short madnesse because it differs not from madnesse but in time Sauing that herein it is farre worse in that hee vvho is possessed with madnesse is necessarilie will he nill he subiect to that furie but this passion is entered into wittinglie and willinglye Madnesse is the euill of punishment but anger the euill of sinne also madnes as it were thrusts reason from it imperiall throne but anger abuseth reason by forcing it with all violence to be a slaue to passion And in this respect it may fitly bee compared vnto a cruell tyrant who hauing inuaded the gouernment of the common-wealth doth ouerthrow counsaile lawe and order and ouer ruleth all by force and furie so anger hauing obtayned soueraigntie ouer the minde taketh away all iudgement counsaile and reason and ouerswayeth all by foolish affection and raging passion And therefore Salomon saith well that Anger resteth Eccle. 7. 11 in the bosome of fooles for either fooles it findeth them or fooles it maketh them The reason is apparant because anger maketh men rashe and vnaduised in their deliberations and so their counsayles and designes prooue imperfect and without lyfe lyke abortiue byrthes which are borne before theyr time Examples hereof we haue in Symeon Examples Gen. 34. 25. and Leuy vvho like madde men imbrued their handes in the bloud of manye innocents to reuenge the iniurie of one offendour In Saule who for an imaginarie fault of one man put to death man woman and childe in the Citie of Nob and not satisfied herewith 1. Sam. 22 19. hee raged also against the beasts with more then beastly cruelty Yea Dauid himselfe beeing haunted with this furie vowed the death not onely of churlish Naball but also of all his innocent 1 Sam. 25 13. 22. familie for his fault You see then that anger peruerteth iudgement ouerthroweth counsaile and putteth out the eyes of reason making it the slaue of passion fitte to execute those workes of darkenesse in vvhich rage imployeth it Lyke vnto the Philistines vvho hauing put out the eyes of Sampson made him to grinde Iudg. 16. 21. in theyr Myll and to doe theyr drudgerie So this raging passion hauing put out the eyes of reason makes it a fit instrument for his owne businesse that is in plotting and deuising that reuenge vvhich is pleasing and acceptable vnto it VVhereby it euidentlye appeareth that furious anger is a notable meanes which Sathan vseth to worke our destruction For when once by rage hee hath blinded the eye of reason he can easelie leade vs into a gulphe of all wickednesse In respect whereof Sathan is compared to a carion Crowe which intending to make the carkasse of some seelie Lambe his greedie praye doth first pick out the eyes that it may not bee able by flight to preuent a further mischiefe so he indeauouring to make a praye of our bodyes and soules doth first seeke to blinde reason which is the eye of the soule with the furie of passion that so not hauing iudgement to discerne his sleights nor wisdome to auoide them he may the more easilie lead vs into the pit of perdition Or he may be likened to a cunning Fisher man who troubleth the water that the Fishe may not discrie his net so Sathan blindeth our reason with this turbulent affection that we should not discerne the sinnes which like nets he hath laide to intangle vs before wee be fallen into them For anger casting a mist of perturbation before the sight of reason maketh men vnable to iudge of good or euill right or wrong and whereas reason in it owne nature iudgeth that which is right anger maketh that seeme right which it iudgeth If therfore we auoyde those things most carefully which hurt the eyes or if they be hurt vse such medicines as are fit to cure them because the eye is the light and guide of the whole bodie with how much more attentiue care ought we auoide anger that blindeth reason seeing it is the light and guide of the soule which onely eye of humane direction beeing put out like Poliphemus we wander in the desartes of sinne and wickednesse if men abhorre drunkennesse and that worthely because it maketh them differ from bruite beasts onely in shape of the body why should they not for the same cause hate this vice of anger which like a burning ague doth so distemper and disturbe the minde that while the fit lasteth it vttereth nothing but rauing Sect. 8. Secondly as anger hurteth the soule by blinding reason so also it doth macerate 2. It inflameth the soule with the heate of fury and vex it by inflaming it with fury for what greater torment can be imagined then to haue the minde distracted vppon the rack of rage as therfore we would account him a madde man who with his owne hands should set his house on fire and consume it so alike madde is â—e to be thought who will set his soule on fire with the raging flames of anger wherein it is not onely tormented in this life but also without repentance in the life to come it shal be tormented euerlastingly because vniust anger iâ— murther in Gods sight as appeareth Math. 5. 22. and murtherers shal not inherite the kingdome of God but Math. 5 12. haue their portion in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which Reue. 21. 8. is the second death Reuel 21. 8. Seeing therefore anger inflicteth on the soule the wound of sinne and sinne vnlesse it be cured with the soueraigne salue of Christes merit causeth death Let vs carefully arme our selues agaynst the violence of this passion and manfully repell this fiery dart with the shield of fayth Yea let vs so strongly curbe it in with the raines of reason that no outward iniurie pricke it forward to seeke vniust reuenge For as we would condemne him of folly who when a wrong were offered him by another should in reuenge wound his owne body so more foolish is he to be esteemed who when another offereth him iniury doth in seeking cruel vniust reuenge wound his soule with sinne Sect. 9. And so much for the euils which anger The euils which anger bringeth to our neighbour 1. It ouerthroweth all friendship bringeth to a mans selfe now vve are to intreat of the euils which it bringeth to our neighbour First it ouerthoweth that excellent and comfortable vertue to mankinde true friendship for there was neuer any friendship so inuiolable which anger if it were admitted hath not violated And hence it is that wise Salomon counsaileth vs not to make friendship with an angry man because he wil be sure to breake it Pro. 22. 24. wel Pro. 22. 24 therefore may that speach of Juno to Alecto be applyed to anger Tu potes vnanimes armare in praelia fratres Virgil Aeneid lib. 7 atque odiis versare domos thou it is who caÌ„starme most louing brethreÌ„ one against the other ouerthrow whole houses and families with
for the reforming of them esteeming the chiefe top and perfection of wisdom to consist in the well gouerning and ordering of these disordered and tumultuous passions If then the heatheÌ„ Philosophers walking in the darke night of ignorance error and illightened only with a small glimmering sparke of naturall reason could thereby both discerne their corruption and also did study to reforme and bring them vnder the rule of reason how much more earnestly should we endeuor not so much to marshall them vnder the coÌ„duict of naturall reason which is it self but a blind leader as to reforme and purge them by the worde of God which like a glorious shyning sunne hath dispelled the foggy mists of ignorance and error and so discouered all the spottes and deformities of them farre more clearely then our blinde reason And as we are earnestly to labor for the reforming of all the affections so most earnestly of al this of anger which of all other is most turbulent and violent if it be not bridled and restrayned And for our better furtherance in so good an endeuor I haue made choice of this text to the end I might shew how far forth anger is to be aprooued imbraced and in what respect it is to be auoided and shunned In handling wherof I wil first shew the meaning of the words and afterwards intreate of their seuerall parts In shewing the meaning of the words I will first define what anger is and then What anger is in generall set downe the diuers sorts therof Anger therfore generallie considered is thus defined it is an affectioÌ„ wherby the bloud about the hart being heated by the apprehension of some iniury offered to a mans selfe or his friends that in truth or in his opinion onely the appetite is stirred vp to take reuenge The names of anger with the notation First wee will speake of the thing defined and after of the definition Anger in the latin tongue is called ira wich name hath his notation from the effect for when by the apprehension of an iniury the hart is inflamed with the heate of anger it doth make a man quasi ex se ire as it were to goe out of himselfe and in this respect he who was angry was said by an vsuall Latin phrase non esse apud se not to be with himselfe and ad se rediisse to haue returned to himselfe when his anger was passed ouer The Grecians did especially vse two names to expresse this affection which did contayne in them the very nature of anger The first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the preturbation it self or the heating of the bloud by the apprehension of the iniury offered tother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the appetite or desire of reuenge which followeth the the perturbatioÌ„ So that these two names contayne in them both the materiall formall cause of anger for the materiall cause is the heating of the bloud about the hart which is signified by the first name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the formall cause is the appetite or desire of reuenging the iniury offered which is vnderstod by the other name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The most vsuall name vsed by the Hebrues to signifie anger is Aph. which signifieth also the Nose and by a synecdoche the whole face which name is giuen vnto it either because in a mans anger the breath doth more vehementlie and often issue out of the nose which is as it were the smoke issuing from the flame kindled about the hart or els because in the face anger is soonest discerned by the often entercourse change of collours Our English word anger is deriued froÌ„ the latin word Angor which either signifieth throtling choking or vexatioÌ„ grief because anger worketh both these effects if it be immoderat for it stops the throate leauing no passage for words and it vexeth and tormenteth both the body and the minde And so much for the name now we wil The definition explained speake of the definition First I say it is an affection for the whole essence of a mâ—n consisteth of these 3. things body soule and affections which doe participate of both the other now anger cannot be said to be a qualitie or propertie of the soule alone for the materiall cause thereof is the boyling of the bloud about the hart nor of the body alone for the formall cause namely the appetite and desire of reuenge stirred vp by the apprehension of the iniurie offered doth more properly belong to the soule and therefore I call it a mixt affection proceeding from them both I adde the materiall cause namely the heaâ—ing of the bloud about the harte which heate or inflamatioÌ„ is caused by the apprehension of the iniurie offered or the dislike which the heart coÌ„ceiueth of the iniury apreheÌ„ded which is either in truth an iniurie or but in opinion appearance onely for anger hath not alwaies a true cause but somtime fained and imaginary and this materiall cause namely the heating of the bloud by apprehension of the iniury the formall cause followeth that is to say an appetite or desire of reuenge for before we desire to reuenge the iniury we first apprehend and feele it which desire is either iust or vniust iust if we be angry for a iust cause with those with whome wee ought to be angry after a iust maner obseruing a fit time and to a good end vniust if these circuÌ„stances be not obserued Furthermore in this definition the cause of anger is expressed namely iniurie offered for anger alwayes presupposeth iniury and the subiect therof which is the hart as also the obiect to wit reuenge of the iniury Sect. 2. And so much for the generall definition The kindes of anger of anger now we are to shew the diuers sorts thereof or rather the diuers acceptation of the same affection First it is taken for the naturall affection Naturall anger of anger as it was created of God and had his being in man before the fall Secondly as it is corrupted since the Corrupt anger fall by originall sinne Thirdly as it is renewed and sanctified by Gods Sanctified anger spirite Wee are not therefore with the Stoikes to confound these three together and without difference to The Stoicks confuted condemne them all for how soeuer this affection as it is corrupted is most turbulent and of all others most pernicious yet we are to hould that the naturall affection considered either as it was created by God or so farre forth as it is renewed and sanctified by Gods spirit is iust holie and lawfull And this may easilie be prooued by diuers reasons First because it was created That the affection of anger is in it owne nature lawfull by God and was in man before the fall and before any euill entered into the world being therefore the Lords owne workmanship which by his owne testimonie was approoued to
therefore we would not fall into anger 1. Selfe-loue we must labour to banish selfe loue and to follow the rule of charitie Loue our neighbours as our selues and do nothing vnto them which we would not haue them do vnto vs. Before therefore wee let the raines loose vnto our anger let vs 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 iâ—iuries vvhich are offered vs extenuate those which we offer others so shall we not haue our iudgement ouer ballanced with an vnequall affection so shall we not be incensed for suffring that which we haue 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 vvhich we haue 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 Vnto corruption thou art my father and vnto the worme thou art my mother and my Iob. 17. 14 sister If vve would but remember that by our sinnes committed against God our neighbour we haue deserued not onely contumelies and wrongs but also eternall death of body and soule wee would not so easely be prouoked to anger vppon euery trifling occasion nor thinke it any great disparagement to endure lesser iniuries seeing we haue 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 euery 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 vnder 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. 1 not 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 vnto 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 vs if we neuer see nor heare them Whereas hee that busilye enquireth vvhat is said against him in euery company hee that listeneth at euery doore and vnder euery 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 vnto 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 haue open cares to euery tale-bearer and credulous harts 6 Credulitie to belieue them For it is the nature of men to be most desirous of hearing that vvhich most displeaseth them Et libenter credere quae inuitè audiunt vvillinglye Senec. de ira lib. 2. cap. 22. to beleeue those things vvhich 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 vs not therefore suffer execution to goe before iudgement but rather deferre our more seuere censure till time haue 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 vs that they may take occasion to shewe their sorrow because it was offred but scarce any of them will stand to that vvhich they haue spoken And therefore let vs not be angry before wee iudge nor iudge before vve heare both parties For vvhat iniustice is it to haue 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 vs but pollution and filthinesse And theÌ„ as one