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

At lest it cannot be concluded in general, that the objects of Faith are not evident to any, in that they were evident not only to the Prophets and Apostles themselves, but to all the Churches in that age where they wrought their miracles. For as the formale fidei objectum, viz. Veracitas Revelantis, is evident to Nature, and so to all that have not lost reason; so that God himself was the Author or Revealer, was evident to all them whose eyes and ears were witnesses of the frequent Miracles, Languages and Gifts of the Spirit, whereby the truth was then sealed by God. 4. That which hath no Evidence, cannot be Rationally preached to the world: But the Doctrine of Faith may be Rationally preached to the world; therefore Preaching hath a natural tendency to mens Conversion. It is a showing men the Evidence of Gospel Truth, and the goodness of Gospel objects, and so thereby persuading men to Believe the one, and Love and Accept the other. He that doth not praedicare Evidentiam veritatis Evangelicae, doth not preach the Gospel, in the first respect, as he that preacheth not the goodness of Christ and his benefits, doth not preach it in the other. Preaching is not like Christs laying on clay and spittle, which hath no natural tendency to open the eyes: For the effect of Preaching, as such, is not miraculous, no nor supernaturally otherwise then as the Doctrine preached being of supernatural Revelation, may be said to be a supernatural Cause, and so relatively the effect called supernatural: though the same effect as proceeding from the Spirit which is a Concause, or superior Cause, may be truly called supernatural. 5. That which ⟨p. 137⟩may be discerned to be certain Truth, without special or extraordinary Grace, even by wicked men and Devils, hath some evidence which causeth this discerning or belief: But such is the Doctrine of Faith; therefore. I know some Divines to the no small wrong of the Christian Faith, say, None can really believe it, but the Regenerate. But the Jews believe the supernatural Revelations of the Old Testament, and the Devils and many a thousand wicked men believe, both old and new; experience tells us so: Christ tells us so, that many believe who fall away in persecution. James tells such men, that they do well in believing▪ but the Devil doth so too: else men could not reject or persecute the known Truth.

At lest it cannot be concluded in general, that the objects of Faith are not evident to any, in that they were evident not only to the Prophets and Apostles themselves, but to all the Churches in that age where they wrought their miracles. For as the formale fidei objectum, viz. Veracitas Revelantis, is evident to Nature, and so to all that have not lost reason; so that God himself was the Author or Revealer, was evident to all them whose eyes and ears were witnesses of the frequent Miracles, Languages and Gifts of the Spirit, whereby the truth was then sealed by God. 4. That which hath no Evidence, cannot be Rationally preached to the world: But the Doctrine of Faith may be Rationally preached to the world; therefore Preaching hath a natural tendency to mens Conversion. It is a shewing men the Evidence of Gospel Truth, and the goodness of Gospel objects, and so thereby perswading men to Believe the one, and Love and Accept the other. He that doth not praedicare Evidentiam veritatis Evangelicae, doth not preach the Gospel, in the first respect, as he that preacheth not the goodness of Christ and his benefits, doth not preach it in the other. Preaching is not like Christs laying on clay and spittle, which hath no natural tendency to open the eyes: For the effect of Preaching, as such, is not miraculous, no nor supernaturally otherwise then as the Doctrine preached being of supernatural Revelation, may be said to be a supernatural Cause, and so relatively the effect called supernatural: though the same effect as proceeding from the Spirit which is a Concause, or superior Cause, may be truly called supernatural. 5. That which