Spiritual Physic to Cure the Diseases of the Soul, Chapter 3
The externall cauſes of vniuſt anger. Cap. 3.
Sect. 1.
ANd ſo much for the internall cauſes of vniuſt anger, now vve are to ſpeake of the externall; by which I vnderſtand all outward occaſions vvhichwhich are vniuſtly taken, as firſt vvhen vve are angry with our neighbour for his vertuous actions. For ſome there are 1. vertuous actions & domeanorwhoſe malignant eyes do abhorre nothing more then the bright beames of vertue, eyther becauſe they thinke that the beautie of others perfection cauſeth the deformitie of their vices ſeeme more vggly; or that their degenerated natures are become like vntounto ſathans who hateth vertue becauſe it is vertue. An example hereof wee hauehave in Cain whoſe Examples.anger was kindled agaynſt his brother becauſe he was accepted in Gods ſight as beeing more holy then himſelfe. Gen. Gen. 4. 5.4. 5. as alſo in Saule who was incenſed agaynſt Ionathan for his vertuous demeanour 1. Sam. 20 30.towards Dauid 1. Sam. 20. 30. in Aſa who was offended with the Prophet the Ambaſſadour of the Lord, for deliuering faythfully that ambaſſage which the Lord had put in his mouth, 2. Chro. 16. 102. Cro. 16. 10. In Nebuchadnezer who was inraged agaynſt the three children becauſe they refuſed to commit Idolatrie, Dan. 3. 13. and in the Iewes who were filled Dan. 3. 13.with wrath becauſe our ſauiour Chriſt made a true expoſition of the Luke. 4. 28.ſcriptures, and rightly applyed it vntounto them, Luke. 4. 28. and too many examples vve hauehave in theſe dayes of ſuch as cannot with any patience indure to heare their duties taught them, and their vices publickly reproued out of Gods vvorde, or yet any priuate admonition, but they are readie (like thoſe that are in a raging fit of a burning ague) to deſpight the Phyſitiō that endeuoureth to cure thē. So that in our times he is like to incur more anger yea & danger alſo that reproueth ſinne, thē he that committeth ſinne, he that reprehendeth Atheiſme and prophaneneſſe, then he that liueth in them. Yea ſo deſperate is the diſeaſe of this declining age ſurfetted with ſinne, that the Phyſition may ſooner incurre hurt and dammage by the fury of his patient, then the patient help and health by the ſkill of the moſt exquiſite Phyſition.
Sect. 2.
Secondly the cauſe of our anger is vniuſt, when it is only imaginarie, hauing no other ground but our owne ſuſpition. And thus was Eliab angry with his brother Dauid becauſe he ſuſpected him to be proud whereas in truth his owne pride was the cauſe of his ſuſpition. 1. Sam. 17. 28. and this is the moſt 1. Sam. 17 28.common cauſe of anger in theſe dayes; for want of louelove cauſeth men to interpret the actions of other; in the woorſt ſence, and vppon their falſe ſurmiſes they ground their anger. One is angry becauſe ſaluting his neighbour, he did not reſalute him, whereas perhaps he not ſee him, or at the leaſt hauing his minde otherwiſe occupied did not obſerue him: another is offended if any in this companie is merry, thinking that he maketh himſelfe ſporte with his infirmities; another becauſe he is too ſadde imagining that it is becauſe his companie 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 ſ…re diſpleaſed becauſe they hauehave receiued ſmall benefits not anſwerable to their expectation, or not equall to thoſe which they ſee beſtowed vppon 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 geuen more to an other then to thee? why it may be he hath deſerued more, and though he hath not, yet that which thou haſt receiued might content thee it thou wouldeſt make no cō pariſions. Nunquā erit foelix quem torquebit Senec. deira. lib. 3. Cap. 30.foelicior, he will neuer be happie who is vexed when he ſeeth one more happie. Hath he geuen thee leſſe then thou didſt hope for? why perhaps thou dideſt hope for more then thou dideſt deſerue, or then thy friend could conuenientlye geue, but if thou wouldeſt not be vngratefull conſider rather what thou haſt receiued, then what thou haſt not receaued, before how many thou art preferred, rather then how many are preferred before thee.
Sect. 3.
Thirdly the cauſe of our anger is 3. whē the cauſe is light and of no moment.vniuſt when we are prouoked therevnto by eueryevery ſmall and triſling occaſion; becauſe hereby louelove and charity 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. 1. Cor. 13. 7.LoueLove couereth a multitude of ſinnes. Pro. 10. 12. they therefore who Pro. 10. 12rather 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 faults none at all: but anger maketh eueryevery ſmall ſlip a capitall offence, and eueryevery worde of diſgrace worthie a ſtabbe. And as when we behould the ſunne riſing thorough thick and foggie vapours, we imagine it to be of a farre greater quantitie then when the ayre is pure and cleare: ſo when the foggie miſts of anger doe ouerſhadowe reaſon, wee ſuppoſe eueryevery fault to be greater then it would appeare, if this turbulent affection were diſpelled with the liuelie heate of ardent louelove.
Some are angrie of the imperfections of nature, which being not in the parties power to amend ſhould rather moue compaſſion then prouoke anger. Others are angry at faultes committed at vnawares vnwillinglie and vnwittinglye, whereas they might with as great reaſon be angry with a traueller for going out of his way, or with one who ſtumbleth in the darke, 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 ignorāce which is nothing els but the blindenes of the minde cauſeth the other; or with one who is ſick becauſe he is ſicke, for what is ignorance but the mindes maladie? but he whoſe hart is ſeaſoned with true wiſdome, is not eaſily prouoked with faults of ignorance, vnleſle it be wilfull or extreamly rechleſſe, conſidering that while we continue in this vale of miſery, our minds are ſhadowed with more then Cimerian darkenes. And therefore theſe ſmall trifling errours whereinto wee fall for want of knowledge, will in them rather moue laughter, or at leaſt pitie, then prouoke anger. For as the vnhappy ſpeaches and ſhrewd turres of little children are excuſed becauſe they proceed from vvant of vvit; ſo ſhould the ſame excuſe ſerue for them vvho commit faults thorough ignorance and ſimplicitie.
Sect. 4.
Laſtlie our anger is vnlawfull when 4. when the end is vnlawfull.as in our anger we 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 neighbours: but rather priuate reuenge and ſatiſfiyng of our tumultuous affections by the hurt or deſtruction of him with whom we are diſpleaſed. And this is alwayes to be obſerued in all examples of vniuſt anger, as in Caines anger towards Abel; Saules 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 we are to ſpeake of the properties thereof.