The Portraiture of the Image of God in Man, Part 2 · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Of Choler or Anger.
ANger, is a paſsion of the minde for wrong offred; it differeth from hatred; for anger ſeekes revenge ſub ratione juſti vindicativi, it hath reſpect to juſtice and revenge, and it is a ſudden paſſion: but the paſſion of hatred is a bad paſſion in us, it is ira inveterata. Auguſtine compares anger to a mote in a mans eye, but hatred to a balke or a beame.
Anger is in God eminenter: in beaſts it is but umbrairae, and in man it is properly.A collation betwixt the innocent, and ſecond renewed, old Adam. Diſtinct. 13. q. ult
Bonaventure maketh foure ſorts of anger; the firſt, which ariſeth from a deteſtation of the ſin, this he calleth affectus purae deteſtationis: that is, when one deteſts ſinne purely, which might have beene in Adam himſelfe before he fell, if he had beene angry with Eva, when ſhee inticed him to eate of the forbidden fruite, Secondly, when there ariſeth a deteſtation of the ſinne, with a certaine trouble in the ſenſuall part, yet without any perturbation of the minde, and this was in Chriſt. Thirdly, when not onelyonly the inferiour faculties, but alſo the ſuperiour are troubled: as in the children of God when they are angry againſt ſinne, their zeale ſometimes ſo diſturbes them, that it hindreth their reaſon for a while, but afterward it growes more cleare again: as when we lay eye ſalve to the eyes, the eyes for a while are dimmer, but afterward they ſee more clearely; ſo this zeale although it trouble reaſon for a while, yet afterward it becomes more cleare. Fourthly, it not onelyonly diſturbes the inferiour faculties, but alſo blindes reaſon, and puls out the eyes of it in the unregenerate, as the Philiſtines did Sampſons eyes, Iudg. 16.
Sometimes man uſeth not reaſon at all, A collation betwixt the old renewed and and ſecond Adam.but like beaſts follow inſtinct, as mad men and children; ſometimes man uſeth reaſon, but his reaſon is ſo corrupt and depraved, that his corrupt reaſon and his peverſe will makes his anger to be more ſinfull, as Abſalons hatred towards Amnon, which he kept two yeares within himſelfe, but when he found opportunitie, he killed his brother, 2 Sam. 13. Thirdly reaſon may be rightly ſet, but yet the ſenſuall appetite ſo prevailes, that it overcomes the will, as in David when hee would have killed Nabal, 1 Sam. 25. Fourthly, reaſon may be rightly ſet and have the dominion, although anger bee not fully ſubdued, yet it prevailes not, as it falls out in the children of God when they are ſtanding in the ſtate of grace, tergiverſatur in his, licèt non reluctetur; it makes ſome ſhift in the Children of God, although it reſiſt not altogether. Fiftly, when there is a full and totall ſubjection of anger, and this was in Chriſt.
There are two ſorts of anger; the anger of zeale, A collation betwixt the ſecond, and renewed Adam. Duplex ira, zeli & reſipiſcentiae.and the anger of repentance; the anger of zeale is, a deſire to puniſh ſinne, as ſinne in others, and that was in Chriſt when he whipt out the buyers & ſellers out of the Temple, Luk. 19.45. the zeale of Gods houſe did eate him up. Pſal. 69.10. The anger of repentance is, when one inflicts a puniſhment upon himſelfe for his owne ſinnes, and is angry with himſelfe for his owne ſinne, this was not in Chriſt, but in the regenerate.
The regenerate ſeeke not a revenge, Coll. 1 but to commit the revenge to God to whom vengeance belongs, Gen 50.19. Betwixt the renewed and old Adam.and if they have authoritie from God to puniſh, non excedit modum, it is not out of meaſure, Gen. 50. but the unregenerate being but private men, and having no authoritie, will have, tooth for tooth, and eye for eye, Matth. 5.18. this is the Phariſes revenge; and ſometimes he comes to Cains revenge, ſeven for one, Gen. 4.25. and ſometimes to Lameches revenge, ſeventy for one, Gen. 4.24. and ſometimes to Sampſons revenge, Iudg. 16.18, 29, 30. now let me be revenged for one of my eyes, three thouſand for one.
The regenerate are ſlow to anger and ready to forgive, Coll. 2 but the unregenerate are ready to bee angry and ſlow to forgive, and if they bee brought from revenge, yet the dregges ſtill remaine with them, and ſtill they remember; therefore the Lord ſaith, Lev. 19.18. yee ſhall neither revenge nor remember. The Iewes give an example of this: Simeon ſent to borrow of Reuben, a hatchet; Ruben refuſeth to lend it, Ruben ſent the next day, to borrow a ſickle from Simeon; he grants it, but withall he ſaith, loe here it is, I will not doe to Reuben as he did to me yeſterday, although this be not ultio (as they ſay,) yet it is retentio.
To render evill for good, Coll. 3 that is, perverſitatis, perverſe anger, ſuch was that of Iudas in ſelling of Chriſt, Mat. 26. Quadruplex retributio, perverſitatis, fragilitatis, aequitatis, & perfectionis.to render evill for evill, eſt fragilitatis, anger of infirmitie, as Ioab when hee killed Abner, for ſlaying of his brother Haſael, 2 Sam. 3.27. to render good for good, as Ahaſhuerus did to Mordecai, who honoured him, becauſe he had diſcovered a treaſon plotted againſt him, this was aequitatis. To render good for evill, this is perfectionis majoris: Bleſſe them that curſe you, Mat. 5.
To render evill for evill is naturall for a corrupt man, this is found in beaſts; to render good for good, this is the Phariſes righteouſneſſe, Math. 5.20. Except your righteouſneſſe exceed the righteouſneſſe of the Phariſes, yee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God: a Chriſtian muſt doe more than to render good for good. To render evill for good, this the divels doe; but to render good for evill, this the Children of God doe.
There are foure counſellers, Coll. 4 which moderate and rule the anger of the regenerate, Firſt, longanimitas, or long-ſuffering, Quatuor moderantur iram, longanimitas, manſuetudo, facilitas ad ignoſcendum, & clementia.which holdeth backe anger, leſt it haſten to inflict the puniſhment. Second, manſuetudo, mildneſſe, which moderates the anger that it exceed not in words. Third, facilitas ad ignoſcendum, eaſineſſe to forgive, which moderates anger that it laſt not too long. Fourth, clementia, meekeneſſe, which moderates the puniſhment. The unregenerate wanting theſe foure counſellers, their anger exceeds: firſt, they want long-ſuffering, and preſently they are ſet in a rage: ſecondly, they want mildneſſe, which ſhould moderate their anger, that it exceed not in words: thirdly, they are foreign, implacabiles, Rom. 1. they cannot be pleaſed; laſtly, they are cruell and cannot bee ſatisfied in their puniſhment.
Queſt. Whether is a man bound to remit the injurie done to him or not, when his neighbour deſireth pardon of him?
Anſw. Three things ariſe of an injurie done to us; Tria conſequuntur injuriam, ira in affectione, ira in vultu, & reparatio per leges.firſt, hatred in our affection; ſecondly the ſigne of this anger is, when it appeareth in the countenance; thirdly, when we intend action by law for the wrong. Wee are bound to pardon the firſt, although our enemy ſue it not of us; we are bound to pardon the ſecond, when our enemy ſues it of us; but we are not bound alwayes to pardon the third; for wee may in ſome caſes, repaire the wrong done to us by Law, without any rancour in our heart, or ſhew of anger in our countenance.
The Hebrewes ſay; if a man have offended his neighbour, he muſt goe and ſeeke reconciliation of him: but if he will not be reconciled, hee ſhall take three men with him, who ſhall intercede for him, and ſeeke reconciliation: but if hee yet will not pardon him, this is a great iniquitie to bee ſo cruell, and not to pardon the offence, for it is the manner of the Iſraelites to bee eaſily reconciled, and to pardon wrongs, as Ioſeph was towards his brethren; then he leaves his neighbour inexcuſable. But if his brother die before he have offered theſe things and be reconciled to him, hee ſhall take ten men, and goe to the place where his brother was buried whom he hath offended, and ſtand above the dead, and ſay before theſe ten men, I have ſinned againſt the Lord God of Iſrael, and againe this my brother N. to whom I did ſo and ſo.
Chriſt makes ſundry degrees of unjuſt anger, Mat. 5. Tres gradus irae, 1. iracelata, 2. raca. 3. irriſio.He that is angry with his brother, ſhall be guilty of jungement; he that calls his brother Raca, ſhall be guilty of the councell; but he that calls his brother foole, ſhall bee guilty of hell fire; that is, of the greateſt puniſhment in hell; Theſe that call their brother Raca, or are angry with their brother, are guilty alſo of hell, although not in ſuch a high degree; and according as the finnes grow, ſo doth the puniſhment. Anger without words, is to be puniſhed by judgement; anger expreſſed by words, is to bee puniſhed by the councell; but anger joyned with words and contumelie, is to bee puniſhed by hell.
Auguſtine ſaith, in primo eſt ira tantùm; in ſecundo eſt ira & ſermo; in tertio ira eſt & certa expreſsio irriſionis: that is, in the firſt there is but onelyonly anger; in the ſecond is anger joyned with words; in the third, anger expreſſed with a certaine geſture of mocking.
There are three ſorts of unjuſt anger in the wicked: Triagenera injuſtae irae. 1. Fel. 3. foreign, 3. Furor.the firſt is, called fel, and theſe that are poſſeſſed with this anger art called by the Greekes foreign, quae eſt ira ſubitò excandeſcens, which is anger ſoone ſtirred up; and this comes from the humor, bilis, choler; as they are ſoone ſtirred up, ſo they are ſoone quenched. The ſecond is called foreign, which ariſeth of an induring anger, and theſe are called foreign, bitter in their anger; this comes of flava bilis, of yellow choler and anger, this is more permanent in theſe. The third is called, furor, and theſe that are poſſeſſed with this, are called foreign, this comes from atrabilis, blacke choler or melancholy, which cannot be ſatisfied but by the bloud of the enemy.
Some are ſoone angry and ſoone quenched, theſe are like flaxe, foreign eſt lonita… foreign, who is ſudden in anger. foreign, who is bitter in his arger.ſoone kindled and ſoone burnt out. Others long ere they are angry, & long ere they be pacified; like greene wood, long ere it be kindled, and long ere it bee quenched; but the worſt of all are theſe; that are ſoone angry and hardly quenched, theſe are moſt oppoſite to God, who is ſlow to anger and ready to forgive, Pſal. 103. he is called foreign erech appajim, as yee would ſay, one who hath wide noſtrils, for theſe who have wideſt noſtrils are moſt patient, as theſe who have narrow noſtrils are haſty.
The remedies to cure the paſsion of anger.
That we may ſettle this paſſion of anger; Firſt, we are to conſider the perſons of theſe whom we have offended: we muſt give place to wrath, and not intempeſtivè incendium extinguere, not to quench the fire unſeaſonably, for then we rather increaſe the anger, when we goe about in time of griefe to pacifie them. So Iacob gave place to the anger of his brother Eſau for a while, by the counſell of Rebecca. Seneca ſaith, Primam iram non audebimus oratione mulcere, ſurda eſt & timens, dabimus illi ſpacium, remedia in remiſsionibus morborum proſunt: that is, We goe not about to pacifie anger in the heate of it, wee give it leaſure firſt to ſettle, wee cure not feavers in their height, but when they begin to remit.
Secondly, when others have offended us; that wee may quench our anger: Firſt, Bee angry but ſinne not, Epheſ. 4.25. Anger and ſinne are not two twins, yet they are very like other; as flattery is very like to friendſhip, and can be very hardly diſtinguiſhed from it; for men oftentimes thinke themſelves to bee angry for Gods cauſe, when as it is their owne particular that mooves them. The diſciples called for fire from heaven upon the Samaritans, Luk. 9.54. one would have thought this to have beene holy anger and zeale that moved them for Gods glory, when as it was their own particular which moved them: ſo when the high Prieſt rent his cloathes Mat. 26.65. We muſt learne then to diſtinguiſh theſe two, elſe our anger will be but ſinfull anger.
Thirdly, Let not the Sun goe downe upon thy wrath: Anger ſaith Salomon, Eccleſ. 7.9. reſts in the boſome of fooles; it goeth to bed with them, riſeth with them, continueth with them, and goeth oftentimes to the grave with them; the firſt day it may be eaſily cured; the ſecond day more hardly; but the third day moſt hardly: A threefold cord cannot eaſily bee broken, Eccleſ. 4.12.
Fourthly, Let reaſon rule thine anger, and command it; we ride not firſt, and then bridle our horſe, but firſt we bridle our horſe and then ride: bee not firſt angry and then thinke to bridle thy anger with reaſon, for then thou wil deceive thy ſelfe; but let reaſon firſt rule, and then be angry.
Fiftly, Remember that thy prayers cannot bee heard unleſſe thou be firſt reconciled to thy neighbour, Mat. 5 24. Leave thy gift at the Altar, and be reconciled to him. So, 1 Tim. 2.4. the Apoſtle willeth, that men lift up holy hands without wrath. So, 1 Pet. 3.7. the man and the wife muſt not jarre, that their prayers be not hindred; ſo thou canſt not heare the word with profit in anger. Therefore the Apoſtle willeth us like new borne babes to drinke in the Word, 1 Pet. 2.2. ſo, wee cannot eat our paſſeover unleſſe the leaven of malice and envy be caſt out, 1 Cor. 5.8. Let us not celebrate the feaſt with the old leaven of malice.
Sixtly, remember Chriſts example; who when hee was reviled, reviled not againe, Mark 15.32. learne to ſpread thy injuries before the Lord as Ezekias did when Rabſhekah railed againſt him, 2 King. 19.14.
Seventhly, Behold oftentimes the paſſion of Chriſt, and that will quench thine anger. The Iſraelites when they were ſtung with fiery ſerpents, Numb. 21. ſo ſoone as they lookt upon the brazen ſerpent, they were healed; ſo when wee are injured and wronged by our enemies, if we behold the paſſion of Chriſt with faith, it will quench the ſting of our enemies anger.
Anger hath nothing oppoſite to it, as the reſt of the paſſions have, becauſe it riſeth of a preſent evill which we cannot ſhun. If it be preſent and wee may ſhun it, then there needes not a contrary paſſion. When the evill is not preſent, and joyned with difficulty if we may ſurmount it, then ariſeth courage; if we cannot ſurmount it, then ariſeth the contrary paſſion feare. If the evill be preſent and joyned with difficulty, then ariſeth anger, becauſe we cannot ſhun it; for if we can ſhun it, there can be no paſſion there.
Object. But mildneſſe ſeemeth contrary to anger.
Anſw. Mildneſſe is not a paſſion but a vertue which moderates it, and is not contrary to it.
So much of the image of God in man; in his knowledge, will and affections, wherein eſpecially the image of God conſiſts. Wee come to his outward image of God, which is his dominion over the creatures.