The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men, Title page – Table of contents
THE VANITY OF THE Lives and Paſſions OF MEN.
Written by D. Papillon, Gent.
Eccleſ. 1.2.
Vanity of vanities, ſaith the Preacher, vanity of vanities, all is vanity.
April. 9. 1651.
Imprimatur. John Downame.
London, Printed by Robert White, and are to be ſold by George Calvert, at the Sign of the half-Moon in Wattling-Street, near St. Auſtins Gate. 1651.
To my beloved Siſter, Mrs. Chamberlan the Widow.
Dear Siſter,
AS men uſually Dedicate their works to their beſt beloved or moſt reſpected friend; ſo I Dedicate this Treatiſe unto you, who after God have ever been the object of my deareſt love and beſt reſpects; Be pleaſed then to peruſe the ſame; for you will finde comfort in it, if you oppoſe or apply as Antidotes to the paſsions of Sorrow, Way-wardneſs and Fear incident to old age, the paſsions of Love, Hope, and Ʋndauntedneſs; for the love of God will w…an your affections from the vanities of this life, and give them wings to ſoar up to heaven to ſix themſelves upon that infinite object of all perfection God himſelf;Pſal… 6.11. In whoſe preſence is fulneſs of joy, and at his right hand pleaſures for evermore. Secondly, the Chriſtian hope you have to be made by the merits of Chriſt co-heir with him of the Kingdom of Glory, will expel all the ſorrows, way wardneſs, and diſcontents, proceeding from the croſſes and afflictions you are ſubject unto in this life. Laſtly, your Chriſtian fortitude or undauntedneſs will annihilate, as the beams of the Sun doth the morning dew, the fears which may perplex your mind by the apprehenſion of the dart of death, and will make you ſay with confidence at your departure out of this vayl of Tears,Cor. 15.55. O death, where is thy ſting? O grave where is thy Victory? The ſting of death is ſin, and the ſtrength of ſin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the Victory, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. And ſo being confident you will accept this ſmall evidence of my love with the ſame affection it is preſented unto you, I commend you to the Lords protection, deſiring to remaine
Dear Siſter, Your loving Brother, David Papillon. From London, June 1. 1651.
To the Reader.
IF this ſaying, Know thy ſelf, were written in mens hearts as it was engraven over the door of the Temple of Apollo at Delphos, they would be more careful to regulate their paſſions: for when mens paſſions are diſtempered, it is impoſſible for them to know themſelves. And that is the reaſon why ſo many Learned men have lately written upon the uſe and moderation of mens paſſions: And ſpecially Senault a moſt Elegant and learned French Author: And although his works have lately been tranſlated into Engliſh by the Noble Earl of Monmouth: yet becauſe they are fitter for Schollers then for the illiterate, I have thought it convenient to publiſh this Treatiſe for the benefit of meaner capacities: In which I have joyned the Scripture-evidences with the principles of Morality. For a good education, with an habit in the precepts of Morality, without the ſanctifying graces of the bleſſed Spirit, are not ſufficient to regulate the intellectual diſtempers of mens paſſions; becauſe moral precepts and a good education penetrates no further then the bark, and moderates only the diſtempers of … …utward man; but a juſtifying Faith and the grace of ſanctification its inſeparable companion, doth moderate the diſtempers of the intellectual faculties of the ſoul as well as thoſe of the corporeal members. I mean that by a good education and the principles of Morality, a man may attain to a corporeal continency, but never to an Intellectual Chaſtity, without the graces of the ſanctifying Spirit. Therefore ſuch as deſire to obtain the maſtery over the intellectual and corporeal diſtempers of their paſſions, are to endevor to attain by fervent prayers from God the graces of the ſanctifying Spirit, as well as an habite in the Principles of Morality: Otherwiſe they will never obtain the maſtery over their paſſions to make them ſubordinate to the rules preſcribed in the word of God. And whereas Senault maintains that men have a Free will to do good or evil, and gives over much power to the Principles of Morality: I ſay we have no Free-will to do good, except it be given us by the Free grace of God, and that the Principles of true Chriſtianity have more power to make men obtain the maſtery over their paſſions then the Principles of Morality can have. Be pleaſed then to accept of theſe Eſſays of mine with the ſame affection as I preſent them unto you: and to account me, as really I am,
Your humble ſervant in Chriſt, D. Papillon. From London, June 1. 1651.
Errata.
PAg. 22. l. 1. r. he outbraded him. p. 26. l. 15. r. Crown. p. 28. l. 1. r. concuſſion. p. 43. l. 1. of Chap. 4. r. there are alſo. p. 132. l 16. r. He that looketh upon a woman. p. 135. l. 13. leave out the word all. p. 140. l. 12. r. Craſſus. p. 182 l. 2. r. Charls the eighth. p. 193. l. 3. r. July-flowers. p. 194. l. 1. r. theſe. p. ibid. l. 14. r. curb. p. 205. l. 23. r. Marquis d'Ancre. p. 244. l. 15. r. as conceiving the ſame. p. 246. l. 16. r. ſay they. p. 231. l. 3. r. preciſe. p. 236. l. 17. r. theſe are. p. 361. l. 25. r. are rather worſe. p. 379. l 9. r. induceth men.
The Contents.
Chap. 1. The vanity of the lives of Men. Pag. 1.
Chap. 2. The vanity of worldly Honors. p. 19.
Chap. 3. The vanity of worldly Riches. p. 43.
Chap. 4. The vanity of worldly Pleaſures. p. 65.
Chap. 5. The vanity of mens paſsions in general. p. 81.
Chap. 6. The vanity of the paſsion of Love. p. 97.
Chap. 7. The vanity of the paſsion of Hatred. p. 115.
Chap. 8. The vanity of the paſsion of Deſire. p. 131.
Chap. 9. The vanity of the paſsion of Flight. p. 147.
Chap. 10. The vanity of the paſsion of worldly Joy. p. 162.
Chap. 11. The vanity of the paſsion of worldly Sorrow. p. 179.
Chap. 12. The vanity of the paſsion of worldly Hope. p. 197.
Chap. 13. The vanity of the paſsion of Deſpair. p. 219.
Chap. 14. The vanity of the paſsion of Ʋndauntedneſs. p. 241.
Chap. 15. The vanity of the paſsion of Fear. p. 261.
Chap. 16. The vanity of the paſsion of Wrath. p. 280.
Chap. 17. The vanity of the paſsion of Volupty. p. 299.
Chap. 18. The vanity of the paſsion of Avarice. p. 347.
Chap. 19. The vanity of the paſsion of Ambition. p. 372.
Chap. 20. The vanity of the paſsion of Envie. p. 401.