The Vanity of the World, Title page – Errata
THE VANITY OF THE VVORLD.
BY EZEKIEL HOPKINS.
LONDON: Printed for Nathaniel Ranew and Jonathan Robinſon at the Angel in Jewen-ſtreet, 1668.
TO THE Right Worſhipful, SIR ROBERT VYNER Knight and Baronet.
Sir,
WEre You one of that ſort of men, who value themſelves by the Bag, or the Acre; it might poſſibly be thought rather an Affront, than a Dedication, to prefix your Name to this Treatiſe. For ſince it is purpoſely intended to beat down the price of the World, and to expoſe its admired Vanities to publick contempt, thoſe ſordid Spirits, who have no other worth to commend them, but what is ſumm'd up in their yearly Revenues, would interpret ſuch an Addreſs, not ſo much a tender of reſpect and ſervice, as a deſign to undo and begger them. But Sir to you, whom God hath doubly bleſt with a large Eſtate, and a larger heart, I doubt not but this Piece will be very acceptable; if upon no other accompt, yet at least as the peruſal of it may be helpful to you to ſtrip off, and as it were to ſequeſter all your worldly advantages, that you may the better take an Eſtimate of your ſelf according to your Native and Genuine worth, both as a man, and as a Christian.
I am not ſo much a Cynick, as to plead for affected Poverty, and a diſdainful rejecting the gifts of Divine Providence. Such a moroſe and ſowre pride I judg worthy to be chaſtis'd not onelyonly with the cenſure of Vanity, but Impiety. We need not ſhelter our ſelves under any Monaſtick vow; nor flie to Deſerts, and Solitudes to hide us from the Allurements of the World: This is to run away from that Enemy, whom we ought to conquer. Certainly Religion allows us the poſſeſſion of earthly Comforts; onelyonly it regulates the Ʋſe, and forbids the inordinate Love of them. We may prize them as Comforts, but not as Treaſures: And while we imploy a due part of our abundance, in the works of a generous Charity, and true Piety, we may well look upon what is left, as a Salary that God gives us for being faithful Stewards of the reſt. Thus to uſe the World for the Intereſts of Heaven, to make its enjoyments tributary to Gods Glory, it is to convert and proſelite it; and turn that into an Offring, which others make an Idol. By this we give Earth a Tranſlation; and in a nobler ſence than the new Syſteme of Aſtronomy teacheth, advance it to be a Star, and a Celeſtial body. And by this Method, we change thoſe helps that Vice had to make it ſelf prodigious and infamous, into the moſt ſerviceable Inſtruments that Vertue can have to make it ſelf conſpicuous and exemplary. For Wealth and Honour in a vertuous perſon, are like the well ſetting of a Jem, which, though it makes it not more pretious, makes it more ſparkling.
But Sir, I forget my ſelf, and inſtead of writing a Letter, am writing a Tract. I ſhall make no other Apology for it, but that the Book being deſigned againſt Vanity, I would not have the Dedication of it guilty of that common and notorious one, to be fil'd onelyonly with Complements. And I hope you will not think it any thing of that ſtrain, when I ſhall aſſure you that my prayers to God for you are, that you may ſtill enjoy all advantages of doing good here on Earth, and hereafter receive the reward of it in Heaven.
Exon. Feb. 1. 1668. Your moſt Humble, and moſt obliged Servant, Ezek. Hopkins.
The Reader is deſired to pardon faults of leſs moment and to correct theſe which follow.
PAge 6. line 18. for ſince read ſence. p. 22. margin, for curalia r. curatio. p. 24. for ridiculous r. ridiculouſly. p. 25. marg. for foreign r. foreign. p. 27. marg. for foreign r. foreign. p. 28. for ſofter r. ſofteſt. p. 31. l. 8. for imagined r. imagine. p. 41. marg. for foreign r. foreign ibid. for foreign r. foreign. p. 46. marg for luxuriae r. luxuria. p. 47. marg. for foreign r. foreign.