To the Right W orlhipful ~ir Robert .Vyner, S I il, Knight and B.aronet. Vv Ere you one of that for.t of Men, who value themfelve; by t!Je Bag, or the Acre; it might po/!ib!y be thought rather an Affront, than a Dedication, to prefix yottr Name to this Treatife. For (ince it is purpofely intended to beat down the Price of the World, and to e"- pofe its admired Vanities to pablic/.: contempt, thofe fordid Spirits, who have no other rvorth to commend them, but 1vhat Ufummed up in their yearly Revenues, would tnterprel jitch an Addrefs, not Jo much a Tender of RejfeCI and Service, 4S a DeJign to undo and beggar them. Brtt, S1r, toyotl, wJ~om ~od kath doubly bleft wich a large Fjl-ate, and a l~trger Hear], I doubt •ot bm th~s Puce 1vt!l be very acceptable; if upon no other account, yet at leaf! ,u the perufol of tt may be helpful to you tojlrip off, and as tt n·ere, to fequejler a!lyorer worldly Advantages, that you may the bet..:. tfr take an rjlimate ofyour feif according to yattr native and genuine f;flortb, both as :t JVan, and as aChrijfian. · 1 am not Jo n111ch a Cynick, d4 to plead for af{eC/ed Poverty, and a difdainfrd rejee!in(l the Gifts of Divine Providence. Stuf/ a morofe and fowr Pride, I judge Jvortf!Jtobe chaflis'd, not only with the cenfore ofVanitybbarlmpiety. We need not Jbelter our jelves under any Mona{lick Vow; · nor fly to eferts and Solitudes, to hide us from the .AI/urements of the 'fVorld: ThU i~ to run away from that Enem1 whom 1ve ought to conquer. Certainly Re.ligion a~l01~s ~the pofJe!JiOn of earthly Comforts; only it r~gulates the ufe, an~[orbtds the mordm~te love of them. We may prize them tU ( ~forts, bllt not as 'lreafures: -(lnd whrle Jlle ~mploy a. due part of ottr .Abundance m the n:orks of agenerot/J Chartty, and true Ptef], '"e may 1l'ell look t~pon ll'lrat i< left, an Salary that Godgives'" for beingfaithfirl Stewards ofthe rejl. Thu.J to ufe the M1orld for the Interejls of Heave.n, to make tts Enjf!Jments tributary to God'; Glory, ~it Uto com;ert lfnd profllyte zt ; and turn that into an OjferiJ'g, which others make an Idol. By thU we give E.6rth aTranjlation; and in a nobler Jenfe than the neov Syjlem of Ajlronomy teacheth, advance it to be a Star, and aCelejlial Body. And b] tbu Method, we chan~;e thofe Helps that Vice had td make it felf prodigiotu and infamotu, into the moft jerviceable lnjlruments that Vertue ca11 have· to make it felf con.fPicuotu and exemplary. For Wealth and Honour in a vertuous PerJOn, are like the well-Jetting of aGem; 1vhich, though it makes it not more precious, makes ;tit moreJParkling. Bfft, Sir, I forget myjilf, andinjleadof 11•riting a Letter, am writing aTreatife. I jba/1 make no otlier Apology for it, bfft that the Book being dejigned againjl Vamty, I would not have the Dedication of itfuilty of that common and notoriom One, to be .f/1'd only wjeh Complements. An 1 hope )Off will not think it any thing of that jlrain, when 1 fhall tij[tJre you that my Prayers to God for JOtt are, That JOlt mayjli/1 enjoy all Advantages of doing good here on Earth, and hereafter receive thr Reward oj it in Heaven. Yam· mofi 4umble, and mofi obliged, Servant, Czon, Ftb. 1• . 1661. E Z E K. H 0 P KIN S. THE
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