John Calvin on the Holy Spirit and the Credibility of Scripture

"With what confidence it becomes us to subscribe to a doctrine attested and confirmed by the blood of so many saints?  They, when once they had embraced it, hesitated not boldly and [courageously], and even with great [eagerness], to meet death in its defense.  Being transmitted to us with such an earnest, who of us shall not receive it with firm and unshaken conviction?  It is therefore no small proof of the authority of Scripture, that it was sealed with the blood of so many witnesses, especially when it is considered that in bearing testimony to the faith, they met death not with fanatical enthusiasm (as erring spirits are sometimes wont to do), but with a firm and constant, yet sober godly zeal.  There are other reasons, neither few nor feeble, by which the dignity and majesty of the Scriptures may be not only proved to the pious, but also completely vindicated against the [complaints] of slanderers.  These, however, cannot themselves produce a firm faith in Scripture until our heavenly Father manifest his presence in it, and thereby secure implicit reverence for it.  Then only, therefore, does Scripture suffice to give a saving knowledge of God when its certainty is founded on the inward persuasion of the Holy Spirit.  Still the human testimonies which go to confirm it will not be without effect, if they are used in subordination to that chief and highest proof, as secondary helps to our weakness.  But it is foolish to attempt to prove to infidels that the Scripture is the word of God.  This it cannot be known to be, except by faith.  Justly, therefore, does Augustine remind us, that every man who would have any understanding in such high matters must previously possess piety and mental peace" (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion).

John Calvin on Church History Proofs of the Credibility of Scripture

"For the best of reasons, the consent of the church is not without its weight.  For it is not to be accounted of no consequence, that, from the first publication of Scripture, so many ages have uniformly concurred in yielding obedience to it, and that, notwithstanding the many extraordinary attempts which Satan and the whole world have made to oppress and overthrow it, or completely face it from the memory of men, it has flourished like the palm tree and continued invincible.  Though in old times there was scarcely a sophist or orator of any note who did not exert his powers against it, their efforts proved unavailing.  The powers of the earth armed themselves for its destruction, but all their attempts vanished into smoke.  When thus powerfully assailed on every side, how could it have resisted if it had trusted only to human aid?  No, its divine origin is more completely established by the fact, that when all human wishes were against it, it advanced by its own energy.  And that it was not a single city or a single nation that concurred in receiving and embracing it.  Its authority was recognized as far and as wide as the world extends - various nations who had nothing else in common entering for this purpose into a holy league.  Moreover, while we ought to attach the greatest weight to the agreement of minds so diversified, and in all other things so much at variance with each other - an agreement which a divine providence alone could have produced - it adds no small weight to the whole when we attend to the piety of those who those agree; not of all of them indeed, but of those in whom as lights God was pleased that his church should shine" (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion).

John Calvin on New Testament Proofs of the Credibility of Scripture

"When we proceed to the New Testament, how solid are the pillars by which its truth is supported!  Three evangelists give a narrative in a mean and humble style.  The proud often eye this simplicity with disdain, because they attend not to the principal head of doctrine; for from these they might easily infer that these evangelists treat of heavenly mysteries beyond the capacity of man.  Those who have the least particle of candor must be ashamed of their [fussiness] when they read the first chapter of Luke.  Even our Savior's discourses, of which a summary is given by these three evangelists, ought to prevent everyone from treating their writings with contempt.  John, again, fulminating in majesty, strikes down more powerfully than any thunderbolt the petulance of those who refuse to submit to the obedience of faith.  Let all those acute sensors, whose highest pleasure it is to banish a reverential regard of Scripture from their own and other men's hearts, come forward; let them read the Gospel of John, and, willing or unwilling, they will find a thousand sentences which will at least arouse them from their sloth; no, which will burn into their consciences as with a hot iron, and check their derision.  The same thing may be said of Peter and Paul, whose writings, though the greater part read them blindfold, exhibit a heavenly majesty, which in a manner binds and rivets every reader.  But one circumstance, sufficient of itself to exalt their doctrine above the world, is, that Matthew, who was formerly fixed down to his money-table, Peter and John who were employed with their little boats, being all rude and illiterate, had never learned in any human school that which they delivered to others.  Paul, moreover, who had not only been an avowed but a cruel and bloody foe, being changed into a new man, shows, by the sudden and unhoped-for change, that a heavenly power had compelled him to preach the doctrine which once he destroyed.  Let those dogs deny that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, or, if not, let them refuse credit to the history, still the very circumstances proclaim that the Holy Spirit must have been the teacher of those who, formerly contemptible among the people, all of a sudden began to discourse so magnificently of heavenly mysteries" (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion).