Spiritual Physic to Cure the Diseases of the Soul, Chapter 7
The remedies of vniuſt anger. Cap. 7.
Sect. 1.
The remedies againſt Anger are of two ſorts: firſt thoſe which cure anger in our ſelues, ſecondly thoſe which cure it in others; and they both are of two kindes: firſt ſuch as preuent anger and preſerue vsus from falling into it, ſecondly ſuch as free vsus from it after it hath taken place. For anger is a diſeaſe of the minde: as therefore vviſe Phyſitions thinke it the We muſt firſt ſeeke to preuent anger.better & ſaufer courſe to preſerue health and preuent ſickneſſe, then to remoue the diſeaſe after it hath taken poſſeſſion of the body; ſo the beſt courſe in miniſtring ſpirituall Phyſick is to preſerue the ſoule from vice, rather then to purge it away after it hath infected it; for Vitia facilius repelluntur quam expelluntur, vices Sen. epiſt 119.are more eaſily kept from entrance then thruſt out after they are entred: for as the common prouerbe is; there are but twelue points in the lawe, and poſſeſſion is as good as eleauen of them. If therefore anger hauehave gotten poſſeſſion, vve ſhall hardlye diſpoſſeſſe it: It is our ſoules mortall enemie; as therefore vve firſt ſeeke to keepe the enemie from entring the frontires of our countrey, but if he be entred, as ſoone as we can to expell him, ſo wee muſt firſt endeauour to repell anger by ſtopping the paſſages of our harts, that it may hauehave no entrance, but if it hauehave taken place, quickly to expell and remooue it. For if we ſuffer it to fortifie it ſelfe, it will growe ſo ſtrong and violent, that wee ſhall be vnable to diſlodge it. And as in a ſiedge of a City the Citizens prouide all things neceſſary for their defence before the aſſault, that the enemie when hee approacheth the walles, may not take them vnprouided; ſo if we will repell anger when it commeth, we are to fortifie and arme our ſelues againſt it before it comes: for if it take vsus vnprouided, it will eaſely make entrance, and more eaſely ouercome vsus.
Let vsus therefore firſt of allendeauour to vſe all good meanes by which we may preuent anger: for if it hauehave once gotten hould of vsus, it will eaſelie plunge vsus headlong into vyolence and furie, whereas wee may with greater facillity preuent the daunger before we fall into it. For as experience teacheth vsus, a man may eaſelye contayne himſelfe from running downe the hill, while hee is on the toppe, but after he is entred into a full race, hee cannot ſtave himſelfe before he commeth to the bottome: ſo it is more eaſie for any to abſtaine from running into anger, then to containe vvhen he is in the race, from falling into the bottome of furie.
Sect. 2.
Let vsus then ſee the meanes how to The meanes to preuent anger. The cauſes therof are to be remoued.preuent anger: the firſt remedy is by taking away the cauſes thereof for: ſublat â cauſ â tollitur effectum. The cauſe being taken away the effect ceaſeth.
The firſt cauſe of anger is ſelfe louelove. If therefore we would not fall into anger, 1. Selfe-louelove.we muſt labour to baniſh ſelfe louelove, and to follow the rule of charitie; LoueLove our neighbours as our ſelues, and do nothing vntounto them which we would not hauehave them do vntounto vsus. Before therefore wee let the raines looſe vntounto our anger, let vsus ſet our ſelues in the place of him with whome we are angrie, and conſider how we would deſire to be vſed if we had ſo offended, and in like manner are we to behaue our ſelues towards him. So ſhall we not aggrauate thoſe i…iuries vvhichwhich are offered vsus, & extenuate thoſe which we offer others, ſo ſhall we not hauehave our iudgement ouer ballanced with an vnequall affection, ſo ſhall we not be incenſed for ſuffring that, which we hauehave often offred.
Sect. 3
The ſecond cauſe of anger is pride and 2. Pride.haughtineſſe of ſpirit: if therefore we would not fall into anger, we are to ſubdue pride, and labour for the contrarie grace of humilitie. For they who would be meeke with our Sauiour Chriſt, muſt alſo learne of him the leſſon of true humility. Math. 11. 29. Learne of me, for I Math. 11. 29.am meeke and lowlie of hart. If we would lay aſide that arrogant conceipt vvhichwhich we hauehave of our ſelues, and the ouerweening opinion of our owne excellencies, if we would conſider with Abraham that Gen. 18. 27. Pſa. 22. 6.vve are but duſt and aſhes, and with Dauid that vve are wormes and no men; or if we vvould in ſincerity of hart ſay with Iob, VntoUnto corruption thou art my father, and vntounto the worme, thou art my mother and my Iob. 17. 14ſiſter; If vve would but remember that by our ſinnes committed againſt God & our neighbour, we hauehave deſerued not onelyonly contumelies and wrongs, but alſo eternall death of body and ſoule; wee would not ſo eaſely be prouoked to anger vppon eueryevery trifling occaſion, nor thinke it any great diſparagement to endure leſſer iniuries, ſeeing we hauehave deſerued farre greater.
Sect. 4.
The third cauſe is couetouſneſſe, which uice we muſt baniſh out of our harts, if 3. Couetuouſneſſe.we would not be ouercome with vniuſt anger: ſo ſhall wee not gape after great preferments, nor expect much; and conſequentlie wee ſhall not be diſturbed with vnquietneſſe, nor incenſed with anger, vvhen vve come not ſhorte of our hopes. So ſhall wee not intermeddle with eueryevery domeſticall trifle, but commit ſome thing to the care of ſeruants, ſome thing to children, and moſt of all to the wyfe, who is a ioynte gouernour in thy little common wealth. And if any thing miſcarry vnderunder any of theyr handes, wee will not ſo much looke to the meanes, as to the ſupreame cauſe, the prouidence of God, conſidering that if he builde not the houſe, they labour in vaine that builde it, if he bleſſe Pſa. 127. 1not their labours they cannot proſper.
Sect. 5.
The fourth cauſe is luxuriouſneſſe and curious niceneſſe; if therefore we Luxurious niceneſſe.would ſubdue anger, we muſt ſubdue this vice alſo, and labour to attaine vntounto decent homelineſſe, the Nurſe of good hoſpitallity, and the preſeruer of peace and quietneſſe: for if with our firſt parents Adam and Eue wee were clothed vvith skinnes, that is with meane attyre, we would not be ſo eaſilye prouoked to anger if a ſpotte or wrinckle bee found vppon our garments; if with them we did feede vppon rootes and hearbes, vve vvould not eate with ſurfeyted and cloyed appetites, and conſequently (our meates being ſauced with hunger) our taſtes would not be ſo wantonly curious, that no ordinary cookery can pleaſe them. If with Abraham we dwelled in tents like Pilgrimes, we vvould not be ſo nice in decking our houſes, nor ſo angry for a Copweb; If vvith Iacob vve had the earth for our bed, a ſtone for our pillo we, and the skye for our Canopie, vve vvould not be ſo much diſpleaſed for the hardneſſe of a featherbed, or vneaſineſſe of a doune lodging: take away therefore luxurious niceneſſe, and you ſhall take away alſo the moſt common cauſe of vniuſt anger.
Sect. 6.
The fift cauſe of vniuſt anger, is vaine curioſitie, in deſiring to heare and ſee all 5 Curioſitie.things. If therefore we vvould auoyde anger, vve are to abandon this troubleſome companion, needleſſe curioſitie. For many things will neither grieue nor hurte vsus, if we neuer ſee nor heare them. Whereas hee that buſilye enquireth vvhat is ſaid againſt him in eueryevery company, hee that liſteneth at eueryevery doore, and vnderunder eueryevery vvall, he that rippeth vp ill words ſpoken againſt him in ſecret, doth both diſquiet himſelfe vvith anger, and make his owne faultes more publicke. Antigonus vvhen he heard two of his ſubiects ſpeaking euill of him in the night neare his Tent, he called vntounto them, vvilling them to goe further off leaſt the King ſhould heare them. Whoſe example if vve vvould follow, our anger vvould not ſo much vexe our ſelues, nor trouble others.
Sect. 7.
The ſixt cauſe is, to hauehave open cares to eueryevery tale-bearer, and credulous harts 6 Credulitie▪to belieue them. For it is the nature of men, to be moſt deſirous of hearing that vvhichwhich moſt diſpleaſeth them, Et libenter credere quae inuitè audiunt, vvillinglye Senec. de ira lib. 2. cap. 22.to beleeue thoſe things vvhichwhich they are moſt ſorie to heare. But if vvee vvould auoide vniuſt anger, vve muſt auoide this vice alſo: Multos abſoluemus Senec de ira. lib. 3 cap. 29.ſi caeperimus ante iudicare quam iraſci, wee ſhall acquit many, if vve vvill not bee angrye before vve iudge. Let vsus not therefore ſuffer execution to goe before iudgement, but rather deferre our more ſeuere cenſure, till time hauehave reuealed the truth, conſidering that it is moſt vſuall with men to reporte vntruthes, ſome that they may deceiue thee, ſome becauſe they are deceiued themſeues, ſome becauſe they would ſet friends at variance, ſome in their accuſation will faine an iniurye offered vsus, that they may take occaſion to ſhewe their ſorrow, becauſe it was offred; but ſcarce any of them will ſtand to that vvhichwhich they hauehave ſpoken. And therefore let vsus not be angry before wee iudge, nor iudge before vve heare both parties: For vvhat iniuſtice is it to hauehave both eares open to an accuſation, and both ſhut to an excuſe? to proceede to ſentence of condemnation, before vve aske the party accuſed vvhat he can ſay for himſelfe? vvhat greater vvronge then to beleeue in ſecret, and to be angry openly?
Sect. 8.
The laſt cauſe of vniuſt anger, is want 7. Want of meditaon concerning humaine infirmities.of meditation, concerning humaine infirmities, eyther thoſe which are common to all mankinde, or thoſe which are more proper and peculiar to our ſelues. if therefore we would be reſtravned from anger, we muſt often thinke of this contagious leproſie of originall ſin, which hath ſo generally infected al the the ſonnes of Adam, that their remayneth nothing in vsus but pollution and filthineſſe. And thē as one infected with the plague, is not offended with him that is ſubiect to the ſame infection; As the Lazar doth neyther with ſcorne nor choller, but rather with pitie and compaſſion behould the ſores of his fellowe: ſo the plague and ſore of ſinne which we ſee in another, wil not make vsus angry with the partie which is affected and viſited, but rather in commiſeration and pity to vſe all good meanes whereby he may be cured, if we conſider that this plague and ſore of ſinne is ſo vniuerſall that it hath infected all mankinde.
When worde was brought to Anaxagoras Plutarch, de cohib, irac.that is ſonne was dead, he was not much moued with the newes, becauſe (as he ſaid) he knew and had conſidered long before that his ſonne was mortall: ſo if we would conſider and meditate on humane frayltie and infirmities, we ſhould not be ſo much vexed when they did ſhewe themſelues, becauſe they would not happen beyond our expectation. If he that hireth a ſeruant would thinke with himſelfe, that he hireth one who is not free frō faults, if hee that choſeth a friend would then conſider that he hath his wants and imperfections: If he that maryeth a wife would remember that hee maryeth a woman, and therefore one ſubiect to infirmities: neyther the ſmall faultes of his ſeruants, nor imperfections of his friendes, nor infirmities of his wife, would eaſily prouoke him to choller & fury, ſeeing he did not come ſhort of his reckoning.
More ouer we are to meditate vppon our owne peculiar infirmities and wants, and before we are angry with another to enter into our ſelues, and to ſay with Plutarch. de cohib. irac.Plato: Nuncubi et ego talis? hauehave not I alſo offēded in this, or in that which is worſe? am I cleare from offering the like iniuries or greater to my bretheren? Alas no, but though I were, yet how often hauehave I prouoked God to anger by my ſinnes? for which great debt how can I craue pardon, if I cruelly exact eueryevery trifle of of my fellow ſeruant? Thus if we would ſpeake vntounto our owne conſciences in the preſence of God, we would not ſo eaſily be incited to anger and reuenge, ſeeing we our ſelues doe many things which neede pardon; and our greater faultes might ſerue to excuſe thoſe which are leſſe in others, if we would but looke vppon them: for no man without bluſhing could extreamely puniſh thoſe faultes in his neighbour, for vvhichwhich he ſhall neede to craue pardon himſelfe.
And ſo much concerning the firſt remedie of anger which is by remouing the cauſes thereof.