Chapter XVIII. Of his public profession of faith, and of his delivering… long as needier persons than I may be found, for what I would not do myself, that will I not ask of another.
(20) Likewise, Gerard said, a man ought not to be disturbed about any affair of this world. He who doeth that which he knoweth, doth deserve to know much. He who doeth not that which he knoweth doth deserve to be in darkness.
It is a great matter to obey in those things which are contrary to our natural man, and are burdensome—this is true obedience.
Before all things and in all things study specially to be humble inwardly, and also outwardly before the brethren.
The knowledge of all knowledge is for a man to know that he knoweth nothing.
The more a man is assured that he is far from perfection, the nearer is he thereto. 72
The beginning of vainglory is to be pleasing to oneself.
By this is a man known better than by aught else, that he is praised.
Thou oughtest always to strive to note some good in another, and to think thereof.
Inordinate desire for anything not pertaining to God is as the sin of fornication: therefore the prophet saith: "It is good for me to cleave to God."
We ought to be strenuous in prayer, and not lightly to desist from it nor think that God is unwilling to hear us.—Though oftentimes repelled, we should not despair.
He who is faint-hearted should pray as a son to a good father, as is said in the Gospel:
"Which of you if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone," and so forth.
In everything in the whole world there is temptation, though a man perceive it not.
(21) The greatest of temptations is not to feel temptation; so long as a man knoweth that there is somewhat in him to be pruned away, so long doth he stand well.
When any evil is suggested to thee, think what thou wouldest ask thy fellows to do in like case, then doth the Devil stand confused.
Always dwell more upon the hope of Eternal Glory than upon fear of Hell.
Let every man beware of causing scandal to others by his conduct; let him study to amend the same, and everywhere to behave himself honestly, that others may be the more edified.
With whatsoever thoughts a man doth fall asleep, with such doth he awaken; at these times it is well to pray or to read some psalms. 73
Slight shame borne here doth do away unending shame before God and all the Saints.
Study only to please Him Who doth know thee and all that pertaineth to thee: suppose that thou dost please all men but dost displease God; what should it profit thee? therefore turn away thy heart from the creature, yea, even with great violence.
Think how thou mayest be altogether conqueror of thyself and lift up thy heart ever to God, as saith the prophet: "Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord."
Appendix to the Life of Gerard Groote APPENDIX TO THE LIFE OF GERARD GROOTE A Letter to the Bishop of Utrecht on behalf of Master Gerard Groote when he was forbidden to preach publickly.
Most Potent Father, and Prince of the people of Utrecht, T hath happened lately that Gerard Groote, a deacon of your Diocese, inspired by the Lord, and kindled with zeal to preach the Word even in these latter days, hath denouncedI before clerks and lay-folk their wickedness, and maintained wholesome, true, Evangelical and Apostolic doctrine as against heretics, usurers, and clerks that live in concubinage.
Acting with your license and that of the Parochial Clergy he hath preached also against various crimes and corruptions of divers men in your diocese, not without some fruit, and hath sown the seed not without increase (as he doth hope). For by his preaching the hearts of many have been turned to the Lord, leaving their former perverse and evil courses.
Through his labours there are many virgins set as flowers in the field of the Lord; lives of chaste widowhood and voluntary poverty, as an harvest therein; renunciations of the world, acts of restitution and many other fruits sprung from the seed of Ecclesiastical and Catholic doctrine; and these things are seen and known of them that do truly love God.
By his means also the boldness of certain heretics who creep in secret places on the earth hath been kept down, and the wickedness of usury and disordered lust have ceased from the land of Zeeland. But yet these clerks and priests that live in concubinage have procured 75
(as we suppose) by means of a letter obtained from you that this Gerard should be restrained indirectly from exercising the office of a preacher, and this either without cause, or without any that he knoweth.
For although your letter did apply to all priests, yet almost all save Gerard have been restored to their offices; and this, as he thinks, doth arise not from the deliberate intention of the bishop, but through the suggestions of malicious men causing no small loss and detriment to the cause of Holy edification. At this do heretics rejoice and creep about more boldly; for this cause are those enemies of the Church glad, namely the Clerks who live in concubinage, continuing to live most uncleanly in the lusts of the flesh: usurers are well pleased, and scandals are increased, yea, even more perchance than carnal and worldly minds can comprehend. Although this Gerard calleth God to witness that so far as he himself is concerned he would wish to be at leisure to explore the truth, and to be quiet, yet he perceives that the enemy of mankind is everywhere striving against men and is driving them over the precipices and into the abyss of sin; and he hath hope that some of these may by his preaching be delivered from the snare of the hunter and from the noisome pestilence, which hope the effects of his former preaching do justify; therefore he is stirred by zeal for the House of the Lord, inflamed and urged by love for his neighbour to preach and sow the seed of the Word of God (if it may be) without temporal reward, in poverty and with humility
Appendix to the Life of Gerard Groote but in all truth, as formerly he preached and sowed the same not without visible fruit. If a special license is refused him he doth ask that at least the parochial clergy may not be forbidden to employ him if they will; for according to the custom of the State and diocese of Utrecht they have been wont always to employ any trusty and good preachers whom they would, without such license. Furthermore if in spite of the good fruit his preaching hath borne, and the aforesaid custom, you should wish to inhibit Gerard from preaching (which thing God forbid should happen in your dominions), he doth ask and humbly and urgently desire of you: (1) to declare to him the pretext and reason of such inhibition; (2) not to judge him, deprive him of his right, nor suspend him from the exercise thereof without such admonitions as ought always to precede judgement; for he is ready to argue each several doctrine that he doth teach in public and private, not only before you, Father, but also before any man, and truly to prove the same from the sacred writings of the Saints and from the Scriptures: and if it be necessary to lay them before the Supreme Pontiff.
A Letter of Master William de Salvarvilla, a Cantor at Paris, to Pope Urban VI, asking that a license to preach be granted to Master Gerard.
To our most Holy Father in Christ, our Lord Urban VI., by Divine Providence Pope, Supreme Pontiff of the Inviolable Church of Rome, and of the whole world, these from your
Holiness' most humble petitioner and servant William de Salvarvilla, Chanter of Paris and Archdeacon of Brabant in the Church of Liege.
MOST HOLY FATHER, 77 In all subjection and most humbly and devoutly kissing the feet of your Holiness, I do write that which followeth in singleness of heart, being zealous (as I believe) for the service of God.
There is a certain reverend man Gerard Groote, a Deacon of the diocese of Utrecht, learned in the sciences both liberal, natural and moral, and also in Theology and Canon
Law. He hath long ago given over all his benefices for God's sake, namely prebends at Utrecht and Aix, and also his patrimony, which was no small one, having retained but a small part of the same to provide him a slender sustenance. To him is the world crucified, and he to the world; he hath become a mighty adversary to heretics, a zealous upholder of the unity of the Church, and a fervent preacher in the said diocese as against the sins of lay folk and clerks; yet he hath not received or asked for any recompense for his preaching, nor doth he seek any temporal or Ecclesiastical Benefice, but he doth desire to have a further Commission under the authority of the Apostolic See to the end that he may be able to preach more freely and without hindrance. Wherefore it would seem expedient, as I judge, that your Holiness should give him authority to preach and to make inquisition against heretics; and likewise to publish the Canonical decree of your Holiness granting such authority in the Province of Cologne or at least in the aforesaid diocese of Utrecht.
Appendix to the Life of Gerard Groote May the Most High see fit to preserve your Holiness in prosperity, to be the ruler of His
Given at Leyden on the 21st day of October.
The following epitaph on Gerard is appended to A Kempis' Life of the Master as edited by Somalius. It is uncertain whether A Kempis was the author of the lines, but from the title
"Epitaphium vetus et inconditum" it would seem probable that they are by a different hand.
As it is impossible to reproduce the rhyme and metre of the original in a translation, the Latin text of the Epitaph is here given:
EPITAPHIUM VETUS ET INCONDITUM VENERABILIS MAGISTRI GERARDI MAGNI Gerardus Magnus vixit sicut plus agnus, Fecit quod dixit, sicut docuit quoque vixit.
Sicut non fictus aliis mitis sibi strictus Lux fuerat Cleri, tradens huic lumina veri, Lux fuerat pravis, oculus mentis bene gnavis.
Hic Mundo spretus, sed pneumate corde repletus Ejus doctrina, falsis fuerat quasi spina Ridiculum vanis, odium mentis male sanis Quae falsos laesit, pars veridicis sed adhaesit
Illi pro vero, fuit utilis hic quia clero Ut clero laicis, prodesse volens inimicis, Doctrina veri, debet Christus misereri Ejus de jure, pro tali pondere curae.
Talis namque fore, voluit gratis sed amore Divino tactus, nulla mercede coactus Namque resignavit praebendas sicut amavit
Christum, sic stravit carnem tenues quoque pavit, De propriisque bonis tenuit regimen rationis.
Sic fuit exemplo lux in Christi bene templo.
Gerardus Magnus, quem verus diligit Agnus, Sanctorum sortem tenet evincens modo mortem.
The Life of the Revered Florentius, a Devout Priest, and Vicar of the Church… THE LIFE OF THE REVERED FLORENTIUS, A DEVOUT PRIEST, AND VICAR OF THE CHURCH OF DEVENTER
Preface THE LIFE OF FLORENTIUS PREFACE (1) OLLOWING the order laid down, I do now think good to write certain things concerning the life and character of Florentius, that Reverend Father of pious memory, Priest of theF
Church of Deventer, and once a disciple of that Master Gerard of whom I have told above.
This order in my history is fitting, that having first shown the fertility of the good tree in Gerard, the founder of our Devotion, I should next exhibit the sweetness of the fair flower thereof in the godly Florentius, his disciple, for he was eminent as a follower of the same
Devotion and a most fervent promoter of it.
His humble and obedient character was indeed an herb of healing for the drooping soul, and his saintly virtues are an instruction to young and old alike.
(2) I beseech thee, good brother, that thou interpret not the artlessness of my words to the injury of this illustrious priest, for he was himself a lover of humility and artlessness; but do thou read and mark the good things that I shall tell of him with the eyes of pious deference. Do as doth the provident bee drawing sweet honey from fair flowers in some green meadow, and (for the edification of thy condition and order) sow the seeds of those virtues which adorned our beloved Father Florentius, and plant his example in the garden 82 of thy soul, to bear as it were flowers of roses, and sweet-scented lilies therein. So shalt thou go forward continually in virtue, and thine heart shall glow yet more fervently in the furnace of the love of Christ. He was a mirror of virtue notable indeed, and to all that desire to serve
God, one that doth help them to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. Since I had intimate knowledge of him, and did oft stand by and minister to him, I am so much the more competent to speak truly concerning his life.
Novice (3) I pray thee complete to the honour of God that work which thou didst undertake at my desire and that of others; for it will be a joy to them that come after to hear how bright were the stars which did shine forth in our land. And thou, too, mayest be a partaker in their merits, if in brotherly love thou art willing to impart to others that knowledge which thou hast freely received.
(4) The task which I approach is toilsome and one that is too heavy for my knowledge and my feeble powers. I would choose rather to be silent and read the words of others, than to cast a shadow upon the bright fame of that illustrious man by telling thereof in my homely
Preface and barbarous speech. But since thou dost not inquire into niceties of style but rather moral worth in the subject, therefore in despite of mine unskill in words thou must not despise my pearls though the shells wherein they are found be worthless.
I confess that I am not so skilful as to be able to set forth the life of so great a father; yet 83 I do offer in the temple of God goat skins to cover the roof of the tabernacle, for I have no precious stones wherewith to adorn the vestment of the priest. Also it would seem to me a hard-hearted and ungrateful thing if I should keep silence as to the virtues of a father so beloved though I am unworthy to tell of them, for in his life he was a benefactor to me and to many others: he first launched me for the service of God, and in the fulness of time steered me to the haven of the monastery. Wherefore in gratitude and for a sweet remembrance of him I in turn do gladly repay his bounty, now he is gone, by the finishing of this poor work.
Let it be as some excuse for the task that I have taken on me, that I deeply love this reverend Father, and hope that his memory may always and everywhere flourish among devout men:
And may the Lord Jesus who despised not the poor widow's two mites, reward me, his poor servant, in the time to come, for that with a good intention I do put this labour of my hands into His treasury, leaving higher themes to men more learned. Knowing mine own littleness
I submit to the correction of my betters, and I ask that every devout mind may help me with prayer, and that if any shall draw any edification from reading these writings, he may praise
God for all His gifts and be grateful even for the least.