,
which
lies
midway between Groenendael and Louvain. This lady conceived such a veneration for the holy Prior that
when she went
to visit him,
she walked the journey, pilgrimwise, barefoot. Finally, his exhortations to flee
and despise
the passing vanities of the world prevailed so
much with
of
Poor Clares
her that she entered a Convent in Cologne,
bert joined the
We
and her son
Community
of Groenendael.
are told of another disciple,
into a grievous sickness
fell
time into a
still
She sent
spirit.
him to
visit her.
who once
and at the same
more grievous
affliction of
for Blessed John,
She told him
behold, she was abandoned
do
?
all
accustomed works
"
taste for prayer
You can do
!
;
by God, on the
and on the other hand physical
away
begging
of her distress
one hand no health or strength was to perform her
Ingel-
left
of
her
mercy,
suffering took
What was
she to
nothing more pleasing
a to God,
my
IXrectoi* of
Souls
49
dear child," responded the Saint,
" than simply and utterly to submit to His
holy
will.
and
to give
own
Strive to forsake your
Him
thanks for
desires
things."
all
Such unction accompanied these simple and characteristic
words that the good lady
felt
deeply consoled, and she repined no more.
Among
the
more famous
nendael, there to
Ruysbroeck,
is
German mystic
sit
to frequent Groe-
and learn
at the feet of
mentioned the well-known Tauler.
But
authorities are
divided at present as to whether or no these visits to
Groenendael can be
fitted
other ascertained facts of Tauler's ever,
it
is
certain that Tauler
life.
with
in
How-
was well
ac-
quainted with the writings of our Saint to a great extent he followed his method,
;
and
at times, in the free-and-easy style of those
days, he did not hesitate to transfer bodily
from Ruysbroeck's volumes into
his
own.
IX RUYSBROECK AND GeRARD GrOOTE
A
GREATER than Tauler, and one whose
fluence
was eventually
in-
more widespread,
far
undoubtedly owed much to the recluse
of
Groenendael and freely acknowledged Blessed
John
This was the famous Gerard
his master.
Groote, the founder, as already noted, of the
Devout Brothers and Sisters Life,
and through them
of
the
Windesheira
of the
Congregation of Canons Regular. sion
and circumstances
The passage that *
it is
is
occa-
by the Venerable
in his Vita Gerardi
so graphic
and
Magni.
characteristic
well worth transcribing.*
Translation by
Devotion.
The
of Groote's first visit
to Groenendael are narrated
Thomas a Kempis
Common
Kegan
J.
P. Arthur.
Paul.
1905.
50
The Founders
of the
New
— IRu^sbroech anb (Beratb (Broote "
5^^
The pious and humble Master Gerard,
hearing of the great and widespread fame of
John Ruysbroeck, a monk and Prior Monastery
of the
of Griinthal, near Brussels,
to the parts about Brabant,
went
although the
journey was long, in order to see in bodily presence this holy and most devout Father for
he longed to see face to
own
eyes,
only by
and
one
whom
common
face,
report and
own
a voice as gracious as the
if
by
his
books
;
ears that voice
human mouth
utter its words from a living
of
his
he had known hitherto
to hear with his
mouthpiece
and with
;
it
were the very
Holy Ghost.
He
took
with him therefore that revered man, Master
John
Cele,
the
director
ZwoUe, a devout and Christ
;
for their
in the Lord,
of
the
School of
faithful lover of Jesus
mind and heart were one
and the fellowship
of
each was
pleasant to the other, and this resolve was
kindled within them that their journey, which
a
52
flDcbi^val flD^stic
was undertaken
sake of spiritual
the
for
should redound in the case of
edification,
each to the Glory of God. "
There went also with them a faithful
and devout layman, named Gerard the shoemaker, as their guide upon the narrow way,
and
their
companion
inseparable
in
this
happy undertaking. "
When they came to
thal,
the place called Griin-
they saw no lofty or elaborate buildings
therein, but rather all the signs of simplicity of life
and poverty, such as marked the
footsteps of our
first
Heavenly King, when He,
the Lord of Heaven,
came upon
this earth as
a Virgin's Son, and in exceeding poverty.
As they entered the gate
of the
monastery,
that holy Father, the devout Prior, met them,
being a
man
of great age, of kindly serenity,
and one to be revered character. to see,
He
it
was
for his
whom
honourable
they had come
and saluting them with the greatest
IRu^sbroecR an& (Beiarb (Broote
53
benignity as they advanced, and being taught
by a
revelation from God, he called
upon
Gerard by his very name and knew him,
though he had never seen him before. this salutation
After
he took them with him into
the inner parts of the cloister, as his most
honoured guests, and with a cheerful countenance and a heart yet more joyful showed
them
all
due courtesy and kindness, as
if
he
were entertaining Jesus Christ Himself. " Gerard
abode there
ferring with this
man
of
for a
few days con-
God about
the Holy
and from him he heard many
Scriptures
;
heavenly
secrets
which,
he
as
confessed,
were past his understanding, so that
ment he
said with the
excellent Father, thy
Queen
of
hast
surpassed
;
for
amaze-
Sheba,
'
O
wisdom and thy know-
ledge exceedeth the fame which
mine own land
in
by thy
thy fame.'
I
heard in
virtues
After
returned with his companions to his
thou
this
own
he
city,
;
H
54
HDcDifeval flD^stic
greatly edified
and being as
;
it
were a puri-
fied creature,
he pondered over what he had
heard in
mind and
liis
in his heart
often dwelt thereon
committed some
also he
;
of
Ruysbroeck's sayings to writing, that they
might not be forgotten. " This sojourn on his visit to the Prior was
not a time of idleness, nor was the discourse of so holy a father barren
in a letter
of fresh zeal, as
commended
' :
both in this
my
other
he
testifies
is
men by
burn and sigh
and
life
heart
taker thereof.'
would
in the life to
and reverence.
Prior,
fain be
come
I
do
all still
your presence, to be renewed
and inspired by your "
I
and
welded to him beyond
love for
earnestly desire
I
to your director
the footstool of whose feet
for
fuller love
which he sent to these same brethren
in the Griinthal, saying
to be
but the instruction
gave nurture to a
of his living voice
and an increase
;
spirit
and
to be a par-
IRu^sbroecF^ anb 6erarb (Broote
other details of supplied
55
this interesting visit are
by the biographers
Ruysbroeck.
of
Speaking in the fullness of the intimacy that
had sprung up between them, Gerard Groote ventured to express surprise that, in dealing with
the
sublime
formed the subject
matters
which
usually
of his discourse, the holy
Prior should employ words and phrases which laid
him open
errors,
his
to the charge of those very
especially pantheism,
writings were
commonly
against which directed.
-
It
was then that Ruysbroeck declared that he had never. set down aught
by the
inspiration of the
in his
books save
Holy Ghost and
in
the presence of the Ever Blessed Trinity.
This solemn assurance the holy to his brother
On
Canons on
another point
man
repeated
his deathbed.
also, like the trained
and
exact theologian he was, Gerard Groote wished to correct his friend.
He
insisted that the
boundless confidence which Ruysbroeck ex-
a
56
.pressed in the
somewhat
flDeM^val nOi^stic mercy
of
God seemed
of presumption,
to quote the
most
to savour
and he proceeded from
terrifying passages
Scripture anent the penalties of the wicked.
John
Blessed Gerard,
I
quietly
assure
failed to inspire
replied
" Master
:
you that you have quite
me
with
fear.
I
am
ready
to bear with unruffled soul whatever the shall destine for
me
in life or in death.
can conceive of nothing better, nothing nothing more sweet.
All
stricted to this, that our
me
my
Lord
first visit
cordial
relations
Gerard Groote.
I
safer,
desires are re-
may
ever find
prepared to accomplish His holy
This
Lord
was the beginning
will."
of
most
between Ruysbroeck and
The
latter returned several
times to Groenendael and resided there for
months
together.
He
also corresponded fre-
quently with the holy Prior and the Canons
and translated some into Latin,
He
of
our Saint's works
read over his MSS. before
IRu^sbroech an& (Bcvarb (Brootc
and begged him
publication,
change or modify
at
57
times to
expressions which might
give a handle to the hostile or scandal to the
The
weak. likewise
writings
among
frequently
of
Ruysbroeck were
those which were the most
transcribed
and
multiplied
by
the copyists of the Devout Brothers of the
Common most
Life.
diligent
A and
few years later one of the skilled of these scribes
was
the future author of the Imitation of Christ.
X RUYSBROECK AND WiNDESHEIM In
fact,
widespread as was the influence of
Blessed
John Ruysbroeck on
poraries
and incalculable as was the
his writings in the
many
.
his
cloisters,
contemfruit of
through
which they were rapidly diffused, the means
by which Divine Providence chose to
chiefly
preserve and propagate his power was
precisely this friendship with Gerard Groote.
Gerard continually strove to imbue disciples with the spirit
own
his
which he had imFor
bibed from the Prior of Groenendael.
himself and for his followers he took as a rule of life the it
a chief
motto
study
Jesus Christ.
to
of Ruysbroeck, to
meditate
upon
the life of
"Let the fountain-head 58
make
of
thy
Min^e6beim
IRu^sbroecl? an^
study and thy mirror of
Gospel of Christ, for there
The
Christ."
than
rather
Scriptures
the
be
life
and
Testament more than the Old, the life of Christ.
And
and
of
read
the
New
for there is
what
is
spiritual life
is
herein again
profitable for a devout
life
be
should
Fathers,
the
first
the
is
59
to be sought rather than the subtleties of
theology and the schools.
When
a friend of Gerard's, Reinalt Minnen-
vosch, pro] ected the founding of a monastery,
Groote advised him to establish a Priory of
Canons Regular on the model
The Canonry the result. priest
the
and
of Groenendael.
of St. Saviour's at
At Groote's
Emstein was
request, a professed
came from Groenendael
new
initiate
Religious into the Canonical Life
later
members
to
it
was
at
of Gerard's
Windesheim made tory to Profession.
Emstein that the
first
own Congregation
their
;
of
noviciate prepara-
U
6o
flDeM^eval flD^stic
This was after Gerard Groote's death, but it
was
accord with his express desire.
in
Wishful to estabUsh a Rehgious Institute in connection Sisters
the
of
lay or
with
cleric,
his
Devout
Common
Life,
Brothers
and
who, whether
were dwelling together without
the binding force of the vows, Gerard fixed
upon the Order
of
Canons Regular
purpose, principally, so
for this
Thomas a Kempis
assures us, because of his profound veneration for the Prior "
endael. Ordei'
of
and Brethren
He was moved
of
Groen-
to institute this
Regulars chiefly by his singular
reverence and love for the venerable
Dom
John Ruysbroeck, the
Gro-
first
Prior
of
enendael, and of the other most exemplary
Brethren
living
there
religiously
in
the
Regular Order."
For further information
concerning
the
Devout Brothers and the Windesheim Canons the reader
is
referred to the various works
— IRu^sbioeck anb Min^esbeim which have been pubhshed
of late years
examples
living
on
Both Brothers
the Venerable a Kempis.*
and Canons were
6i
of
the
mystic teachings of Ruysbroeck put to the daily
of
test
pleasures
and vanities
from
the
world,
un-
Flight
practice.
the
of
bounded humility, constant meditation on the
life
Christ,
and
especially the Passion of Jesus
the
most
abandonment devotion
and
complete
to the Divine Will,
full of
absolute
an intense
the personal love of
God
these were the salient points of Blessed John's
example and doctrine, perpetuated and propagated by the works, words, and writings of the Windesheim Canons Regular and their * Especially
By
:
Outlines of the Life of
Francis Cruise.
Sir
By
of
C.T.S.
Thomas a Kempis. Thomas d Kegan Paul. Life
Ireland.
London Thomas A Kempis. By Dom Scully. Washbourne. Thomas A Kempis and the London Brothers of the Common Life. By Kettlewell. London Kegan Paul. Thomas A Kempis, His Age and His Book. By De Montmorency, London Methuen. Kempis. of
the
the same.
:
Venerable :
:
:
a
62
nl^ebi^\)a^ no^stic
secular associates, the Brothers of the
needful to remark also
It is scarcely
Life.
that
these
teaching
are
the
of
the
Imitation
little
treatise,
whole
spirit
of
light,
Christ,
of
the
of
that
which, embodying the
the School of Windesheim
Groenendael,
carries
features
chief
golden
and
Common
has
healing,
and
carried
still
and consolation to
thousands upon thousands who have never so
much
as heard of either
Windesheim or
John Ruysbroeck.* *
cism
Father Sharpe, in his recent admirable volume, Mysti:
Its
True Nature and Value, writes thus of the mystic
teaching, properly so called, of a Kempis's world-famous
masterpiece:
much
" The Imitation of Christ
.
.
.
probably owes
of its vast popularity to its constant recurrence to
the elementary duties of
religion
and morality, and
its
on the necessity of their performance as the prerequisite of the more exalted spiritual states. The purgative,' illuminative,' and unitive ways are seen, so to speak, together, and are dealt with as aspects insistence
'
'
'
'
or constituents of the Christian
completeness of which
all
ent ways,
importance.
of
equal
life
as a whole, to the
three are necessary and, in differ-
The purely mystical and the abun-
passages are comparatively few and short
;
IRupsDroecF^ an&
It
the
may
Min^e6be(m
63
be mentioned here that in 1409
Priory
of
Groenendael was instituted
the Mother-house of a congregation of that
name. tion,
But a few years
with
to the
its
dependent
Priories,
was
affihated
more numerous Windesheim Canons.
Thus the twin one,
later this congrega-
institutes
were merged into
and the Windesheim Congregation be-
dance of practical directions the book contains has sometimes caused looked.
its
mystical character to be entirely over-
This disproportion, however,
is
quite sufficiently
to be accounted for by the character of the work, which
such a book
life in general, and not a on any particular department of it. In attempts at describing the indescribable
phenomena
mysticism would obviously have been out
is
that of a directory of spiritual
scientific treatise
of
of place, whereas the practical details of the lower
and
preliminary states admit of and require minute explanation. But the tone of the whole book is mystical, and the most commonplace duties and the most humiliating strivings with temptation are in a manner illuminated and glorified by the brilliancy of the result to which they tend. Thus, in point of fact, the higher and lower elements, the
mystical and the non-mystical, the purgative, the illuminative and the unitive, are blended in actual perience " (pp. 188, 189).
human
ex-
;
64
a
came the
direct
nOebi^val ilD^stic heir
the
of
and
virtues
But
teaching of Blessed John Ruysbroeck.
Windesheim was aggregated to the
finally
Lateran Congregation of Canons Regular
and
thus
it
to-day
that
is
Canons
the
Regular of the Lateran are privileged, with the
clergy of Mechlin, to keep with proper
Office
and Mass the Feast
of Blessed
John
Ruysbroeck.
Connected
thus
Groote and Tauler,
it
is
Ruysbroeck shares with Kempis,
honour
Suso,
and
a precursor of
as
century
" Reformation."
this
these,
position
it
easy
is
for
the
and lax
mendicant
of
the
friars,
doubtful
in
certain
support
of
enough to gather
most
morality of
with a
the sixteenth-
In
together expressions of the
sorrow
as
the
others,
quarters
Gerard
not surprising that
proclaimed
being
of
with
intimately
most poignant bitter
clergy
invective
and
and highly placed
laity,
pre-
IRu^ebroecR anb Minbesbeim
But
lates.
same
the
argument
65
would
convict several Popes of being heralds of
Luther
Not
!
labour the point at un-
to
necessary length in a non-controversial work of
kind, let
this
it
touchstone which never
mention the
to
suffice
distinguish
fails to
the genuine reformer from the mere sectarian
those
while boldly attacking the vices of
:
in
office.
never assails the
Ruysbroeck
John
Blessed office
He always
itself.
speaks in the mqst submissive and reverent
terms of the authority of the Church and of
the
writings
dignity
of
without
the sacraments, etc. his
ardent
Blessed Eucharist.
the
in
treat
subject
We
of
this
the
grace,
have already
devotion
To
His
priesthood.
exception
orthodox sense on
marked
the
re-
towards the
may
be added
a most tender love for the Virgin Mother of
God.
Note,
finally,
his
frequent
and
fervent exhortations to the perfect observ-
5
a
66
riDeMfeval
flDi^stic
ance of the three vows of religion, and one
can imagine in
the
how comfortable he would
company,
renegade nun
!
say,
of
Luther and
feel
his
XI
The Writings of Ruysbroeck Blessed John's writings cannot be
called
voluminous, and yet for a purely contemplative
they
author
The
siderable.
list
of his
cated up to the present are at work,
discovered
comparatively
are
works authenti-
—for earnest students
and other MSS. may yet be
— comprises
the following,
an English equivalent or Latin titles
:
Lovers of God
;
for the
;
(7)
;
Old Flemish
The Kingdom
of
(2)
The Splendour
of the
;
(3)
The
Of Four Subtle Temptations Christian Faith
giving
(i)
Spiritual Espousals
nacle
con-
(6)
Brilliant ;
(5)
;
the
(4)
Of the
Of the Spiritual Taber-
Of the Seven
Mirror of Eternal Life, 67
Cloisters
or,
;
(8)
The
a Treatise on the
H
68
fiDcbi^eval flDi^stic
Blessed Sacrament Spiritual (11)
Love
(9)
;
(10)
;
The Seven Degrees
Of the Supreme Truth
And
The Twelve Beguines.
A Summary Canticles
(13)
A
all
;
;
(14)
(15)
Two
faithful English
these works, the following
descriptive analysis of the principal of
may
Of
Short Prayer.
Pending a complete and rendering of
(12)
:
Seven Letters
of the Spiritual Life
(16)
;
;
;
these others
are less certainly proved to be his
the Twelve Virtues
of
them
not prove unacceptable.
The Kingdom This treatise
and
a
mystic
is
of the Lovers of
a detailed interpretation application
adapted from Wisdom
Dominus per
God
x.
vias rectas
et
10
:
the
of
text
Justum deduxit
ostendit
illi
regnunt
Dei in the Breviary Office of a Confessor.
Upon these words Ruysbroeck bases of his
work
into five books.
The
a division first
book
:
^be treats
MvitiiiQS of IRu^sbroecl^
In
sovereignty.
explains
Dominus,
God,
of
how
power and
His
John
Blessed
second
the
69
Christ conducted, deduxit,
man
into the liberty of the children of God, chiefly
by redemption and by the seven Sacraments. of the just
In the third he treats
man, justum, and works out
items which render a active
institution of the
and
man
both in the
just,
the contemplative
in
eight
life.
The
fourth book expounds the right ways, vias rectus,
which lead to the Kingdom
the exterior way,
of three
heavens and four elements, the con-
praise of the Creator
;
the
way
man of
to the
natural
the acquisition of the seven virtues
finally, the
gifts of the
we have
;
supernatural and divine way, the
infusion of the supernatural virtues
God,
God
namely, the material universe
templation of which should excite
light,
of
Holy Ghost.
In the last book
a disquisition on the
ostendit
illi
and the
regnum Dei,
kingdom of
of
which we
a
70
flDeMa^val HOpstic
are told there are five aspects or divisions
the sensible kingdom,
which the author tion of the last
God,
to
in
finds scope for a descrip-
judgment and the
of risen bodies, the
kingdom
exterior
:
kingdom
qualities
of nature, the
of the Scriptures, the
kingdom
of
grace and of glory, and finally the Divine
Kingdom is
full
of
itself,
which
reflections
is
God.
This treatise
and considerations
the most elevated order, and there therein that
is
by no means easy
is
of
much
to grasp
or understand.
The Splendour For Ecce,
his text
sponsus
makes a
of the Spiritual
Espousals
Ruysbroeck takes Matt. xxv. venit,
exile
obviam
ei.
6,
He
division into three books, treating
respectively of the active, the interior,
contemplative
life.
Each book
is
and the further
subdivided into four parts, corresponding to
^be Mritings
of IRui^sDroecK
71
the four divisions of the text in each stage of
perfection
pounds and vision, ecce (2)
;
as
illustrates
man must
the
(i)
the
role of
turn his eyes to
God
;
the divers comings of the Bridegroom,
sponsus
venit,
the manner, namely, in which
God approaches and
the soul
;
on the path
of the soul (4)
Ruysbroeck ex-
follows.
finally,
going forth
(3) the
of the virtues, exite
;
the embrace of the soul and
the heavenly spouse.
In no one work does
Blessed Ruysbroeck give a complete account
mystic teaching
of his
;
but
his
if
system
were to be examined and explained by any
one book,
it
would certainly be
Espousals.
Spiritual
It
always
has
considered as his chief work, light
also
Ruysbroeck
have regarded himself
to
his
it.
He
friends
expressed the desire that plied
this of the
and
himself
been
in
this
seems
to
sent a copy of in it
Germany,
it
and
might be multi-
and ma,de known even
to
the
foot
a
72
flDeMa^val HD^stic
of the mountains.
the
of
book the author confutes
second
some current
In the four last chapters
errors of the day, apparently
the teachings of Bloemardinne and almost certainly of Eckart.
The Gerard Naghcl
Brilliant
tells
origin of this treatise.
us the story of the
One day Ruysbroeck
had been conversing with a on matters latter
spiritual,
certain hermit
when on
parting the
begged the holy Prior to commit the
matter of his discourse to writing edification of himself his
desire,
says
and
Naghel,
others.
for the
To
satisfy
Ruysbroeck com-
posed this work, which contains instruction sufficient to lead a
treatise
man
to perfection.
seems a supplement, and
in
The some
sense a corrective of the Spiritual Espousals.
After a brief description of the means by
^be Mritings which the just
and holy
rises
man
of IRu^sbroecf^
73
acquires the interior hfe
thence to the contemplative, the
man shows how
the precious stone, or
white counter, calculus candidus, of Rev. is
17,
ii.
Who
no other than Christ Himself,
gives Himself without reserve to contemplative
God
souls.
calls
union with Himself. to His appeal.
invitation
;
all
men
But not
to intimate
all
men respond
Sinners utterly despise the
while the just respond, though
Some keep
these again in varying degrees.
the
commandments
from
chiefly
fear
the penalties attached to transgression are
as
mercenaries.
Others
faithful servants.
;
the
is
the
these are the
However, these
many impediments from
en-
desires,
they have true faith in God, and God only motive of their actions
they
;
sincerely
deavour to conquer nature and unruly
of
still
suffer
exterior
life
which they lead, and a more intimate union is
attained
by the
intimate
friends,
whp
a
74
flDeM^val HDi^stic
observe the counsels as well as the precepts. the highest
Finally,
contemplation
who
is
degree of union
and
by the hidden
sons,
attained
are utterly divested of
self-seeking,
and whose
all self-love
life
is
and
hidden with
Christ in God.
Of Four Subtle Temptations In this tract Ruysbroeck inveighs against the chief errors and abuses of his
The
first,
says Ruysbroeck,
is
own
love of ease
and comfort, indolence, the source ality,
times.
of sensu-
and luxury, an abuse very prevalent
in monasteries
second
is
and among the
clergy.
The
hypocrisy, which, under the cloak
of a
seeming austerity, claiming even visions
and
ecstasies, conceals a corrupt interior
depraved morals.
The
third
is
and
the desire to
understand everything, to attain to the contemplation of the divine nature by the sheer
^be Mritinos
of IRui^ebroecft
75
force of the intellect, without the assistance of God's grace.
formidable
The fourth and the most
the so-called liberty of
is
spirit,
the error and heresy of those who, casting aside all interior effort, pretend to acquire
by
contemplation
ludicrous
by extravagant bodily senseless quietism.
mortifications,
posturing, and
The
third error
is
by
a
that of
Eckart, and the fourth was proper to the
Brothers and Sisters of the Free
Spirit.
Ruys-
broeck concludes his tract with a discussion of the
ways and means
snares, viz.
by
of
holiness of
avoiding these
life,
the practice
of all the virtues, obedience to superiors
and
the authority of the Church, and imitation of Jesus Christ.
Of
A
the Christian
Faith
dogmatic commentary on the Athana-
sian Creed.
Starting with the principle that
a
76
flDebifeval HD^stic
the true Christian Faith
is
indispensable for
the union of the soul with God, Ruysbroeck
proceeds to explain the chief tenets of our
and to show
belief,
interior
life.
His
their
bearing on the
explanations
his speculations sublime.
are
The more
brief,
forcibly
to exhort to the practice of virtue, he dwells at considerable length
on the rewards
of
on the
the
last
just,
judgment,
and on the
penalties decreed to each particular class of sinner.
His picture here of the happiness
heaven and the sufferings of
of
hell is
most
apt and striking.
Of
the Spiritual Tabernacle
The most lengthy works. tion,
the
It consists
a
this of all
of a mystic interpreta-
long-drawn-out
Tabernacle of
Ruysbroeck's
the
allegory,
in
which
Old Testament
is
considered as a type of the course of love.
^be
The outer and the of
n
iKHrittnas of IRui^sbroecFi
inner courts, the altar
the pillars and
the hangings,
sacrifice,
their sockets, the
rings,
names
the
of
the
workmen, the seven-branch candlestick, the brazen
the
laver,
ephod and the twelve
and the
ornaments, the
priestly
the holy
stones,
the table of
incense,
of proposition, the
different
the
oils
loaves
sacrifices
with
the distinction between the clean and the
unclean
animals,
ark and
its
holy
the
appurtenances,
with a wealth
of
detail,
—
of all
holies,
the
are applied
which,
however,
never lacks dignity, and with a wondrous skill
of
to Ruysbroeck's
the
exterior
usual three divisions
moral
life,
and the purely contemplative. nacle
was a subject
itself
to allegory
tion,
and Hugh
preceded our inspired
which
and
the
interior,
The Tabernaturally lent
to mystic interpreta-
of St.
Victor had already
author, as <ioubtless also he
him with
his
De Area
mystica.
;
a
78
riDebi^eval flDi^stlc
Though sometimes the thread
-
multiphcity of details, this treatise attractive
in the
is lost
and contains some
of
is
most
the best
pages of Blessed Ruysbroeck.
Of
the
Seven Cloisters
This was composed for a penitent of our
von Meerbeke, a Poor Clare
Saint, Margaret
and
of Brussels,
Religious.
order
of
need
the
it
gives a rule of
The holy the of
day,
life
for
Prior traces out
an
especially
on
insisting
the interior
cultivating
life
he mentions the virtues which his penitent should
exercise,
abuses
which
and inveighs against the
have
crept
into
convents,
pointing out the danger of communication
with the outer world. garet
should
imitate
foundress, St. Glare,
place
in
In the
all
things Mar-
example
who gained her
Heaven by shutting
of
her
glorious
herself
up
^bc Mntinoe within the seven
on these, of
close
79
After dwelhng
cloisters.
by expounding seven means
viz.,
retreating
of IRui^sbroecFi
from the
and
world
living
God, the author turns again
to
to
practical details
and condemns the softness
and luxury
certain
Each
dress.
of
with a peep into of
our
own
he
day,
Religious says,
in
their
should
close
three books
conscience,
which
shows
imperfections which must be purified
book
of
of
;
the the
the Life and Passion of our Lord,
which we should imitate
book
book
the
:
eternal
tend with
all
life,
;
and
to which
finally
we ought
the to
our strength.
The Minor
of Eternal Life
This also was addressed to a nun, probably the same Poor Clare.
It explains
three degrees of the mystic special reference
now
life,
again the
but with
to the cloister
and the
a
8o
flDcbia^val flD^stic
Some
Blessed Eucharist. tive
way
if
:
are in the purga-
they persevere in virtue and
progress in perfection, they shall partake of
the table, Ps.
xxiii.
than the banquet
which
5,
of
the
is
no other
Holy Eucharist.
Ruysbroeck dwells on the virtues necessary
worthy reception
for the
and narrates the manner
Sacrament,
of the
of its institution
by
our Divine Lord at the Last Supper, showing
what were the matter and form used by
He
Christ.
discourses
on the evidence
of
God's love to be found in this mystery of the altar
;
and then refutes objections as to the
manner teaching
of
the Divine Presence,
Transubstantiation.
approach the altar into seven classes,
rails are
expressly
Those
who
divided by him
and here the author shows
a wondrous and intimate knowledge of the
working
of the
human
heart.
The
treatise
closes with a description of the contemplative life.
;;
8i
tTbe Mritinas of IRu^sbroeck
The Seven Degrees
of Spiritual
Love
In a simile familiar to spiritual writers of all ages,
Ruysbroeck compares
life
leading up to
or stairway of seven steps,
perfection
and union with God.
are respectively
God
holy will of (3)
;
Voluntary poverty
(2)
Purity of soul and chastity of body
(4) Humility,
with her four daughters, obedi-
ence, gentleness, patience, of
self-will
glory,
(5)
;
involving
The
three
and
and the forsaking
desire
spiritual
supplication,
(6)
The contemplative and
man
the divine exercises,
acts
acts of thanksgiving
of
which
of
and adoration,
namely, acts of love
(7)
These stages
Conformity with the
(i)
:
to a ladder,
perfect
life,
;
by
finally attains the last stage of,
sublime
ignorance.
Walter
(Compare
Hilton's " darksome lightness " in his Scale of Perfection.)
6
a
82
flDeMaeval nOi^stic
Of
the
Supreme Truth
This treatise was issued by
some
tion of
difficult
way
passages in his
work, concerning especially the
and indeed of his
of explanafirst
gift of counsel,
as a kind of defence
whole mystic teaching.
and apology
He
protests
that he has never admitted that the creature
can be raised to a state of identity with God,
and once more he explains
his conception of
the union of the soul with her Divine Spouse.
There
is
a union
common
to all the just,
brought about by the grace of God, with the forsaking of vice, the practice of virtue, and
submission to the authority of the Church.
Then
there
unto that of
is
fire
a
more intimate union, hke
and
iron, which,
seem but one matter, though remain two distinct substances. attain this love
God and
live in
when
united,
in fact they
Those who His presence,
but as yet arrive not at a complete know-
tbe Mritings ledge of His essence. is
After this again there
whereby the
even a yet closer union,
Eternal Father and
83
of IRui^sbvoech
man become
not
one,
indeed with oneness of substantial unity,
but in a oneness of love and evident that language here
bliss.
It
is
the holy
fails
author to express the sublimity of his concept and his experience to
show the intimacy
union he
is
;
in his
of this last
endeavour
method
of
driven to use expressions which,
taken as they stand, have that pantheistic ring
which
it
is
his
first
object
here to
disclaim.
The Twelve Beguines After
the
Tabernacle,
this
is
lengthy of our Saint's works, and
the
it is
most
of great
importance as throwing considerable light
on Ruysbroeck's ideas and system.
We
are
introduced to twelve Beguines discoursing together on the love of Jesus Christ, whence
U
§4
an easy of
the
riDebiaeval fll^^stic
transit tract,
to the real subject-matter
the
contemplative
life.
To
attain the state of contemplation, four conditions are required
a ray of divine light,
:
producing illumination, whence, on the part of the soul, a looking at
God, or speculation,
passing into contemplation, and this stage
again merging into a state of sublime, ecstatic
There are four distinct acts or states
love.
corresponding respectively to each
of love, of
these
Ruysbroeck
stages.
also
shows
here the action of the Holy Ghost in forming the soul to a more intimate knowledge of
God.
The second part with
a
divides
fresh
mankind
wicked men. of
order
of the
of
into
are,
ideas.
Ruysbroeck
good Christians and
Holiness consists of the union
the active and the
There
book then opens
however, some
contemplative
life.
who practise neither
one nor the other and yet give themselves out
tTbe
as the
Mvitinss of
most holy
of
Among
all.
85
IRiv^sbroccf?
these Ruys-
broeck proceeds to distinguish four kinds of errors
or
Holy
Ghost
against
heresies
and
Humanity all
His
Errors against the
Grace
(2)
;
Errors
God the Father and His power God
Errors against
and
(i)
:
and
;
that
(3)
;
the Son and His Sacred
God
finally errors against
makes up Christendom, namely,
the Scriptures, the Church, and the Sacra-
ments. is
one
On the other hand, the good Christian who loves God with all his heart and
mind and
soul
and strength.
Blessed John then goes on to discourse of
He
the Divine Nature in Unity and Trinity. also discusses
man
spiritual nature.
in his material
The
in his
spiritual part of
him
alone, he says, can elevate life (of
and
man
to the mystic
which once more the three ways are
expounded), and alone also can show him the
reasons
universe.
wherefore
The
three
God
ways
created
of the
mystic
the life
a
86
ADeMa^val flD^stic
are symbolised stars
on
by the three heavens.
and the planets
exercise
terrestrial creatures, that
our bodies, for leading evil.
it
to
Thence
God
is
an influence to say,
it
from
Ruysbroeck describes the
men by
various temperaments of to the planets
upon
alone can touch the soul,
good and restraining also
The
and
reference
their conjunction with
the signs of the zodiac.
A
chapter on our Divine Lord, held up as
the Model Religious, serves as a transition to the third part, which
a treatise, largely
is
symbolical, on the Passion of Christ, divided
and subdivided according
to
the sequence
of the Canonical Hours.
This
is
perhaps the most discursive of Ruys-
broeck's works,
and
difficult to follow,
in that sense the
most
because of the number and
length of the digressions.
For instance, when
he comes to speak of the planet Venus, he
mentions the sign of the Balance, and
this
;
^be
whole
suggests
a
chapters
on the Balance
The
God
love of
spiritual
87
TKnritinGS of IRu^sbroecf^
of
treatise
for us,
Divine
of
and
thirty-nine
all
Love,
the blessings,
and temporal, which flow from
pan
cast into one
of the balance,
it,
are
and we must
weigh down the other pan with our virtues
and there follows a long virtues
we should
disquisition
practise,
prominent among
which, as usual, he ranks humility.
between the
able soul
spirit
his
and the reason-
and the whole digression
;
Here,
work out
further, he finds occasion to
distinction
on the
closes
with a sad and striking comparison between the fervour of primitive Christianity and the
own
laxity of his
days.
Bossuet very severely criticised this work, holding gories,
up
it
and
as
an example
so forth,
of forced alle-
and speaking
of
Ruys-
broeck as involved in the vain speculations of
astrologers.
surprising,
is
This
opinion,
though
not just, for the author
is
not
careful
a nDeM^val
88
flDptic
have not influence
to insist that the planets
on the
will of
man
But
as such.
it is
natural
that Bossuet should regard such works with suspicion
and
dislike, for
he had considerable
trouble with false mystics, the quietists of
own day
his
friends
and even Ruysbroeck's own
;
and contemporaries found much
in the
volume that was strange, even to
startling,
and Gerard Groote advised him not
to publish
it
in its entirety.
Of
The reader
the
will
Twelve Virtues
not be surprised to learn
that Blessed John coptrives here to speak of considerably
more virtues than
The
principal
and
this again twofold
and
first is
just twelve.
said to be humiUty,
— one humility inspired
by the contemplation
of the
power
of
God,
the other by the consideration of His goodness.
Tbe daughter
of
humihty
is
obedience, and
Mritino3 of IRu^sbrocck
ITbe
obedience naturally involves denial of will,
poverty of
He
versities.
beautifully
spirit,
and patience
self-
in ad-
then proceeds to treat very
and
at length of interior detach-
ment, remarking that to secure this necessary to
89
it is
not
external occupations, but
flee
that the attainment of perfection consists in a perfect
abandonment
to the will of
own
the forsaking of our
have arrived thus For past
sins there
far,
we
When we
will.
shall
God and
no longer
must be continued sorrow,
but external penances are not equally for
And
those
who cannot endure
must apply themselves
the austere
life of
These are
Christ
all.
great bodily
austerities
The
sin.
by interior
to imitate self-denial.
Letters of Ruysbroeck
spiritual letters, of course, con-
ferences in epistolary form.
The
first
is
addressed to Margaret van
go
£1
nOeM^val
flD^stic
Meerbeke, the Poor Clare of Brussels men-
Ruysbroeck writes
tioned above.
was at your convent peared sad friend
had forsaken you
;
some
or
special
therefore
And he
writing you as follows."
am
may
her against the dangers which cloister.
He
I
proceeds to
console his spiritual daughter, and to
even in the
I
summer, you ap-
last
methought God
;
"When
:
warn
be found
declaims against the
abuses which sometimes creep into monasteries,
and almost always through
self-will,
whereas every Religious should strive to have all
things in common, to be submissive to
superiors closes
and
with
affable to
a
all.
description
The holy author the
of
terrible
punishments to be meted out to those Religious
who
a holy
life.
to keep their rule
fail
The second, addressed
widow
of
portance,
John
of
After
treating
Matilda,
to
Culemberg, of
and lead
is
of
the
the
more imApostles'
^be Mritings
of
IRupbroeck
91
Creed, the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, the
Decalogue, the vows of religion and the prethe Incarnation and
cepts of the Church,
death of Christ, Ruysbroeck expounds the Catholic doctrine on the seven Sacraments,
and
especially
describes
the
He
the Blessed Eucharist.
which
fruits
worthy Communion, the three ways
of
and
flow
treats
from again
the contemplative
and describes the elements
a of
life,
of superessential
contemplation.
The
third
Cologne.
was sent
Blessed
to three Recluses of
John
persevere in their holy treats of the spiritual
exhorts
manner
life,
of
them life.
to
He
comparing Christ
to the precious pearl, the hidden treasure.
And
finally
he earnestly exhorts them to
constant meditation on the Passion of Our
Lord.
The fourth was addressed
to Catherine of
Louvaih, a devout young lady living in the
a
92
world
;
HDeMaeval fTD^stic
and the other three were hkewise
sent to persons in the world.
wise spiritual maxims, and
all
All are full of insist
on the
need of humility and the abnegation of will.
self-
XII
The Teaching of Ruysbroeck
*
In no one work, as already remarked, does Blessed John Ruysbroeck give a complete outline of his doctrines
;
are to be found dispersed
the elements rather
among
the various
treatises.
In
common
with
most
of
God and
mystics, Ruysbroeck starts from
comes down to man, and thence to God, showing
how
*
is
rises
again
the two are so closely
united as to become one.
God
German
the
In His essence
simple unity, the one supremely pure
The whole subject of mystic theology by Rev. A. B. Sharpe, M.A.,
well treated
entitled Mysticism:
Its
is
excellently
in a
volume
True Nature and Value, already
quoted, just published by Sands
&
Co.
reference to our Saint and his writings. 93
There
is
frequent
a
94
flDebiasval fTHj^stic
and supernatural being, devoid in
Himself
mode,
of all
and immovable, and yet
still
the same time the
cause and active
first
principle of all things.
at
This principle
is
the
divine nature, which does not in reality differ
from the essence, and which Trinity.
The Father
and yet He
is
is
fruitful in the
the essential principle,
is
consubstantial with the other
two Persons.
The Son, the uncreated Image
of the Father,
is
the Eternal
Wisdom.
The
Holy Ghost, proceeding from the other two,
and returning unto them,
is
the eternal Love,
which unites Father and Son. Persons,
God
essence,
He
is
eternally active
abides
in
As regards :
as regards
unbroken repose.
Creatures have been existing as ideas in
from
all eternity.
In man, whose body instrument, principle,
He.
God
In
there
like
this
is
is
a
merely a perishable spiritual,
unto God, though principle
immortal less
Ruysbroeck
than
distin-
^be teaching
of IRu^sbroecft
95
guishes, with a distinction of the reason, soul
and
spirit
the former
;
merely
human
powers
;
life,
uniting together the lower
the other
supernatural
life
is
:
the principle of man's
God, gathering together
in
The
his higher faculties.
powers
the principle of the
is
soul has four inferior
the irascible, and the concupiscible,
which two become bestial when not under the ruling of a virtuous will
man
is
choice,
faculty of the
and
reason,
by which
distinguished from the brute,
freedom of
superior
;
an exercise
The
will.
man
In every
triple unity,
of the higher
has the three
memory, understanding,
faculties,
will.
spirit
and
or oneness
likewise there :
is
a
the unity of the
lower faculties in the soul, the unity of the higher in the
spirit,
and the unity
whole being in God, on essentially
depend
Whom
all
of the
things
for their being.
Blessed John delivers the accepted teaching of the
Church on the
Fall, the
Incarnation and
a
96
riDebifeval V^^stic
Redemption, on the need and on the means of divine grace, the institution of the Sacra-
ments, the estabhshment of the Church, the gifts of
the Holy Ghost,
But coming now tical doctrine,
we
etc.
to his
more purely mys-
find that
Ruysbroeck
— the active
tinguishes three degrees, or states
the interior life, and the contemplative life.
life,
The sin
dis-
active
and
to
life
consists of the effort to conquer
draw nigh
Here
in Christ
in His
life
virtues
He
of
is
to
God by exterior works.
the Divine Exemplar, for
practised the three fundamental
humility, charity,
Humility
is
building,
and
the foundation it is
and patience. of
the
whole
exercised chiefly in obedi-
ence, which engenders the abdication of our
own
will,
and patience, or submission
things to the holy will of God.
has arrived so
shown
far,
When
in all
a
man
he can exercise charity,
at this stage chiefly
by compassion
Christ suffering on the Cross for
all
for
men, and
^be
tTeacbina of IRu^sbroeck
97
bringing with her the four cardinal virtues of
prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice,
whereby
also the Christian
and conquer
and the
in this active life is
enabled to fight
deadly enemies, the
his three
devil, the world,
is
flesh.
Perseverance
crowned by union with
God, a union wherein God alone as the exemplar
alone
is
and the
sought and loved.
become a Faithful
As
final end,
of
He man
wherein
Thus does a
Servant.
yet, however, there
knowledge
regarded
is
is
only an imperfect
God, and to become more closely
united with God, as an Intimate Friend, one
must
strive to attain the second stage of the
mystic way, namely the interior
life.
For
this three preliminary conditions are requisite.
On
the part of God, there must be a yet
stronger
movement
of divine grace,
and on
the part of man, an absolute recollection,
with freedom from sensible images, attachments, and cares, and then the gathering 7
H
gS together of
riDebi^val ni>^0tic
all
the powers in the unity of the
Spirit. Christ, then,
the Eternal Sun, enkindles
in the soul thus duly prepared a divine
which engenders a warm, sensible devotion
full of
fire,
love, a
ardent desires, with thankful-
ness for the divine mercies and affliction at one's
own
of the of
unworthiness.
sun draws up the moisture in the form
vapour, to
and
Then, as the action
fertilising
fall
back again
in refreshing
showers of rain, so
persevere Christ sends of consolations,
which
down fill
if
the soul
a fresh shower
the whole being
with a chaste pleasure and an indescribable sweetness, superior to
all
the delights of the
earth, rising even to a species of spiritual
intoxication,
outward trials for
acts.
which
may
manifest
As yet there
itself
in
are no severe
the soul, but she must beware of
pride and presumption, and of leaning too
much on the
these sensible delights instead of on
Divine Giver.
Meanwhile the Sun
of
Zlbe ^eacblnQ of IRu^sbroecft Justice
is
reaching
its
apogee in the heavens,
and Christ draws up
all
the powers of the
soul, so that the heart is enlarged
and
burst with love, and at the same time to suffer from the
99
wound
it
fit
to
begins
of love, because of
the urgency of the power drawing upward
and
its
own impotency
to follow
;
whence
also
a spiritual languishing, a very madness and impatience, or fever of love, capable even of
wasting the bodily strength.
Love
is liable
to be so intense at this stage, that visions
and
ecstacies are granted
;
but at the same
time care must be taken against the delusions of the evil one.
But thence the Sun enters on the the Virgin and
its
downward
Christ hides Himself of the
warmth
It is the
really
path, that
and the
of sensible love
and
lasting
soul a time of seeming
is,
and deprives the soul
autumn, the time
ripe
sign of
of
fruits
like.
gathering the ;
but to the
abandonment,
aridity,
a
100
flDebi^val flDi^etic
She must then beg the prayers
darkness, etc. of others,
be glad to leave herself in God's
hands, willing to suffer and to sacrifice sweetness.
must be
Likewise, she
all
careful
not to compromise God's favour by seeking
and
earthly pleasures
human
tions of
Then
there
is
delights, the consola-
and
friendship,
so forth.
a second coming of the Divine
Him the gifts of the whereby He adorns the three
Spouse, bringing with
Holy Ghost, supreme
faculties
of the
plicity empties the
images
and
spirit.
memory
renders
it
Pure sim-
of all external
Spiritual
stable.
brightness gives the intelligence a sure dis-
cernment
of
the virtues.
And
a
spiritual
fervour arouses the will to a boundless love for
God and men.
There
is
yet a third coming, which affects
the supreme union of the spirit with God. is
a species of intimate contact with
the very depths of the soul.
The
God
It
in
intellect
:
loi
tTbe tTeacbing of IRuipsbroecft
cannot comprehend the manner of this union,
can only witness
it
reason and the
effects
its
The power
will.
upon the of loving
increases with the intimacy of this union,
and the intimacy increases the power love
and hence
;
of
also a kind of loving strife
each wishing to possess the other
ensues,
and each wishing to give himself to the other utterly. life,
the
meeting, the union of the soul with God.
It
This
is
the apogee of the interior
may be brought about in three different ways (i)
Man, struck by a
God, forsakes
all
light
images
coming forth from he
;
the union of fruitive love
without
Him God,
;
it
;
any medium, a is
utter
other times
is
plunged into
he meets God
spirit
like
unto
the state of absolute repose in
emptiness
man
and
adores
leisure.
(2)
At
God and consumes
himself in continual love, which ceaselessly feeds on thepresence of
God
;
it is
the mediate
H
I02
fiDeM^eval CKi'^etic
stage, the state of affective love, needful for
the attainment of the preceding. it is
possible to unite
man
(3) Finally,
enjoyment with activity
:
enjoys a most profound peace and pro-
duces
the acts of love
all
and His
most perfect activity
Even
the superior faculties, images
gifts in
in the lower
and sensations
and
state,
powers
;
it is
the
the state of combined
repose.
so, it is
Above the
he receives God
;
not the most sublime state.
interior life there is the super-
essential contemplative life
;
above the
ful friends there are the Intimate
faith-
Sons of God.
This third stage of perfection can never be acquired by any act of the intelligence or will
;
and so sublime
has experienced
and then
in
it
is it
that he only
can attempt
its
who
description,
terms the most halting and im-
This contemplation consists in an
perfect.
absolute purity and simplicity of the under-
standing
;
it is
a knowledge and possession of
^be
103
CeacbiiiG of 1Ru\?0broecI\
God, without modes, without hmits, without
medium, without any consciousness difference of His qualities. is
not God,
It is
it is
the light
the
of
Nevertheless,
by which He
seen.
is
the death and destruction of
it
self
to
behold only the Being eternal and absolute. Its essence is
union with God, the
still
con-
templation of God, abandonment to God, so that
He
alone acts, and not the soul.
This
repose of the spirit engenders a supernatural
contemplation of the Trinity without any
medium, a
of
feeling
sublime ignorance
This soul, to
God and
and nothingness is
the
unspeakable, a
the last consciousness of
;
the difference between
—being
bliss
the creature
— disappears.
honeymoon
of Christ
with the
which the preceding stages are only
a preparation.
The
ness to brightness
comes between
it
;
spirit is led
and
since
from brightno medium
and the divine splendour,
since the brightness
by which
it
sees
is
the
I04
a
light itself
which
itself
flDcM^val
becomes
it
flDi^stic
sees, in a certain sense
this brightness
consciousness of
its
own
;
it
attains a
superessential beings
of the unity of its essence in
God.
XIII
Some Appreciations Arrived thus
at the
Ruysbroeck
lation,
confines
of
on the
between the created
Spirit Eternal.
Man, he
far as that
is
says,
possible it
not the difference of personality which
is
creature
destroyed,
it is
;
in the
only the difference of will and
of thought, the desire to
oneself which
clares
:
" There
one in God, sense that or
the
union with God
for the
in
on
we have already remarked,
must become deiform as
is
mystic specu-
However, he con-
essential difference
and the
of
himself
finds
pantheism.
stantly insists, as
spirit
summit
in
we
I
be anything apart
must disappear.
where
I
assert that
must be understood
He
de-
we
are
in this
are one in love, not in essence
nature."
His
own 105
strenuous oppo-
a
io6
flDeM^val riD^stic day proves
sition to the pantheists of his
orthodoxy in
this
matter
yet
;
it
his
must be
confessed again that from the very nature of his sublime discourse, his expressions are
times
at
The truth
unorthodox. of
bold
exceedingly
is
and seemingly
that the resources
human language prove inadequate
scribe even the foretaste
on earth
to de-
of that
" which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
nor hath
it
entered into the heart of
man
to
conceive."
In B. John's
own
lifetime
was alarmed, and wrote once
Gerard Groote to the
Canons
Doctor in Theology, and
of
Groenendael
of
one Henry of Hesse, who had declared that
the
Spiritual
Twenty years
of a
Espousals
contained
errors.
after Ruysbroeck's death,
John
Gerson, the famous Chancellor of Paris, in a letter to
one Bartholomew, a Carthusian, who
had given him a copy the
first
of this treatise, praises
two books, but declares that the
Some third
teaches a
appreciations
107 This
kind of pantheism.
charge brought forth a lengthy and spirited defence from a Canon Regular of Groenendael,
named John Scoenhoven
;
and then
in
a
second letter Gerson maintained his objections,
but acquitted the holy author of
intentional error. later
A
similar stand
all
was taken
by Bossuet, who excuses Ruysbroeck
but condemns his manner of expression.
It
must be remembered that these two were engaged
in
confuting
false
mystics,
and
naturally they would discredit the writings of
even a holy man, however orthodox, which
would appear to favour the erroneous tenets of their opponents.
Once more, we remark
that not only was Ruysbroeck manifestly free
from
all
culpable error, but throughout in his
own mind he never distinctions,
must
lost sight of the essential
though at times
his
language
necessarily sound exaggerated to un-
accustomed
ears.
a
io8
On
flDe&t^val flD^stic
the other hand,
favourable
opinion
of
we have a host
critics,
broeck's
to'
outweigh the
French
two
these
utir
Ruys-
of writers of
own and subsequent days who not
only defend the orthodoxy of his writings,
but who also speak of them in terms of the deepest admiration, and regard their author
almost as inspired.
We
have already seen the esteem
in
which
the holy Prior of Groenendael and his writings
were held by Tauler, Gerard Groote, and the Venerable
Thomas a Kempis, and
with which his
John
of
memory was
Scoenhoven.
But
the vigour
vindicated by
advocates
his
were by no means confined to the limits of his
own
Order, period, or country.
Henry van Herp, a Franciscan, compiled a Mirror of Perfection, taken almost exclur sively
by
his
from the Spiritual Espousals
means the
Ruysbroeck
were
teachings
propagated
of
;
and
.Blessed
among the
Some
109
appreciations
Francis, particularly of the
followers of St.
Third Order.
Denys the Carthusian
He
praises.
calls
"I name him
unstinted in his
is
him the Divine
Doctor.
the Divine Doctor," he writes,
because his only master was the Holy Ghost.
''
Of
abundance
this the
he was gifted
man
a,s
is
I afti,
of
wisdom wherewith
a sure guarantee. I
.
.
Ignorant
confess that nowhere have
found such sublimity and such knowledge,
I
save in the works of Denys the Areopagyte.
But
iii
ally
from the
his writings the-difiiculty arises especistyle,
whereas
the Prior of GroenendaeL of
Hugh
I will
is
another
St.
say of Ruysbroeck that he
another Denys the Areopagyte."
Thomas De Divina
of
Jesus,
a
Carmelite,
his
his
in
Oratione, frequently quotes
Ruysbroeck and adopts '-
not so with
... As they say
of St. Victor that he
Augustin, so is
it is
from
method.
-The- Carthusian Surius translated ail the
no works
a ADeM^val
flDi^stic
Ruysbroeck into Latin, and
of
has
translation
this
been the chief source of
familiarity with the Belgian mystic for readers
and writers not acquainted with
The
his native
extracts
from the
Introduction to Surius's translation
seem worth
tongue.
following
quoting for the sake of some
who may imagine
that the works of Blessed John Ruysbroeck
can be of
profit
only to those
who
advanced
in the
contemplative
life
" I do not believe there
is
a
are far
:
man who can
approach these magnificent and simple pages without great and singular
Let none
profit.
excuse himself from reading this book on the plea of the inaccessible sublimity of Ruysbroeck.
The
himself to
man
great
all,
on earth may
has accommodated
and the most abandoned soul find again
on reading him the
path of salvation. Arrows dart from the pages of Ruysbroeck,
aimed by no hand
by the hand
God
of
;
of
man, but
and deeply they embed
Some
m
appreciations
themselves in the soul of the reader
is
a
Innocent reader, reader of unstained
sinner.
robe,
who
Ruysbroeck
most sublime.
at once
is
In
his
most lowly and
description
of
the
Spiritual Espousals he surpasses admiration,
he surpasses praise all
the progriess,
all
all
;
the commencement,
the height,
all
the trans-
cendent perfection of the spiritual
life
is
there." It
was from Surius that the Benedictine
know
Blosius, or Louis de Blois, learned to
and appreciate Ruysbroeck.
His works are
impregnated with the teachings of the Mystic of
Groenendael,
solatio
and
his
well-known Con-
Pusillanimum (Comfort
hearted)
is
for the Faint-
replete with extracts taken
from
Ruysbroeck. Lessius, of
the
Jesuit Theological Professor
Louvain University, used to say that he
read Blessed John Ruysbroeck daily
he would add that
if
his holy
;
and
works had
a
112
iTI>eMje\)aI fll>^0tic
emanated from the Society they would not have remained
in obscurity so long.
In more recent times Ernest Hello brought
France by a translation
our Saint to extracts,
prefaced by an
temporary 1869. "
life,
In his
Among
realms of
anonymous con-
which was
own
of
first
published in
Introduction, Hello writes
those
who,
human
light,
soaring
:
beyond the
have sought refuge
in
the shadow of the great altar, the grandest,
according to Denys the Carthusian, are St.
Denys the Areopagyte and John Ruysbroeck the Admirable.
St.
Denys
lays
down
the
general laws of mystic theology, John Ruys-
broeck
applies
them.
Denys presents
St.
the lamp, John Ruysbroeck kindles the flame.
Both are blind with excess
immovable with excess with them -of
charity.
beauty
is
of
a visit paid to Silence
of their
is
of
light,
motion.
Speech
men from motives
their native land.
language
both
is
The
the condescen-
Some
113
appreciations
dence of their goodness
;
the sacred darkness
which they spread their eagle wings
in
is
their ocean, their booty, their glory."
Reviewing the work lot,
of Hello, Louis Veuil-
the French Catholic publicist, remarked
" Ruysbroeck
humble Flemish
None the
was
illiterate.
He was
:
a
priest of the fifteenth century.
less, in
the order of genius the un-
cultured Ruysbroeck, as a theologian, and
consequently as a philosopher and a poet, is
is
as far above Bossuet as Dante, for instance,
Face to face with the
above Boileau.
mysteries that shroud
God and man, Bossuet
seeks, argues, and, so to speak, gropes
broeck knows, describes, or rather contemplates.
This
illiterate
obscure age finds himself at lime as in his is
familiar to
own sphere him
;
;
;
Ruys-
sings,
and
mystic of an
home
in the sub-
he speaks of what
the wise doctor of the
world remains without.
Bossuet does not
enter, he does not open, he
does not 8
see.
a
114
fTOeM^eval fll>^stic
Bossuet spins words, Ruysbroeck pours out streams of
It
light.
seems as
if
Bossuet
were that mighty wind which was heard in the
Upper Chamber
;
the brief words of Ruys-
broeck are the tongues of
fire,
living
and
enlightening flame."
Truly has Time brought a comparison
its
revenge in such
by a compatriot
of
Bossuet
with Ruysbroeck. Finally, Maeterlinck brought out his trans-
lation of the Spiritual Espousals in 1891 with
a characteristic appreciation of the Flemish mystic.
And
Maeterlinck's
name has given
a
strong impetus to the popularity, so to speak, of
Blessed Ruysbroeck in modern France.
But neither
of
these
translations can
be
regarded as authoritative or exact.
The
real, scholarly
work towards extending
and encouraging the
cult
of
Blessed John
Ruysbroeck, whether among the learned or the devout,
is
being performed, as
is
seemly,
^omc
appi*eciation0
115
in the Catholic University of his native Bel-
gium,
namely, at Louvain, where a Chair
has been instituted for the study of Old Flemish, chiefly for the sake of a correct un-
derstanding and rendering of the writings of the
And
Holy Mystic here
of Groenendael.
we may note
that while
customary with some to speak as illiterate, this term strictly limited sense.
have composed
of
it
is
Ruysbroeck
must be taken
in a
Possibly, he could not
in fluent
and elegant Latin
he was not a classical scholar
;
:
but certainly
the Latin of the Bible and the Fathers was quite familiar to him.
His writings, moreover,
display an intimate knowledge of the Scriptures, the Fathers, theology, liturgy, apologetics.
The natural science of the day was not
unknown, as witness astronomy, and, astrology.
With
it
his
applications from
must be confessed, from
St.
Denys the Areopagyte
he shows himself very intimate, and his pages
a
ii6
flDebi^Eval flD^stic
contain whole passages borrowed or adapted
from
St.
and
especially
Anselm,
own days seem
Ambrose,
St.
St.
Nearer his
Augustin.
St.
Bernard and Hugh
St.
Gregory,
of St. Victor
have influenced him very consider-
to
ably.
Experts in Old Flemish assure us that his style
and
most chaste,
is
He was
clear.
carried
language vigorous
his
away by the beauty
his subject,
When
in truth a poet.
or sublimity of
he indulges in a wealth of imagery,
comparison, metaphor, astounding at times in
and
boldness
originality.
even he lapsed into verse his verse
is
of less
his prose, as
aware.
On
Occasionally
but on the whole
;
beauty and strength than
he himself seems to have been
the other hand, his prose, after
the manner of
St.
Bernard,
the two Victors, and later
St.
Bonaventure,
Thomas a Kempis,
frequently gives evidence of deliberate
and rhyme.
rhythm
In a word, far from being
illite-
Some
117
Hppreciatione
rate in the strict sense of the word, Blessed
John was well acquainted with and
arts of rhetoric
them
;
and
;
he knew
all
how
the rules to
employ
for all the sublimity of his dis-
course he did not disdain the use of these aids to interest is
and persuasion.
we
to be noted that
by contemporaries
of
Finally,
it
are expressly informed
Ruysbroeck that he
wrote by preference in the vulgar tongue, the
more readily and
effectively
to
meet and
refute the erroneous doctrines published in
the language
of
the
mystics of his day.
people by the
false
XIV Last Days
Of
the
of our Saint there
life
remains httle
to be told save the record of the last days
and the
after glory.
good old age
He had
of eighty-eight,
attained the
when
his
mother
appeared in a vision to warn him to make ready for the approaching end. to us there
was
little
one whose whole
life
It
must seem
need for such warning to
had been one long
paration for the coming of the Spouse
!
pre-
He
was taken with dysentery, accompanied by fever,
and
for his greater comfort,
his lifelong friend
at
hand
him
to
van Coudenberg might be
to console
bed
and
assist him,
in the Provost's
the humble Prior besought as
any
and that
chamber.
them
of the lowliest brethren ii8
they put
to treat
and
But
him
to bear
ng
Xast 2>a^s him
to
common
the
accordingly done.
infirmary.
This was
There he lay
for a fort-
night, gradually wasting
ing fever,
and
still
away with the burn-
more, doubtless, with his
burning desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ, for
he was constantly heard murmur-
ing such ejaculations as that of the Psalmist, Sicut desiderat cervus ad fontes aquarum.
received in
the
all
the last
greatest
and the end came
rites,
peace,
He
while
weeping
his
brethren prayed around him, on the Octave
day
of St. Catherine, V.M.,
December
2,
1381,
in the eighty-eighth year of his age, the sixty-
fourth of his priesthood.
That
same
night
the
Dean
of
Diest,
watching by the holy remains, seemed to behold our Saint, clad in the priestly vest-
ments and
all
altar steps as teries.
radiant with glory, ascend the if
to celebrate the sacred mys-
The Dean had always held Ruys-
broeck in fhg deepest yeneratign and, having
H
120
some
fii>et)ifeval
riD^stic
medicine, he had
skill in
come over
Groenendael on hearing of the Prior's to see whether he could administer
any
to
illness relief.
His charity was rewarded by the edifying sight of his
happy death, and by
this con-
soling vision after.
And, as the Venerable a Kempis informs us, "
God
also revealed to
Gerard [Groote]
the death of this most beloved Father, which revelation he of
many
bells
;
made
manifest in the hearing
of the citizens
by the
tolling of the
and more privately he made known
to certain of his friends that the soul of the Prior, after
but one hour of Purgatory, had
passed to the glory of Heaven."
We may
note here that a Kempis himself was a child of three years
to his reward. friend
and
when Ruysbroeck was
called
Gerard Groote followed his
spiritual father to the grave three
years later.
The Groenendael Canons
offered the holy
Uast Ba^s Sacrifice
and
all
121
the wonted suffrages for their
departed Prior's repose, but they prayed with the conviction that they needed his impetra-
They were
tion rather than he theirs.
eager to possess themselves of
which had been his hairy
Some
his.
and one managed
Appropriately enough, this
any
little
all
thing
cut off locks of
to secure a tooth relic later
!
cured a
Mechlin lady of a severe attack of toothache.
However,
Blessed John to rest in the his
Brethren laid
in all simplicity the
own hands had helped
little
chapel which
to raise.
Five years later his saintly associate, the
Provost Francis van Coudenberg, rejoined
him beyond the brai,
John
obsequies.
much
The Bishop
grave.
T'Serclaes,
During
came
his
of
Cam-
to assist at the
visit
he
heard
so
of the heroic virtues of the late Prior
that he ordered an exhumation of Ruysbroeck's
body with a view
able burial
by the
to a
more honour-
side of the Provost in the
a
122
new
church,
little
chapel.
and wonder
riDebi^val flD^stic
which had now replaced the
They were
all filled
with awe
to find the entire body,
save
only the tip of the nose, incorrupt, and the priestly
vestments intact.
Also a most sweet
odour exhaled from the holy remains. satisfy the devotion of the people, the
commanded
that the
To
Bishop
body should be
ex-
posed to their veneration for three days.
On
the third day, amid a vast concourse of
the faithful, Ruysbroeck was laid to rest by the side and in friend
the
tomb
van Coudenberg.
of
jacet translatus
inscription
Devotus Pater
D. Joannes de Ruysbroeck I.
Prior hujus monasterii
Qui
obiit
anno Domini
MCCCLXXXI II,
lifelong
Over the sepulchre
was placed the following simple
Hie
his
Die Decembris
:
"
Here
lies
Hast Daips
123
transferred the
Devout Father,
Dom John of Ruysbroeck, cloister,
who departed
Lord 1381, December
in
2."
First Prior of this
the year of the
XV The Cultus of Blessed John Ruysbroeck Numerous
now wended
pilgrims
to visit Ruysbroeck's tomb.
suspended favours
there
honoured
in
His
year on the
various
Monday
sung in
Ex-votos were
picture
churches.
assist the
his honour.
of
also
was
And
each
following Trinity
the Chapter of St. Gudule's
Groenendael to
way
acknowledgment
in
received.
their
Sunday
came over
to
Canons at a Mass
In a word, on
all sides
the holy Prior was regarded and, as far as possible, treated as a Saint in glory.
Yielding to representations and entreaties
from many quarters, James Roonen, Archbishop of Mechlin, ordered another translation of the remains,
November 124
1622.
This
tCbe Cuitue of IRu^sbroech
was duly performed with
The
formalities.
The bones were
carefully taken
The water used
the prescribed
skeleton was found entire.
washed and then placed
delicious odour,
all
125
and reverently
new
reliquary.
in this cleansing
emitted a
and
it
in a
was afterwards
instru-
mental in effecting many miraculous cures.
The Infanta
Isabella of Spain laid the founda-
tion stone of a chapel to be erected at her
expense near Ruysbroeck' s Tree as a suitable shrine for the
She also provided a
relics.
magnificent sarcophagus.
As
this chapel
was
outside the monastic enclosure, ladies were
now
able to
broeck's
pay
tomb
Ruys-
their devotions at
itself,
whereas hitherto they
had been able to reverence the
relics
only
from a distance. So far, however, no authoritative recognition of the heroic virtues of
come from Rome.
John Ruysbroeck had
In 1624 the Archbishop
commissioned the learned Albert
le
Mire to
126
21
riDcM^val fIDpstiC
draw up the necessary preliminary documents to be submitted to the Sacred ConThese were approved, and three
gregation.
were
commissioners
appointed
the apostohc process, so called.
were completed by 1627. of the
the
to
Their labours
Then, on account
wars and other troubles which
Low
initiate
afflicted
Countries at the time, the Cause
was suspended.
When
the French overran the Netherlands
in 1667, to prevent profanation of the holy relics,
they were carried to a place of greater
safety in Brussels in
1670.
;
they were restored again
In 1783 the Priory
the fate of so
many
itself
shared
other Religious Houses,
and was suppressed by the Emperor Joseph II.; whereupon the to Brussels
and
relics
were again transferred
laid to rest in a side-chapel
of St. Gudule's.
Another attempt was then made by the Chapter of
St.
Gudule's to obtain frcm
Rome
tlbe Cultus of ll^u^sbrocch
an authorised
Office
John Ruysbroeck. ably received
;
and Mass
The
in
petition
127
honour
of
was favour-
but once more there was a
violent interruption, this time from the up-
heaval of the French Revolution. St.
Gudule's
culottes in 1793,
was sacked
by the
and the reliquary
broeck was desecrated.
It is said,
of
sans-
Ruys-
however,
that the relics were not actually dispersed,
and that they were afterwards sealed up again by a Notary
named Neuwens
unhappily at the present day
all
;
but
trace of
them has disappeared. Finally, in 1885, the late Cardinal Goosens,
Archbishop
of Mechlin,
approached the Sacred
Congregation once more, and a tribunal was appointed to examine into the Cause, February 1900.
8,
This was brought to a happy issue in
igoS by a Decree of the Sacred Congregation,
and approved by His
dated December
ist,
Holiness, PiusX.,
December
9,
confirming the
a
128 cultus "
riDeMfeval CX^^3tic
shown from time immemorial
to the
Venerable Servant of God, John Ruysbroeck,
Canon Regular, August
24,
called the Blessed."
1909, the Congregation granted
and approved an
and Mass
Office
John Ruysbroeck
The
Later,
the
for
privilege of this Office
of Blessed
Mechlin clergy.
and Mass has
also
been extended to the Canons Regular
who
the Lateran, tives
of
the
of
arc the lineal representa-
Canons
of
Windesheim, and therefore
Groenendael
and
in a special sense
the children of Blessed John.
For the moment there but
little in
may seem
common between
to be
this Mediaeval
Mystic and the bustling modern world, so little
as to suggest the thought that Blessed
Ruysbroeck can have no message to deliver to our day.
On
the contrary, the Solitary
of the Forest of Soignes stands for a
truth, oblivion of
which
sick unto death to-day.
is
profound
rendering Society
John Ruysbroeck
^be dultus preaches
to
the
of IRu^sbroecfi
world
its
utter
129
need
of
God.
For the CathoHc he enforces
Unlike false mystics, who
a special manner. invariably pretend
and
from the
Ruysbroeck
themselves
chief
normal
namely the Sacraments,
grace,
of
dispense
to
their adherents
means
his lesson in
insists
upon frequent recourse
to the Sacraments, but
more
especially to the
Blessed Eucharist, as the speediest and most efiicacious
means
of bringing each soul into
union with God.
true
Our present Holy
Father, desirous and ambitious of " restoring all
things in Christ,"
same divine remedy souls.
May
providential
to
the
for the renewal of our
there not
reason
has pointed
be seen in this a
wherefore
solemn
the
beatification of this holy Religious has been
delayed six centuries, to be reserved to our
own days
?
The proper prayers
of
our Saint's Mass 9
a
130
riDebiaeval flD^stic
beautifully summarise the lessons of his life
as follows
:
Collect
Who
God,
Thy
Blessed John, holiness
of
vouchsafe to
didst
Confessor, with sublime
and with heavenly
life
adorn
gifts,
grant us, through his merits, and after his
example, to despise the fleeting things of the world, and to desire only the joys of
heaven. Secret
May who
the
in
intercession
offering
overflow
with
worthy,
we
the
of
Blessed
Sacrifice
John,
merited
to
heavenly delights, make us
beseech
Thee,
Lord,
of
the
bread of angels.
Post-Communion
We
beseech Thee,
O
Lord, by the inter-
^be dultus
of IRu^sbrocck
cession of Blessed John, grant to us
who
131 are
refreshed with the heavenly banquet, that, delivered from worldly desires,
ever fervent in
Thy
love.
FLXIS
we may be
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