Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 5 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. The remedies to expell or bridle Anger.
ANd ſo much for thoſe meanes and remedies,Sect. 1. whereby we may preuent and repell anger, before we fall into it. Now in the next place I will ſet downe, how we are to behaue our ſelues after that anger hath made an entrance, and taken place in vsus. And this the Apoſtle teacheth vsus in the reſtraint: Let not the Sunne goe downe on your wrath. That is, if through infirmitie ye fall into vniuſt anger, yet continue not in it, but rather abandon this corrupt affection with all poſsible ſpeede. So that our anger muſt not ſleepe with vsus, and after we awake, awake alſo; wee muſt not vſe it like our garments, lay it aſide ouernight, with a purpoſe to take it againe the next day: but rather wee are to put it off like the old man, with full reſolution neuer againe to entertaine or aſſume it, or like ſome polluted ragges which are not vvorth the vvearing. And this muſt wee doe not once or twiſe, but if eueryevery day vvith the Sunne anger ariſe in our harts, vvee are eueryevery day to diſlodge and expell it, before the Sunne going downe. And as the night doth coole the heat which in the day time the Sunne hath made, ſo muſt it alſo quench the flames of anger kindled in our harts. And not without great reaſon hee requireth that before night commeth we abandon anger,The danger of anger retained. for otherwiſe wee ſhall giuegive place to the diuels tentations, as hee intimateth in the words following: for hauing exhorted vsus not to let the Sun goe downe on our wrath, he preſently addeth, neither giuegive place to the Diuell. Noting thereby that they who doe not onelyonly entertaine anger in the day, but alſo lodge it in the night, doe thereby lay themſelues open to the fiery darts of Sathan.1 Pet. 5.8. For he continually goeth about like a roaring Lyon, ſeeking whom he may deuoure. And vvhen he findeth ſuch as hauehave retained anger euen in their beds, thinking them a fit pray, he approcheth and vvith his bellowes of fury he more inflameth the fire of anger, till it blazeth out into furious reuenge: he aggrauateth the iniury receiued, telling them that if they put vp ſuch an indignity, they will expoſe themſelues to the like, or for ſuffering this, looſe all their credit and reputation, by incurring the note of cowardize. And ſo hauing wrought in their hearts a full reſolution to take reuenge, in the next place he putteth into their heads the moſt fit means and oportunitie of performing it with all rage and cruelty. And ſo often times it commeth to paſſe that when they ariſe, they put that in practiſe, which they hauehave deuiſed lying vponupon their pillow.
To preuent therefore ſo great an euill; if wee cannot altogether repell anger, yet let vsus ſoone expell it. For though at the firſt it be but a ſmall ſparke, yet if it be nouriſhed it will quickly increaſe to a furious flame. As therefore when a houſe is newly ſet on fire, men labour earneſtly, and with all ſpeed to quench it, before it hauehave taken hold of the main poſtes and great beames; otherwiſe it will be too late afterward, when it is increaſed to his full ſtrength: ſo when our hearts are firſt ſet on fire with anger, we are preſently to quench it with the water of the ſpirit, for after we are throughly enflamed, it vvill be too late to apply any remedie till the flame hauehave ſpent it ſelfe.
Obiection.But ſome will ſay, I fall into anger many times when I neuer meane it, and it hath ouercome me before I am aware; how therefore ſhould I preuent that vvhichwhich I doe not foreſee, or free my ſelfe from it, ſeeing it violently ouer-ruleth me?
Anſwere.To the firſt I anſwere, that if we carefully vvatch ouer our ſelues, vve ſhall eaſily perceiue vvhen vve are inclining to anger: for as there are many ſignes vvhichwhich goe before a ſtorme, and many ſymptomes, vvhichwhich diſcouer diſeaſes before we fall into them: ſo wee may eaſily diſcerne in our ſelues many notes and ſignes, of this tempeſtuous ſtorme and raging feuer of the minde, Vniuſt Anger.
To the other I anſwere, that anger doth not preſently as ſoone as it is entered into the heart ouer-rule vsus, before it be growne to greater ſtrength then it hath at the firſt, for as the greateſt fire hath but a ſmall beginning, and vvhen it is but begun, is eaſily quenched: ſo the moſt furious anger attaineth not to his full ſtrength at the firſt entrance, but by little and little increaſeth like a flame, by taking hold of new matter. And therefore howſoeuer after it hath vvholy inflamed a man, it is moſt hardly quenched, yet in the beginning thereof, it is eaſily ſuppreſſed.
But let vsus ſee the meanes how vve may ſubdue anger after it hath giuen the aſſault.Sect. 3. The firſt means to withdraw the food therof The firſt meanes is by withdrawing the food from it, vvherewith it is nouriſhed: for as the greateſt fire if new matter be not ſupplyed vvill of it ſelfe goe out: ſo the moſt furious anger vvill ſoone be mitigated, if it bee not continually nouriſhed vvith a nevv ſupply of matter.
The chiefe nouriſhment vvhereby anger is nouriſhed and increaſed, is multiplying of words,Multiplying of words the chief food of anger. for though the iniury at the firſt be ſmall, yet if either it be aggrauated by him that ſuffereth it, or defended by him that offereth it, it incenſeth men to great anger. Well therefore in this reſpect may words be ſaid to be but winde; for as nothing ſooner then winde cauſeth a ſmall ſparke to burſt out into a furious flame: ſo nothing ſooner doth cauſe a ſmall ſparke of anger increaſe to a raging flame of reuenge, then the vvinde of wordes. We are not therefore to imagine with ſome, that we can diſgorge our ſtomackes of anger by vomitting our ſpleene in bitter words; for they do not onelyonly in their owne nature whet and ſharpen our owne affections, but alſo prouoke the other, with vvhom we are offended to requite vsus with the like, and ſo to adde new matter to the old flame. As well therefore may we think to quench the fire with wood, as anger with words, for as wood is the nouriſhment of the fire, ſo words are the nouriſhment of anger. Let vsus rather in our anger imitate the wiſe Socrates, Plutarch de cohib. irac.vvho vvhen he vvas moſt angry, vſed moſt modeſty, mildeneſſe of ſpeach, and lownes of voyce, and ſo withdrawing the nouriſhment from the fire of anger, it vvill ſoone of it ſelfe be extinguiſhed.
The ſecond meanes to ſubdue anger,Sect. 3. The ſecond means to withdraw a mans ſelf out of company. is to get out of the company of others, eſpecially of them vvho hauehave offended vsus, according to the example of Ionathan, 1 Sam. 20.34. who being iuſtly prouoked by his vniuſt and cruell father, roſe from the table and departed, leaſt by his fathers prouocations, he might hauehave done or ſaid that which did not beſeeme him:1 Sam. 20.34. vvhoſe practiſe if vve vvould imitate, vve ſhall not onelyonly appeaſe our anger by remouing out of our ſight the obiect and cauſe thereof, and preuent further occaſions of increaſing it, but alſo couer our infirmities, which otherwiſe vve ſhould diſcouer by the violence of the paſsion.
As therefore they who are vexed with the falling ſicknes, (if they cannot by their owne ordinary remedies preuent their fit) will go out of the company of others, that falling ſecretly, they may hauehave no vvitneſſe of their deformitie: ſo they who are not able to curbe in their anger, with the reyne of reaſon, were beſt to withdraw themſelues, and to keepe priuate, while their fit laſteth: that ſo they may hide the vglineſſe of their vice, which being ſeene doth often moue their aduerſaries to ſcorne and laughter, and their friends to ſorrow and pittie. And this is made a note of a vviſe man by the vviſeſt.Prou. 12.16. Prou. 12.16. A focle in a day ſhall be knowne by his anger, but he that couereth his ſhame is wiſe.
The third meanes to vanquiſh anger,Sect. 4. The third meanes to reſtrain it for a while from burſting out into fury. is for a while to bridle and reſtraine it from burſting out into preſent reuenge. For if we reſiſt it in the firſt encounter, we ſhall finde the ſtrength thereof much weakened, and this the wiſe Athenodorus knew well; who being to depart from Auguſtus, was requeſted by him that hee would leaue behinde him ſome good inſtruction, for the well gouerning of his Empire:Plutarch in Apotheg. to whom he gaue this counſaile, that he ſhould doe nothing in his anger, before hee had numbred on his fingers the letters of the Greeke Alphabet. An example hereof vve hauehave in Socrates, Senec. de ira. lib. 1. cap. 15.who finding his anger incenſed againſt his ſeruant, deferred to take correction, ſaying: I would beat thee if I were not angry. And alſo in Plato, who being prouoked to anger by ſome notable fault committed by his ſeruant, tooke a cudgell into his hands, and held it ouer him a good ſpace, as if he would hauehave ſtroken; And being aſked of his friend Speuſippus, vvhat hee meant by ſuch kinde of action. O (ſayd he) Exigo poenas ab homine iracundo. Senec. de ira. lib. 3. cap. 12.I take puniſhment of one who is angry: meaning of himſelfe, by bridling his affection. If then the heathen could thus defer and curbe in their vnruly paſsions: who had onelyonly the ſmall glimſe of natures light, and heathen Philoſophie to direct them; let vsus be aſhamed to come behinde them, ſeeing vve hauehave not onelyonly that, but alſo the bright ſunne ſhine of the word of God to guide vsus.
And that we may the rather be moued to abſtaine from ſodaine and deſperate reſolutions when our anger is prouoked, let vsus conſider that we are in great danger to doe thoſe things in a moment, which we ſhall repent our whole life; for Ira breuis furor, Anger is a ſhort madneſſe. That in ſuch ſhortneſſe of time we cannot rightly examine the circumſtances of the matter, which in ſuch caſes are moſt materiall, whereas veritatem dies aperiet, Truth is the daughter of time, and will bring all to light.Senec. de ira. lib. 3. cap. 12. Quicquid voles quale ſit ſcire tempori trade. Nihil diligenter in fluctu cernitur. Whatſoeuer thou wouldeſt be perfectly informed of, commit it to time, for nothing is throughly knowne on the ſodaine. That it is a foule ſhame, firſt to be angry, and then to iudge, firſt to take puniſhment, and then to examine the cauſe; that is to ſay, whether hath offended, he that taketh puniſhment, or he on whom it is inflicted: whereas in proceſſe of time the truth will appeare, whether reuenge may be more iuſtly taken or omitted. And then if after due examination he inflict deſerued puniſhment, it will bee more effectuall for the reformation of the offender, when hee ſeeth that it doth rather proceede from true iudgement, then from the ſpleene. As therefore Phocion ſaid to the Athenians, when by hearing of Alexanders death, they were thereby moued to vſe more vnbrideled ſpeaches, and inſolent practiſes. O yee Athenians if Alexander be dead to day, Plutarch de cohib. irac.he will be dead to morrow alſo; And therefore you may well deferre theſe courſes, till ye be fully informed in the truth: ſo may I ſay to the angry man: doe not ſo haſtely reuenge thy ſelfe on thy inferiors, for if it be a fault to day, it will bee a fault to morrow alſo:Senec. de ira lib. 2. cap. 23. and as one ſaith, Poteſt poena dilata exigi, non poteſt exacta reuocari; puniſhment delayed may be inflicted, but being inflicted it cannot be recalled. Non peribit poteſtas iſta ſi differetur. Sine id tempus veniat quo ipſi iubeamus. Senec. de ira lib. 3. cap. 32.Thy power to puniſh being deferred is not loſt: let it therefore ſo long be delayed, till thy ſelfe may commaund the puniſhment to be inflicted, and not thy paſsion of anger.
The fourth meanes to ſubdue anger is this:Sect. 5. The fourth meanes. let the angry man thinke with himſelfe whether hee is purpoſed euer or neuer, to lay aſide his anger. If euer, how much better were it that hee ſhould leaue his anger, then that it ſhould leaue him? that he ſhould vanquiſh it, then that it ſhould be ouercome of it ſelfe? that hee ſhould quench it with the water of the ſpirit, then that it ſhould laſt vntill it burne out? for not onelyonly this but all other paſsions will in time tyre themſelues, and fall downe with their owne ruine. But if they purpoſe to liue in perpetuall enmitie, let them conſider that they nouriſh in themſelues a Viper, vvhichwhich will fret out their own bowels. For who receiueth more vexation, griefe and diſquietneſſe by anger then himſelfe, who is ſubiect to the paſſion? and what doth ſooner cut off the thread of life, then the ſharpneſſe of fretting griefe? Laſtly, let him thinke with himſelfe what good time he ſpendeth in a bad matter, which being ſo ſhort and precious, ſhould be more eſteemed and better imployed; as in ſeeking to get friends, and not to looſe them, being gotten, by vniuſt anger, in pacifying and reconciling enimies, rather then exaſperating them by offering new iniuries; in performing the works of charitie & chriſtianity, that ſo we may heare at the latter day that comfortable ſentence: Come ye bleſſed and inherit the kingdome prepared for you: For I was an hungred and you gaue me meate, Mat. 25.34&c. rather then in acting the works of the fleſh, among which anger is numbred,Gal. 5.20 Gal. 5.20. which who ſo commit ſhall not inherite the kingdome of God, but ſhall heare that fearefull ſentence, Goe ye curſed into euerlaſting fire, Mat. 25.41which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels.
The laſt and chiefe meanes both to keepe vsus from falling into anger,Sect. 6. The laſt means feruent prayer. and to ſubdue it after it hath taken hold of vsus, is earneſt and heartie prayer vntounto God, that hee would vouchſafe vsus the gratious aſsiſtance of his holy ſpirit, whereby our affections may be ſo ruled and ſanctified, that they being freed from naturall corruption, may be made fit and ſeruiceable for the ſetting forth of his glory, the good of our brethren, and the furthering of our owne ſaluation. For it is onelyonly the water of the ſpirit, and the ſhield of faith, which is able to quench the fury of our paſsions;Luke 11.13 and prayer is a chief means to obtaine theſe ſpirituall graces at Gods hands.