The Modern Devotion

Confrontation with Reformation and Humanism

F. The compassionate pastor

Groote, on the other hand, was deeply moved by his attempts to save a person who either wished to enter the monastery as a young man, or experienced his first difficulties within the monastery, or else

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fell from grace and is following the wrong path. This emotion is evident in the letter addressed to the priest Henry of Höxter.¹ Groote considered this man a good secular priest (bonus mundanus presbiter). There are others, however, concubinarii, fornicatores, the ambitious, simonists, drinkers, misers who willingly work at the court, or gladly deal with worldly affairs.

This secular priest is treading the broad road which leads to death, according to Christ's word. Groote recalls the passage in the Apocalypse (13.16). ‘So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’

Woe to you and to all priests, soldiers of Christ, who do not fight, for you shall not receive the crown (Timothy 2,5). If you fight against the commands of Christ, you serve the devil. May you hold yourself aloof from the widespread idleness of the priests, the worldly life and the contamination of the world. You must begin a new life, a life to which few attain. The priest who moves in the world needs many books, masters and documentation in order to find the new way. You must not be misled by the frivolous and facile way of life of the ordinary priests. They are blind and leaders of the blind. Indeed, now they are more blind than robbers and harlots. In heaven and in the Church these will stand higher than the priests and receive less punishment. Oh, there are priests who neither act nor speak well, and are even a hindrance to those who do good, especially to the lay people.² Henry may not be satisfied with the ordinary life that the priests lead, but following the advice of Augustine he must try to understand spiritually what God is, and to assimilate this spiritually. If this is necessary for every Christian, how much more so for the salvation of the priest, who must impart to others the life of the spirit and give an example of spiritual life (vita spiritualis). The ordinary life of the clergy is fleshly and worldly. Fly, fly, break the chains of them and cast aside their yoke, for he who dwells in heaven, mocks them and God will put them to shame. Form Christ within you, so that you may wander spiritually in the midst of the wicked and that you may know and resist the flaming arrows of the devil and the world and the flesh through the divine dogmas and charismata.³

1 Ger. M. Ep. n. 22, p. 94. Also published by Sr. G. Feugen O.G.E. 15 (1941) 80-87. This text has three more passages and an appendix. The pieces contain mostly quotations from earlier writers, notably Bernard. I consider them to be interpolations; they give more material for the priests, but do not throw any further light on Geert Groote.

2 Ibid., p. 96, 97.

3 Ibid., p. 99, R. Dier, G. Dumbar, Analecta I, 8.

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I should not go so far as to say that Groote was hereby attempting to gain Henry of Höxter for the Brethren, of whom his brother (John of Höxter) was already a member. What he was trying to do, was to imbue this priest at least with the same spirit as the fratres, the more spiritual ideal. He was successful to this extent, that Henry of Höxter later became a monk in the monastery of Windesheim.¹

Groote took radical action against Master Rudolf of Enteren, probably also his friend and fellow student.² After a few letters had been exchanged, Groote had besought him to come to Deventer. Rudolf, however, preferred to remain in Paris where he spent the entire winter refuting various errors of the Arabian astrologer Albumasar. Groote considered this attitude wrong, but since Rudolf would not come to Deventer, Groote was obliged to write to him. He thereby requested an answer to his letter, point by point. In Groote's opinion Rudolf should reject the whole science of astrology. It contained not a grain of truth. It was not sufficient to refute a few points made by Albumasar. On the contrary, this might have quite the wrong results since it would lead to Albumasar's work continuing to be read. Groote too had once studied astrology. He still felt guilty and found it better to forget everything. Rudolf too should reject the entire study. One peculiar factor was that Rudolf was ‘fallen’, ‘lapsus’. Groote does not say exactly what had happened. Rudolf had fallen into ‘societates’, associations and debts, and had borrowed money. He owed money to a certain John Lubertus.³ Groote besought him to pay this man back in full, since the money belonged to the poor. He would also inform the ‘lord’, probably the head of the College where Rudolf was living, and he would have to decide ‘whether to expel you, or whether you can remain as before. You must tell him everything. In this way you can make restitution. If you do not to this, I do not see how the sin can be forgiven, unless you give back as much as you can.’⁴

Henry of Höxter and Rudolf of Enteren, whom Groote attempted to lead back to, or keep on the straight path, were friends or acquaintances or particular relations. This is also true in the main of those whom he placed in monasteries or advised against entering. This may be one of the reasons why these letters (copies of them) were preserved. We must assume that he was called upon to deal with many more similar

1 J. Busch 81.

2 Ger. M. Ep. n. 63, p. 244-253.

3 5th March 1381, schoolrector in Deventer, Cameraars Rekeningen V 355.

4 Ger. M. Ep. p. 252.

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cases than are revealed in those letters which have come down to us. These last already give sufficient proof that Groote concerned himself with the affairs of the day.