Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression…

And if properly Scientia, it seems it must be evident. Scotus lays down four things necessary to Science strictly and properly so called; 1. Quod sit Cognitio cer•a, i. e. sine deceptione. 2. Quod sit de objecto necessario, & non contingente. 3. Debet esse Causata à Causa Evidenti intellectui, id est, à principiis evidenter notis intellectui; by which he saith Science is distinguished from Faith which is cognitio obscura, aenigmatica••• inevidens. 4. Quod hujusmodi principia seu causa ex terminis evidens intellectui debet applicari per discursum Syllogisticum bonum & legitimum ad inferendam conclusionem: and so Science is defined Notitia intellectualis, cert• & Ev•dens alicujus very, necessarii, evidenter deducti ex princ•p•is necessa••is pr•us Evidenter notis. Yet Rada saith, the fourth of these is accidental. And I see not but we have even such a rigid strict Science of the objects of Faith. 1. It may be Notitia Intellectualis certa, as all confess. 2. And de objecto necessario. Only let me add, that when we make use of infallible Tradition de facto, in proving the soundness of our Records, that this was Contingens à priori, yet is it necessary à posteriore necessitate existentiae; and that as to the verity, though it be contingent, whether this or that particular man speak truth, yet considering but the force of objects and common natural inclinations in determining the Will, it may certainly be concluded that as to a whole Nation, or World, some voluntary actions are so Contingent, as that yet they are of a most certainly discernible event: Even men before hand may infallibly know that they will come •o pass, (supposing the world to continue Rational): As that all this Nation, or all Europe will not famish themselves wilfully, and will not hang themselves, &c. is a thing that may as certainly be foreknown, as if it were not Contingent: much more may the Verity of such past actions be known. 3. And that it may have evident principles, shall be shown anon. 4. And then that it is discursive, is clear. Though Credere it self as it is the quieting and repose or confidence of the mind upon the authority or apprehended Veracity of the Reveale• is an effect of this discourse seeing siducia is not purely or chiefly, an Intellectual act, nor sidem alicui habere as it signifieth this repose: