Circularity

From Chapter VII it seems clear that Calvin believes you have to just believe in the authority of scripture. It takes its authority from the Spirit (not from the Church, not from proofs of reason). One believes in the God of the scriptures because one believes the scriptures. One believes in the scriptures because the God of the scriptures gives one faith to believe. Here is the core circular logic of Calvin's institutes. I'm glad he puts it out there early, so we can progress from there.

I have a more nuanced conception of the role of the Church in the affirmation of scripture, so I think I disagree with Calvin's arguments here. At the same time, I recognize that Calvin is responding to the great heresy of his time: that the authority of the human members of the Church is equal to the authority of scripture.

I find it humorous that in the chapter after declaring that Reason cannot grasp the power of scripture, in Chapter VIII Calvin proceeds to tell us how Reason confirms his view of scripture. Humorous, but reinforces the heirarchy of authority in the cosmos: God is at the top, scripture comes next below, and reason comes next below that.

~ emrys