The sinners guyde A vvorke contayning the whole regiment of a Christian life, deuided into two bookes: vvherein sinners are reclaimed from the by-path of vice and destruction, and brought vnto the high-way of euerlasting happinesse. Compiled in the Spanish tongue, by the learned and reuerend diuine, F. Lewes of Granada. Since translated into Latine, Italian, and French. And nowe perused, and digested into English, by Francis Meres, Maister of Artes, and student in diuinitie.

Remedies against anger, hatred, and enmities, which arise of anger and wrath. CHAP. IX.

ANger is an inordinate desire to be reuenged of him, whom we suppose to haue wronged vs. A∣gainst this pestilent vice the Apostle sheweth vnto vs an antidote, saying: Let all bitternes, and anger,* 1.1 and wrath, crying, and euill speaking bee put away from you, with all maliciousnes. Be ye curteous one to another, and tender-harted, forgiuing one another, euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you. Of thys sinne the Lord speaketh in Matthew: But I say vnto you, whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly, shall bee culpable of iudgement.* 1.2 And whosoeuer saith vnto his bro∣ther, R••c••, shall be worthy to be punished by the Counsell. And vvho∣soeuer shall say, foole, shall be woorthy to bee punished with hell fire.

Therefore, when this outragious vice doth solicite and disquiet thy minde, repell it by these considerations following.

First consider,* 1.3 that brute beastes doe liue peaceably vvith those that are of the same kinde. Elephants accompany with E∣lephants: in like maner, Kine and Sheepe feed rogether in their heards and flocks. Byrds of a feather flie together. Cranes on the day time flie together, and at night one plaieth the Sentinell for the other. The same thing also doe Storkes, Harts, Delphins, and many other creatures. The concord and order of Ants and Bees, is knowen vnto euery body. And amongst wilde beastes there is a certaine peace and agreement: The fiercenes of Ly∣ons is not exercised against them of the same kinde: the Boare is not spightfull and hurtfull to the Boare: the Linx vvarreth not with the Linx, nor the Dragon with the Dragon. VVhat need we many words? the wicked spirits themselues, vvho are the authors of all our discord, obserue the league between them selues, and by common consent do exercise their tyrannie. One∣ly men, to whom curtesie and peace are very necessary, & most conducent, nourish deadly discords and cruell variance. These things are worthy of great consideration.

Neyther is it lesse to be considered of, that nature hath giuen weapons to all liuing creatures to fight:* 1.4 hoofes to horses, horns to Bulls, tusks to Boares, a sting to Bees, clawes and beakes to birds, yea to Gnats and fleas, nature hath giuen weapons to bite and sting, by which they fetch out blood. But thou ô man, because thou art created to peace and concord, are created vn∣armed and naked, that thou maist not haue any thing to hurt or offend another. Therefore consider howe vnnaturall it is, that thou shouldest reuenge, and hurt him of whom thou art offen∣ded; especially, by seeking for weapons which are without thee, which nature hath denied vnto thee.

Remember that anger and desire of reuenge is proper vnto wilde beasts, of whose anger thus speaketh a certaine wise man: O man, why doost thou degenerate from the nobility of thine estate and condition, by following the nature of Lyons, Ser∣pents, and other fierce and cruell beasts?* 1.5 Aelianus writeth of a certaine Lyon, who beeing wounded in hunting with a launce, more then a yeere after espied him a farre of that had wounded

him, passing that way in the company of the King of Iuba, and many other men; the Lyon forth-with knew him, and rushing violently through the ranckes of the men, they with all theyr forces resisting him, he rested not till he came vnto him, who had hurt him, whom presently he rent and tare in peeces. The same thing we haue seene done of a certaine Bull, against them of whom he was smitten and hurt. Wrathfull and angry men, are the imitators of these fierce and cruell beasts; who whē they might mitigate theyr wrath by reason and discretion, (as it be∣commeth men) they had rather follow their beastly force & fu∣rie, glorying in their ignobler part, which is common vnto them with beasts, when as they should vse diuine reason, in vvhich they pertake with Angels.

If thou shalt say, that it is an hard thing for thee to mitigate and asswage thine angry hart:* 1.6 I answere, that thou oughtest in like manner to consider, that it was much more difficult that the sonne of GOD should suffer for the loue of thee. What wast thou when hee shed his blood for thee? wast not thou his ene∣mie? Doost thou not see with what great clemency and gentle∣nes he suffereth thee, sinning daily, and with what great benig∣nity and goodnes he receaueth thee turning vnto him? Perad∣uenture thou wilt say, that thine enemy is not woorthy to haue his fault forgiuen. Tell me, deseruest thou, or art thou worthy, that God should pardon thee? Wouldest thou that God shold pardon thee, and wilt thou vse extreamitie against thy neigh∣bour? If thine enemy be not worthy that hee should haue par∣don, yet thou art worthy to pardon him, and Christ most wor∣thy, for whose loue thou oughtest to forgiue him.

* 1.7Further obserue, that all the time that thou burnest with ha∣tred and rancour against thy neighbour, thou art not worthy to offer any sacrifice to the Lord, gratefull & acceptable vnto him, which our Sauiour intimateth when he saith; If then thou bring thy gift to the altar, & there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leaue there thine offering before the altar, and goe thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. By which precept, we know more cleerely then the noone day, how great a sinne discord with our neighbour is: man be∣ing out of the fauour of God, so long as this contention lasteth,

and therefore he doth nothing pleasing vnto him, whilst hee is guilty of this crime.* 1.8 Such a like thing Gregory insinuateth whē he saith; Because nothing pleaseth God without concord, the good things that are done of vs profit nothing, vnlesse we car∣rie with a quiet minde the wrongs done vnto vs.

Consider also who is he, whom thou supposest to bee thine enemy: for it is of necessity, that he is eyther iust or vniust. If he be iust, certainly it is an euill and a vild thing, to wish and do ill to a righteous man, and to be an enemy vnto him, who hath God for his friend: but if he be vniust, it is a thing also altoge∣ther to be detested, that thou shouldest reuenge another mans maliciousnes with thine owne maliciousnes; & appointing thy selfe Iudge in thine own cause, shouldest chastice another mans iniustice with thine owne. If thou reuengest thine owne iniurie vpon thine enemy, and thine enemy his vpon thee, there shall neuer be an end of discord and reuengement. But that is the most glorious kinde of reuenge which the Apostle teacheth, saying: Ouercome euill with good: that is, ouercome other mens vices with thine owne vertues.* 1.9 For whilst men render euill for euill, neither will be brought to yeeld, it commeth to passe ma∣nie times, that at length they are ouercome by ignominie & re∣proch: for anger afflicteth them, and they are shamefully con∣quered of theyr owne passions, which if they had ouercome & tamed, theyr victory had been more glorious then his, that hath wonne and vanquished a Citty by force of Armes: yea the vic∣tory is much lesser to haue taken one or many Citties, which are without vs, then to conquer our owne affections, which rule & reuell within vs; and to bridle our proud disdaine and indigna∣tion, which is shut within vs: which except wee holde vnder, it will rise against vs, and will force vs to assay those things, which afterwards we shall repent vs of, and be ashamed of: and that which is worser, we our selues shall scarcely vnderstand of the euill that we doe: for he that is angry, thinketh all reuenge iust, and is often deceiued, supposing the pricke of anger to be the zeale of iustice, and by this meanes the vice is couered with the semblance of vertue.

Therefore to ouercome this vice, it is the best remedy that thou be very carefull and diligent to pull vp by the rootes all in∣ordinate

loue of thy selfe,* 1.10 and of thine affayres. for otherwise anger will easily waxe hote, if eyther thou, or any of thine be hurt, although with the least word. Furthermore, when thou feelest the beginnings of the temptation of anger, thou must prepare thy selfe vnto patience, fore-seeing wisely all the kinds of euill, which may arise in any busines; because a dart fore∣seene doth lesse hurt.* 1.11 Thou must firmely purpose in thy mind, that as often as choller fumeth and heateth in thee, that thou neyther say nor doe any thing; yea, beleeue not, nor trust to thy selfe; but let all things be suspected of thee, which thy hart per∣swadeth thee at this time, albeit they seeme to agree vnto reason. Deferre the execution of thy will whilst anger boyleth, or vn∣till thou hast once or oftner sayd ouer the Lords prayer, or some other thing. That wholsome counsaile of Athenodorus, which is reported by Plutarch,* 1.12 ought here to be obserued. For when as he by reason of his old age, desired leaue to returne to his owne house, and Augustus the Emperour had graunted him leaue. When he tooke his farewell of Caesar, desirous to leaue behind him some memoriall worthy a Philosopher, he sayd; O Caesar when thou art angry, before thou shalt say or doe any thing, repeate ouer in thy minde the foure and twenty Greeke letters. Caesar taking the Philosopher by the right hand, sayd; Yet I haue neede of thy presence; and so retayned him with him another whole yeare. For the Philosopher by this aduice taught, that those things were done mithout reason, which were done at such time as anger boyleth in the hart.* 1.13 And it is dili∣gently to be marked, that there is not a worser time to delibe∣rate in, what should be done, then when a man is angry; and yet all men especially would then dispatch what they haue to doe. Therefore it is very meete that a man at that time when fury and wrath hath possessed his mind, should resist such en∣terprizes with a manly courage.* 1.14 For as it is knowne to all men, that a drunken man cannot doe any thing wisely and with rea∣son, and of which he doth not afterwards repent him (as we read of Alexander the great) so when a man is disturbed and trou∣bled with anger, and blinded with the smoke of this passion, he cannot rest, neyther take aduisement, which to day although it seeme iust and reasonable vnto him, yet to morrow, when the

fury of his passion shall be ouer, he shall confesse that it was vn∣iust and vnreasonable: for it is without controuesie, that anger, vvine, and loue, that is carnall concupiscence, are the worst counsailers, that may be found. Where-vpon the Wise-man sayth very well: Wine and women leade wise-men out of the way, and put men of vnderstanding to reproofe.* 1.15 By vvine the vvise-man vnderstandeth, not only materiall vvine, which is wont to blind and obscure the reason; but any passion that stragleth out of the right way, which in like manner blindeth and obscureth the reason, albeit not euery thing that then is done is alwayes culpable.

And this aduice is not to be contemned; if when thou art angry,* 1.16 thou shalt forth-with occupy thy selfe with some man∣ner of busines, and so diuert and turne thy cogitations from an∣ger; for if thou doost with-draw wood from the fire, the flame is extinguished. And with al thy strength contend to loue them, whom thou must necessarily suffer: for if that sufferance be not ioyned to loue, the patience which outwardly appeareth, is of∣tentimes conuerted into rancour. Therfore when Saint Paule sayth,* 1.17 Loue is patient: he presently addeth, and bountifull: For true loue omitteth not to loue those bountifully, whom it suffe∣reth patiently. In like manner it is wisedome to giue place to the wrath of thy brother: for if thou shalt seperate thy selfe from him being angry, thou shalt giue him place, till his anger be ouer; or at least if thou wilt not depart, aunswer him curte∣ously. For as Salomon sayth:* 1.18 A soft aunswere putteth away wrath.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ephe, 4,
• * 1.2

  Math, 5,
• * 1.3

  Man more wrathful then beasts.
• * 1.4

  Man hath no weapons giuen him of nature.
• * 1.5

  The anger of a certain Lyon.
• * 1.6

  From the example of Christ.
• * 1.7

  An angry man with∣out y^e grace and fauour of God. Math, 5,
• * 1.8

  In his 8. homily vp∣on Ezech.
• * 1.9

  How wee must re∣uenge.
• * 1.10

  Selfe-loue is to be pulld vp by the roots.
• * 1.11

  We must do nothing in our an∣ger.
• * 1.12

  Plutarch in the Apo∣thegs of the Romanes.
• * 1.13

  In the time of anger we must decree of nothing.
• * 1.14

  A simili∣tude.
• * 1.15

  Ecclesi. 19.
• * 1.16

  Another aduice.
• * 1.17

  1, Cor. 13.
• * 1.18

  Prou, 15.