Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
— Isaiah 56:11
He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
— Proverbs 14:29
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
— Proverbs 15:18
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
— Proverbs 16:19
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
— Genesis 4:5-6
The Remedies of Unjust Anger, by John Downame. The following contains Chapter Seven of his work, “The Corrective for Unjust Anger.” 1613.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
— Proverbs 16:32
CHAP. VII. The Remedies of Unjust Anger.
The remedies against anger are of two sorts: first, those which cure anger in ourselves; secondly, those which cure it in others; and they both are of two kinds: first, such as prevent anger and preserve us from falling into it: secondly, such as free us from it after it hath taken place. For anger is a disease of the mind: as therefore wise Physicians think it the better and safer course to preserve health and prevent sickness, then to remove the disease after it hath taken possession of the body; so the best course in ministering spiritual Physic, is to preserve the soul from vice, rather than to purge it away after it hath infected it; for Vitia facilius repelluntur, quam expelluntur, Vices are more easily kept from entrance, then thrust out after they are entered: for as the common proverb is, there are but twelve points in the law, and possession is as good as eleven of them. If therefore anger have gotten possession, we shall hardly dispossess it: It is our souls mortal enemy; as therefore we first seek to keep the enemy from entering the frontiers of our country, but if he be entered, as soon as we can to expel him, so we must first endeavor to repel anger by stopping the passages of our hearts, that it may have no entrance, but if it have taken place, quickly to expel and remove it. For if we suffer it to fortify itself, it will grow so strong and violent, that we shall be unable to dislodge it. And as in a siege of a City the Citizens provide all things necessary for their defense before the assault, that the enemy when he approacheth the walls, may not take them unprovided; so if we will repel anger when it cometh, we are to fortify and arm ourselves against it before it comes: for if it take us unprovided, it will easily make entrance, and more easily overcome us.
Let us therefore first of all endeavor to use all good means by which we may prevent anger: for if it have once gotten hold of us, it will easily plunge us headlong into violence and fury, whereas we may with greater facility prevent the danger before we fall into it. For as experience teacheth us, a man may easily contain himself from running down the hill, while he is on the top, but after he is entered into a full race, he cannot stay himself before he cometh to the bottom: so it is more easy for any to abstain from running into anger, then to contain himself when he is in the race, from falling into the bottom of fury.
Let us then see the means how to prevent anger: the first remedy is by taking away the causes thereof, for sublatâ causâ tollitur effectum; The cause being taken away the effect ceaseth.
The first cause of anger, is self-love: if therefore we would not fall into anger, we must labor to banish self-love, and to follow the rule of charity; Love our neighbors as ourselves, and do nothing unto them, which we would not have them do unto us. Before therefore we let the reins loose unto our anger, let us set ourselves in the place of him with whom we are angry, and consider how we would desire to be used if we had so offended, and in like manner are we to behave ourselves towards him. So shall we not aggravate those injuries which are offered us, and extenuate those which we offer others, so shall we not have our judgment over-balanced with an unequal affection, so shall we not be incensed for suffering that, which we have often offered.
The second cause of anger is pride and haughtiness of spirit: if therefore we would not fall into anger, we are to subdue pride, and labor for the contrary grace of humility. For they who would be meek with our Savior Christ, must also learn of him the lesson of true humility, Matth. 11:29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart. If we would lay aside that arrogant conceit which we have of ourselves, and the overweening opinion of our own excellencies, if we would consider with Abraham that we are but dust and ashes, and with David, that we are worms and no men; or if we would in sincerity of heart say with Job, Unto corruption, thou art my father, and unto the worm, thou art my mother, and my sister. If we would but remember that by our sins committed against God and our neighbor, we have deserved not only contumelies and wrongs, but also eternal death of body and soul; we would not so easily be provoked to anger upon every trifling occasion, nor think it any great disparagement to endure lesser injuries, seeing we have deserved far greater.
The third cause is covetousness, which vice we must banish out of our hearts, if we would not be overcome with unjust anger, so shall we not gape after great preferments, nor expect much; and consequently, we shall not be disturbed with unquietness, nor incensed with anger, when we come short of our hopes. So shall we not intermeddle with every domestical trifle, but commit something to the care of Servants, something to Children, and most of all to the Wife, who is a joint governor in this little common-wealth. And if anything miscarry under any of their hands, we will not so much look to the means, as to the supreme cause, the providence of God, considering that if he build not the house, they labor in vain that build it, if he bless not their labors they cannot prosper.
The fourth cause is luxuriousness and curious niceness; if therefore we would subdue anger, we must subdue this vice also, and labor to attain unto decent homeliness, the Nurse of good hospitality, and the preserver of peace and quietness, for if with our first parents Adam and Eve, we were clothed with skins, that is, with mean attire, we would not be so easily provoked to anger if a spot or wrinkle be found upon our garments, if with them we did feed upon roots and herbs, we would not eat with surfeited and cloyed appetites, and consequently (our meats being sauced with hunger) our tastes would not be so want only curious, that no ordinary cookery can please them. If with Abraham we dwelled in tents like Pilgrims, we would not be so nice in decking our houses, nor so angry for a cobweb: If with Jacob we had the earth for our bed, a stone for our pillow, and the sky for our Canopy, we would not be so much displeased for the hardness of a featherbed, or uneasiness of a down lodging: take away therefore luxurious niceness, and you shall take away also the most common cause of unjust anger.
The fifth cause of unjust anger, is vain curiosity in desiring to hear and see all things. If therefore we would avoid anger, we are to abandon this troublesome companion needless curiosity. For many things will neither grieve nor hurt us, if we never hear nor see them. Whereas he that busily inquireth what is said against him in every company, he that listneth at every door, and under every wall, he that rippeth up ill words spoken against him in secret, doth both disquiet himself with anger, and make his own faults more public. Antigonus when he heard two of his subjects speaking evil of him in the night near his Tent, called unto them, willing them to go further off least the king should hear them. Whose example if we would follow, our anger would not so much vex ourselves, nor trouble others.
The sixth cause is to have open ears to every tale-bearer, and credulous hearts to believe them. For it is the nature of men, to be most desirous of hearing that which most displeaseth them, Et libenter credere quae invite audiunt, willingly to believe those things which they are most sorry to hear. But if we would avoid unjust anger, we must avoid this vice also: Multos absoluemus si caeperimus ante iudicare quam irasci, we shall acquit many, if we will not be angry before we judge. Let us not therefore suffer execution to go before judgment, but rather defer our more severe censure, till time have revealed the truth, considering that it is most usual with men to report untruths, some that they may deceive thee; some because they are deceived themselves; some because they would set friends at variance; some in their accusation will fain an injury offered us, that they may take occasion to show their sorrow, because it was offered; but scarce any of them will stand to that which they have spoken. And therefore let us not be angry before we judge, nor judge before we hear both parties: for what injustice is it to have both ears open to an accusation, and both shut to an excuse? To proceed to sentence of condemnation before we ask the party accused, what he can say for himself? What greater wrong then to believe in secret, and to be angry openly?
The last cause of unjust anger, is want of meditation concerning human infirmities, either those which are common to all mankind, or those which are more proper and peculiar to ourselves. If therefore, we would be restrained from anger, we must often think of this contagious leprosy of original sin, which hath so generally infected all the sons of Adam, that there remaineth nothing in us but pollution and filthiness. And then as one infected with the plague, is not offended with him that is subject to the same infection: As the Lazar doth neither with scorn nor choler, but rather with pity and compassion behold the sores of his fellow: so the plague and sore of sin which we see in another, will not make us angry with the party which is infected and visited, but rather in commiseration and pity to use all good means whereby he may be cured, if we consider that this plague and sore of sin is so universal that it hath infected all mankind.
When word was brought to Anaxagoras that his son was dead, he was not much moved with the news, because (as he said) he knew and had considered long before that his son was mortal: so if we would consider and meditate on human frailty and infirmities, we should not be so much vexed: when they show themselves, because they would not happen beyond our expectation. If he that hireth a servant, would think with himself, that he hireth one who is not free from faults, if he that choseth a friend would then consider that he hath his wants and imperfections: If he that marrieth a wife would remember that he marrieth a woman, and therefore one subject to infirmities: neither the small faults of his servants, nor imperfections of his friends, nor infirmities of his wife would easily provoke him to choler and fury, seeing he did not come short of his reckoning.
Moreover we are to meditate upon our own peculiar infirmities and wants, and before we are angry with another to enter into our selves, and to say with Plato: Nuncubi & ego talis? Have not I also offended in this or in that which is worse? Am I clear from offering the like injuries or greater to my brethren? Alas no, but though I were, yet how often have I provoked God to anger by my sins? For which great debt how can I crave pardon, if I cruelly exact every trifle of my fellow servant? Thus if we would speak unto our own consciences in the presence of God, we would not so easily be incited to anger and revenge, seeing we ourselves do many things which need pardon, and our greater faults might serve to excuse those which are less in others, if we would but look upon them: for no man without blushing could extremely punish those faults in his neighbor, for which he shall need to crave pardon himself.
And so much concerning the first remedy of anger, which is by removing the causes thereof.
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