The faith by which we believe Scripture to be the Word of God is not any kind of faith or persuasion, but which is divine and infallible. It must be so because what causes it [the Holy Spirit] and what it is based on [the Word of God] is divine and infallible. (Page 7)

Later on in the book, he relates his view of faith and the Holy Spirit to apologetics and the church. His statement is definite and perhaps controversial, but certainly worthy of consideration.

Arguments to support the truth of Scripture’s claim to be God’s Word, all have their use in their proper place. These arguments are particularly useful when Scripture is attacked by atheism arising from the love and practice of those lusts and sins which Scripture condemns. With others, these arguments may help them to come to faith or might be the means of strengthening faith in those who already believe. But in my own experience, their use is not very great, nor have they ever been in the church of God. Most people who believe God’s Word, do so without help from these arguments, for many have not the ability to understand them.

The authority of the church witnessing to Scripture as God’s Word is also helpful, but we do not believe Scripture to be God’s Word because the church says so, but because Scripture says so. Yet the ministry of the church, as it is the pillar and ground of truth, holding it up and preaching it, is the usual way that men come to faith, for ‘faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.’ We believe Scripture to be the Word of God for itself alone, but not by itself alone. The ministry of the Word is the means which God has appointed for the declaration that the Scripture comes from God. And this is the usual way by which men come to believe Scripture to be God’s Word. The church, through its ministry, witnesses to and avows Scripture to be God’s Word. From Scripture it teaches all sorts of persons and these, so taught, become aware of the truth and the power of the things taught. Thus Scripture gives birth to faith in itself as the Word of God.

Along with Scripture, witnessing to itself, there is the internal effectual work of the Holy Spirit begetting faith in us, without which we can believe neither the Scriptures nor anything else with divine faith, not for lack of evidences in them, but from lack of faith [with]in ourselves. (Pages 27-28)

These words of Owen first humble us—reminding us that we cannot argue someone into true faith—but then encourage us by defining the task that we must do: the ministry of the Word. Scripture is powerful not only because it is divine, but also because it is unstoppable against faithless hearts when wed with the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to be reminded often of what we can and cannot do in ministry. We can proclaim the Word and attest to its trustworthiness, but only God can bring faith. I end with the heart of his quote above:

We believe Scripture to be the Word of God for itself alone, but not by itself alone. The ministry of the Word is the means which God has appointed for the declaration that the Scripture comes from God.

While men are talking, and writing, and studying about religion, and hearing preaching, it may be with great delight (as those in Ezek. 33:32), [but their] conscience, unless thoroughly awake and circumspect and furnished with spiritual wisdom and care, will be very well pacified, and enter no rebukes or pleas against the way that the soul is in. But yet all this may be nothing but the acting of that natural vanity which lies in the mind, and is a principal part of the sin we treat of. And generally this is so when men content themselves, as was said, with the notions of truth, without laboring after an experience of the power of them in their hearts, and the bringing forth the fruit of them in their lives, on which a decay must needs ensue.”

John Owen, Indwelling Sin, chapter 14