The Modern Devotion

Confrontation with Reformation and Humanism

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V. Did Groote carry out his intentions?

Did all these activities accord with what Groote formulated as resolutions and conclusions, probably shortly after his ‘conversion’ and perhaps in the first period of his stay in Monnikhuizen, as transmitted by Thomas a Kempis?¹ He sums up all that he desires to abandon or renounce, now that he wishes to direct his life towards the glory of God and His service. He resolved not to esteem temporal advantage above the salvation of the soul, that is, never again to desire a benefice. The rejection of benefices liberated his spirit. Freedom is the highest good in the spiritual life.² He wished to limit his possessions to essentials, to be content with what was in accordance with participation in the community life.³ He did not wish to enter the service of an ecclesiastic or temporal dignity for gain. Further he desired to renounce completely all astrological, superstitious practices⁴ and all profit which he might acquire from learning. He even wished to abandon all branches of learning (philosophy and theology are not mentioned).⁵ Of pagan learning he will retain only moral philosophy. At the same time he rejects the inquiry into the secrets of nature in the books of the pagans and in those of the Old and New Testament. God must be praised in nature. He does not wish to obtain any academic degree in medicine, in either branch of law, or theology.⁶ He will not devote himself to any field of study or write any book in order to enhance his reputation. He wishes to avoid the ‘public debates’ and considers those of the university inexpedient. He does not wish to dispute either with any private individual. He even refuses to continue his studies in Roman Law and

1 Conclusa et proposita, non vota in nomine Domini a magistro Gerardo edita, M.J. Pohl, p. 129 VII, 1922, 87-91.

2 Ibid., 88.

3 Ibid., 89.

4 Ibid., 90.

5 Ibid., 91.

6 Ibid., 92, 94.

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medicine. In the practice of medicine he will prescribe no uncertain cures. Further he will not occupy himself with trials, except to prevent evil, neither will he act for friends before the ecclesiastical judge or the Deventer magistrates, unless again it is necessary. He will not bring an action against anyone - even if one of his relatives should be mishandled, killed or molested. He will not return evil for evil or deal with problems of friends or relations, except in purely pious affairs or those which conduce to charity. These proposals, known for the most part from the contemptus mundi literature, are indeed entirely characteristic of a scholarly person. He virtually rejects scholasticism, its study terrain and its method. The compiler of this document is a scholar who mentions no other activities than those of study: he rejects astrology, and every branch of learning, especially when pursued for gain. Did Groote put all this into practice? The giving up of his benefices and of the paternal house and the sobriety of his life are sufficiently established. He probably gained no advantage from his later activities, nor did he acquire any academic degree. His efforts to keep his library well stocked, his sermons and letters with their many legal arguments, and his juridical advice and other pronouncements are, however, so many signs that he did not abandon learning altogether, but used it for the good of others. There is no indication whatever that he was ever rewarded for this. On the other hand, the contemptus mundi of this scholar fails to recognize many cultural values. If everyone were to apply these principles, it would mean the death of study and education, of all scholarly investigation, even of philosophy and theology. Had Groote applied them to the letter he would have been compelled to shut himself up in a monastery, in order to devote himself increasingly to pondering on the means of attaining his own salvation and the love of God. It would, however, have meant the end of any development of his particular gifts. It is striking that in this entire piece there is no mention of a struggle against abuses in church or society or of pastoral cure. In other words he never refers to the work which he began in 1379 and continued with so much courage and energy until his death. These resolutions are made in a monastic spirit and it is only later that Groote must have completely changed his plans. Then his intention was not to retire from the world but to return to it in order to preach the Gospel and to combat what he considered as abuses. As we have seen, there was much that aroused his disapproval and summoned him to fight. In so far, thus, as he changed his life's goal, the resolutions formulated here were not carried out. But his apostolate too was imbued with the

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same spirit - the spirit of sacrifice and the rejection of all selfseeking, of the struggle for fame and fortune. He fought undaunted, but as we have seen, in a narrow and rigoristic spirit.

Together with these general conclusions and resolutions of Geert Groote, Thomas a Kempis also mentions other resolutions by the same person which he resumes under the two titles: De sacris libris studendis¹ and De abstinentia.² Both are of importance for our knowledge of Groote:

‘I return to learning: the root of your knowledge and the mirror of your life is the Gospel of Christ’ (so preaches Groote to himself) for this is the life of Christ, and after that to the Vitae and the Collationes patrum, the epistles of St. Paul, the canonical letters and the Acts of the Apostles; then to pious books such as the Meditationes Bernardi, Anselmi horologium, the Conscientia Bernardi, the Soliloquia Augustini, the Legenda and Flores sanctorum, the teachings of the Fathers on virtue such as the Moralia of Gregory I, De opere monachali beati Augustini, Gregorius super Job, and similar works; the homilies on the Gospels by the Fathers and four Doctors of the Church. The explanation of the notes of the Fathers to the pericopes of Paul's epistles. Further study in the Books of Solomon, Proverbs, the Preacher and Ecclesiasticus, because they occur in church readings. Here he adds: ‘I shall pray with the spirit and with the mind.’ Then the book of Psalms and again: ‘I shall sing psalms in spirit and with the understanding.’ This repeated resolution to pray with mind and understanding when praying the breviary is a plain censure of the superficial praying of the psalms. It is, for the rest, a resolution which many make again and again but which appears extremely difficult to put into practice. He mentions in addition the books of Moses and the historical books, with the commentaries by the Fathers. He wishes to study these as well, in fact, virtually the entire body of the Scriptures, the books of the Old and New Testaments. Furthermore he desires to peruse the Decretals, not in order to master the contents but lest ignorance of them should lead to disobedience, and also to gain acquaintance with the great fruits of the Early Church.

In addition he intends to hear mass daily and High Mass on Sundays. He knows from experience that the singing incites the body to devotion. He defends the adoption of certain attitudes during mass, standing, kneeling, bowing etc. He resolves not to be occupied with other prayers during the reading of the Gospel. Whereas in the early

1 Pohl VII, 97-102.

2 Ibid., 102-107.

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Church everyone who attended mass also received Communion, only the Pax and the spiritual communion have remained. ‘Thus if you,’ he says to himself, ‘cannot communicate sacramentally, receive then at least the spiritual communion.’ Meditation on the passion of Christ is very helpful in this. From the Sanctus on, he wishes to join as closely as he can with the priest in order to hear Mass as well as possible, and to see the Sacrament. Finally he considers that he must be careful what advice he gives to anyone wishing to become a priest. The candidate must at least be very pious. In conclusion he gives his resolutions concerning fasting. In the first place he desires to comply with the rules of the law of fasting, then never to eat meat in Advent and always to fast in Lent. Secondly he will never leave the table completely satisfied. This advice is also given by every philosopher and notably Seneca and Aristotle. Fifthly, at the end of the meal consider if you should stop or not. Sixthly: fix the quantity at the beginning of the meal; seventh: nothing more than a cooked pear after the meal. Eighth: eat in the afternoon between 4 and 5. No less than 12 reasons are given for this resolution, mostly of a hygienic nature. Further, from the middle of September until Easter, eat only one meal a day like the Carthusians, Bernardines and others. If it is very cold then he may take something extra on the authority of Hippocrates and also sleep for half an hour or an hour after the meal. He would like to be able to drink no wine as long as he remained healthy and certainly not before and after a meal. Nor would he drink during work or after it.

He will try to fast every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, without considering this as a resolution. Further he will not eat, write, talk or act in haste. Finally he will keep careful accounts and by sobriety in food and dress hold something over for the poor. He resolves never to give too large alms for there are always poor enough to whom something can be given. He will constantly reread these resolutions and thinks that the heart is perpetually lifted up to the Lord by ejaculatory prayers.

These resolutions too, typify Groote in his desire to render his inner devotion more profound and intense by studying the Bible and various other pious works. This inner quality however, is no enemy of outward practices: the Holy Mass, the breviary, bowing and kneeling and rigorous fasting are equally acceptable and defensible.

Finally Thomas a Kempis gives some other important pronouncements of Geert Groote¹ which characterize his devotion. For example,

1 Pohl VII, 107-109.

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the stoic quality: a person should not let himself be put out by any matter in the world; he who puts into practice what he knows is worthy of knowing a great deal, but he who does not put it into practice is blind. We must obey in what is repugnant to us or what is difficult for ourselves. Humility is important. Hence the sum of knowledge is to be convinced that we know nothing. It is vain to please oneself. Think good of others. We must persist in prayer. Temptation exists everywhere in the world and not to be tempted is the greatest temptation. ‘Always more hope than you fear for heavenly glory.’

If Groote's continuous activity, his preoccupation with many matters, his journeyings to and fro, his rigoristic theories and practices might perhaps stamp him as a homo dissolutus, a man of many cares and thus distracted, then these last remarks serve to show how deep was his devotion and to what severities it would lead in his way of life. Have his biographers sketched him as he is revealed to us in the letters and books? We shall discuss this in the following chapter.