Pilgrim,

The Westminster Confession (Ch. 1, sect. 5) gives, I think, a helpful answer:

Quote
We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.

It seems to come down to this, in effect: the Scriptures proclaim themselves to be the Word of God. If we are not persuaded by this self-attestation (which persuasion is the fruit of the Spirit's work), no mere man can possibly persuade us. How can man's testimony, hampered by his own finitude & fallibility, convince us if God's own testimony won't?

Kyle

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified.