C 12.8 )

Grotius , from whom our Translator copies,thinks this Sense may be had, Ecclef. viii. 12.*£TA»ep(pofi5?<3w « x.ctpS'iec. sswV Ta dvSryp'srii ev ctnvoTftS Troincrai iv irovn&v' i. e. in malis perpetrandisfibi placuit. But this Sense of the Word is not soprobable, because not so emphatical , as the other,which is given us in our Bible Version, viz. Be-cause Sentence against an Evil Work is not spee-dily executed, therefore the Heart of the Sons ofMen is fully set in them to do Evi )’, i. e. Theydo it, as we say, upon Principle ; they concludeevil Practices not to be displeasing to God , be-cause he does not immediately punifli the Sinner.To the fame bisect also the antient Interpretershave translated the Hebrew Word Thus

Symmachus renders it a<p/ 3 ( 6 C Jquila \ndxfjwa.v,expressing the Cause by the Effect. For Fulnessof Persuasion produces Boldness in Action. TheVulgar , after Symmachus , fays abfque timore ullo.But the Syriack Rendering is more express toour Purpose: Roboratur animus hominis. Asalso the Jrabick , Obfirmatum est cor. Whentherefore Grotius explains ensrXnzjxpoprid k, Eccl. viii.12. by Jtbi placuit , he neither followed the com-mon Acceptation of the v Word , nor had the leastEncouragement from ancient Versions, but merelyserves a present Hypothesis, by a forced and ar-bitrary Interpretation. Whereas it was his Busi-ness to have justified his new Sense of TrXn&xpop&cr-Rom. xiv. 5. by shewing this to be the ne-cessary Sense of that Word elsewhere: But in-deed this could not be done. For in all Au-thors, sacred and profane, it constantly signifiesinternal Persuasion of Mind: And never signifies

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