Richard Baxter's dying thoughts upon Phil. I, 23 written for his own life and…

§ 26. And though many say that Faith hath not evidence, and think that it is an Assent of the Mind, merely commanded by the Empire of the Will, without a knowledge of the Verity of the Testimony; yet certainly the same Assent is ordinarily in the Scriptures called indifferently, Knowing and Believing: And as a bare Command, will not cause Love, unless we perceive an Amiableness in the Object, so a bare Command of the Law or of the Will, cannot alone cause Belief, unless we perceive a truth in the Testimony believed: For it is a Contradiction; or an act without its Object. And Truth is perceived only so far as it is some way Evident: For Evidence is nothing but the objective perceptibility of Truth; or that which is Metaphorically called Light. So that we must say that Faith hath not sensible Evidence of the invisible things believed; but Faith is nothing else but the willing Perception of the Evidence of Truth in the word of the Assertor, and a Trust therein. We have and must have Evidence that Scripture is God's Word, and that his Word is true, before by any Command of the Word or Will, we can believe it.

§ 26. And though many say that Faith hath not evidence, and think that it is an Assent of the Mind, meerly commanded by the Empire of the Will, without a knowledg of the Verity of the Testimony; yet certainly the same Assent is ordinarily in the Scriptures called indifferently, Knowing and Believing: And as a bare Command, will not cause Love, unless we perceive an Amiableness in the Object, so a bare Command of the Law or of the Will, cannot alone cause Belief, unless we perceive a truth in the Testimony believed: For it is a Contradiction; or an act without its Object. And Truth is perceived only so far as it is some way Evident: For Evidence is nothing but the objective perceptibility of Truth; or that which is Metaphorically called Light. So that we must say that Faith hath not sensible Evidence of the invisible things believed; but Faith is nothing else but the willing Perception of the Evidence of Truth in the word of the Assertor, and a Trust therein. We have and must have Evidence that Scripture is God's Word, and that his Word is true, before by any Command of the Word or Will, we can believe it.

§ 27. I do therefore neither despise Evidence as unnecessary, nor trust to it alone as the sufficient total cause of my belief: For if God's Grace do not open mine Eyes, and come down in power upon my Will, and insinuate into