Calvin's Institutes 1.8.2 - 1.8.9

This will be a rather short post. While I find I liked much of what I read, it was not something that this time through (or the last time I read it based on how I marked the pages) that really stuck with me.

Calvin started by pointing out that what sets Scripture apart is not it great literary style, although some of those God used to write it did write in a very skillful manner. Instead, what sets scripture apart is the content of what was written. That content testifies that Scripture is something more than just another work of literature, and if a person cannot apprehend that Calvin states, "those for whom prophetic doctrine is tasteless ought to be thought of as lacking taste buds."

He then moved to point to how old the Scriptures are. Having been around for a very long time. The miracles, and God's own confirmation all point to the Scriptures being from him.

One thing that Calvin stated in response to those who say, "How can we know the people who supposedly wrote this actually did?" was the following:

I know that certain rascals bawl out in the corners in order to display the keenness of their wit in assailing God's truth. For they ask, Who assures us that the books that we read under the names of Moses and the prophets were written by them? They even dare to question whether there ever was a Moses. Yet if any one were to call in doubt whether there ever was a Plato, an Aristotle, or a Cicero, who would not say that such folly ought to be chastised with the fist or the lash?