Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 5 · Chapter 3
The externall cauſes of vniuſt Anger. CHAP. III.
AND ſo much for the internall cauſes of vniuſt anger:Sect. 1. 1 Vertuous actions & demenor now we are to ſpeake of the externall; by which I vnderſtand all outward occaſions which are vniuſtly taken, as firſt, when we are angry with our neighbour for his vertuous actions. For ſome there are whoſe malignant eyes doe abhorre nothing more then the bright beames of vertue, eyther becauſe they thinke that the beauty of others perfection, cauſeth the deformitie of their vices to ſeeme more vggly, & that their degenerated natures are become like vntounto Sathans,Examples. who hateth vertue becauſe it is vertue. An example hereof we hauehave in Cain, whoſe anger was kindled againſt his brother, becauſe hee was accepted in Gods ſight, as being more holy then himſelfe.Gen: 4.5. Gen. 4.5. As alſo in Saul who was incenſed againſt Ionathan, for his vertuous demeanour towards Dauid. 1. Sam. 20.30.1 Sam. 20.30 In Aſa who was offended with the Prophet the Ambaſſadour of the Lord, for deliuering faithfully that ambaſſage which the Lord had put in his mouth,2 Chro. 16.10 Dan. 3.13 2. Chron. 16.10. In Nabuchadnezzer who was enraged againſt the three Children becauſe they refuſed to commit Idolatry, Dan. 3.13. and in the Iewes who were filled with wrath becauſe our Sauiour Chriſt made a true expoſition of the Scriptures, and rightly applyed it vntounto them,Luke 4.28 Luk. 4.28. and too many examples we hauehave in theſe dayes, of ſuch as cannot with any patience indure to heare their duties taught them, and their vices publikely reproued out of Gods word, or yet any priuate admonition, but they are ready (like thoſe that are in a raging fit of a burning ague) to deſpight the Phyſition that endeauoureth to cure them. So that in our times he is like to incurre more anger yea, and danger alſo that reproueth ſinne, then he that committeth ſin; he that reprehendeth Atheiſme and prophaneneſſe, then hee that liueth in them. Yea, ſo deſperate is the diſeaſe of this declining age, ſurſetted with ſinne, that the Phyſition may ſooner incur hurt and dammage by the fury of his patient, then the patient help and health by the skill of the moſt exquiſite Phyſition.
Secondly,Sect. 2 the cauſe of our anger is vniuſt, when it is onelyonly imaginary, hauing no other ground but our owne ſuſpition. And thus was Eliab angry with his brother Dauid, becauſe hee ſuſpected him to be proud, whereas in truth his owne pride was the cauſe of his ſuſpition.1 Sam: 17.28 1 Sam. 17.28. and this is the moſt common cauſe of Anger in theſe dayes; for want of louelove cauſeth men to interpret the actions of others in the worſt ſenſe, and vponupon their falſe ſurmiſes they ground their anger. One is angry becauſe ſaluting his neighbour, hee did not reſalute him, whereas perhaps he did not ſee him, or at the leaſt hauing his minde otherwiſe occupied did not obſerue him: another is offended if any in his company is merry, thinking that hee maketh himſelfe ſport with his infirmities; another becauſe hee is too ſad, imagining that it is becauſe his company diſpleaſeth him. In a word as mens ſurmiſes are innumerable, ſo alſo are the cauſes of vniuſt anger. Yea ſo prone men are to inuent cauſes where none is, that oftentimes they are ſore diſpleaſed becauſe they hauehave receiued ſmall benefits not anſwerable to their expectation, or not equall to thoſe which they ſee beſtowed vponupon others; and ſo they are prouoked to anger with ſmall gifts, as though they had receiued great iniuries, but let vsus be aſhamed of ſuch follie and learne to leaue it. Hath thy friend giuen more to another then thee? why it may bee hee hath deferued more, and though hee hath not, yet that which thou haſt receiued might content thee if thou wouldſt make no compariſons. Nunquam erit foelix quem torquebit foelicior, Seneca de ira lib. 3. cap. 30.hee will neuer be happie who is vexed when he ſeeth one more happie. Hath hee giuen thee leſſe then thou didſt hope for? why perhaps thou didſt hope for more then thou didſt deſerue, or then thy friend could conueniently giuegive, but if thou wouldeſt not be vngratefull, conſider rather what thou haſt receiued, then what thou haſt not receiued, before how many thou art preferred, rather then how many are preferred before thee.
Thirdly, the cauſe of our anger is vniuſt,Sect. 3. Thirdly, when the cauſe is light and of no moment. 1 Cor. 13.7. when wee are prouoked therevnto by eueryevery ſmall and trifling occaſion; becauſe hereby louelove and charitie is notably violated, when eueryevery ſlight cauſe incenſeth vsus to anger: for louelove ſuffereth all things. 1 Cor. 13.7. and therefore their louelove is ſmall who will ſuffer nothing. LoueLove couereth a multitude of ſinnes. Pro. 10.12. they therefore who rather finde cauſes where they are not, then couer them where they are, doe plainly ſhew their want of louelove, and their too great proneneſſe to anger, it is the nature of louelove to make great faultes ſeeme little, and little faultes none at all: but anger maketh eueryevery ſmall ſlip a capitall offence. and eueryevery word of diſgrace worthie a ſtabbe. And as when wee behould the Sunne riſing through thicke and foggie vapours, we imagine it to bee of a farre greater quantitie then when the ayre is pure and cleare: ſo when the ſoggie miſts of anger doe ouerſhadow reaſon, we ſuppoſe eueryevery fault to be greater then it would appeare if this turbulent affection were diſpelled with the liuely heate of ardent louelove.
Some are angry at the imperfections of nature, which being not in the parties power to amend, ſhould rather moue compaſsion then prouoke anger. Others are angry at faults committed at vnawares, vnwillingly and vnwittingly, whereas they might with as great reaſon bee angry with a traueller for going out of his way, or with one who ſtumbleth in the dark for not keeping footing, or with a blind man for iuſtling or ruſhing againſt them; For as the want of bodely ſight cauſeth the one, ſo ignorance which is nothing els but the blindenes of the mind, cauſeth the other; or with one who is ſicke becauſe hee is ſicke, for what is ignorance but the mindes maladie? but hee whoſe hart is ſeaſoned with true wiſedome, is not eaſily prouoked with faultes of ignorance, vnleſſe it bee wilfull or extreamely rechleſſe, conſidering that while we continue in this vale of miſerie, our mindes are ſhadowed with more then Cimerian darkneſſe. And therefore theſe ſmall trifling errours whereinto wee fall for want of knowledge, will in them rather moue laughter, or at leaſt pittie, then prouoke anger. For as the vnhappie ſpeaches and ſhrewd turnes of little children are excuſed becauſe they proceed from want of wit; ſo ſhould the ſame excuſe ſerue for them who commit faults through ignorance and ſimplicitie.
Laſtly, our anger is vnlawfull,§. Sect. 4. 4. When the end is vnlawfull. when as in our anger wee propound vntounto our ſelues no lawfull end; as the glorie of God, the publicke good of the Church or common-wealth, or the priuate benefit of our ſelues, or of our neighboures: but rather priuate reuenge and ſatisfying of our tumultuous affections by the hurt or deſtruction of him with whom we are diſpleaſed. And this is alwaies to be obſerued in all examples of vniuſt anger, as in Caines anger towards Abel; Sauls towards Dauid; Nabuchadnezers towards the three children; the Scribes and Phariſes towards our Sauiour Chriſt.
And ſo much for the cauſes of vniuſt anger. Now wee are to ſpeake of the properties thereof.