ThattheBookofJoshuawasalsowrittenlongafterthetimeofJoshuamaybegatheredoutofmanyplacesofthebookitself。JoshuahadsetuptwelvestonesinthemidstofJordan，foramonumentoftheirpassage；ofwhichthewritersaiththus，“Theyarethereuntothisday“；*foruntothisdayisaphrasethatsignifiethatimepast，beyondthememoryofman。Inlikemanner，uponthesayingoftheLordthatHehadrolledofffromthepeoplethereproachofEgypt，thewritersaith，“TheplaceiscalledGilgaluntothisday“；*2whichtohavesaidinthetimeofJoshuahadbeenimproper。SoalsothenameofthevalleyofAchor，fromthetroublethatAchanraisedinthecamp，thewritersaith，“remainethuntothisday“；*3whichmustneedsbethereforelongafterthetimeofJoshua。Argumentsofthiskindtherebemanyother；asJoshua，8。29，13。13，14。14，15。63。
ThesameismanifestbylikeargumentsoftheBookofJudges，1。21，26，4。24，10。4，15。19，18。6，andRuth，1。1，butespeciallyJudges，18。30。whereitsaidthatJonathan“andhissonswereprieststothetribeofDan，untilthedayofthecaptivityoftheland。“
ThattheBooksofSamuelwerealsowrittenafterhisowntime，therearethelikearguments，ISamuel，5。5，7。13，15，27。6，and30。
25，where，afterDavidhadadjudgedequalpartofthespoilstothemthatguardedtheammunition，withthemthatfought，thewritersaith，“HemadeitastatuteandanordinancetoIsraeltothisday。“Again，whenDaviddispleasedthattheLordhadslainUzzahforputtingouthishandtosustaintheArkcalledtheplacePerez-uzzah，thewritersaithitiscalledso“tothisday“：*thetimethereforeofthewritingofthatbookmustbelongafterthetimeofthefact；thatis，longafterthetimeofDavid。
AsforthetwoBooksoftheKings，andthetwoBooksoftheChronicles，besidestheplaceswhichmentionsuchmonuments，asthewritersaithremainedtillhisowndays；suchasareIKings，9。13，9。21，10。12，12。19；IIKings，2。22，10。27，14。7，16。6，17。
23，17。34，17。41，andIChronicles，4。41，5。26。ItisargumentsufficienttheywerewrittenafterthecaptivityinBabylonthatthehistoryofthemiscontinuedtillthattime。Forthefactsregisteredarealwaysmoreancientthantheregister；andmuchmoreancientthansuchbooksasmakementionofandquotetheregister；
asthesebooksdoindiverseplaces，referringthereadertothechroniclesoftheKingsofJudah，tothechroniclesoftheKingsofIsrael，tothebooksoftheprophetSamuel，oftheprophetNathan，oftheprophetAhijah；tothevisionofJehdo，tothebooksoftheprophetServeiah，andoftheprophetAddo。
TheBooksofEsdrasandNehemiahwerewrittencertainlyaftertheirreturnfromcaptivity；becausetheirreturn，there-edificationofthewallsandhousesofJerusalem，therenovationofthecovenant，andordinationoftheirpolicyarethereincontained。
ThehistoryofQueenEstherisofthetimeoftheCaptivity；andthereforethewritermusthavebeenofthesametime，orafterit。
TheBookofJobhathnomarkinitofthetimewhereinitwaswritten：andthoughitappearsufficientlythathewasnofeignedperson；*yetthebookitselfseemethnottobeahistory，butatreatiseconcerningaquestioninancienttimemuchdisputed：whywickedmenhaveoftenprosperedinthisworld，andgoodmenhavebeenafflicted；anditisthemoreprobable，becausefromthebeginningtothethirdverseofthethirdchapter，wherethecomplaintofJobbeginneth，theHebrewisasSt。Jerometestifiesinprose；
andfromthencetothesixthverseofthelastchapterinhexameterverses；andtherestofthatchapteragaininprose。Sothatthedisputeisallinverse；andtheproseisadded，asaprefaceinthebeginningandanepilogueintheend。Butverseisnousualstyleofsuchaseitherarethemselvesingreatpain，asJob；orofsuchascometocomfortthem，ashisfriends；butinphilosophy，especiallymoralphilosophy，inancienttimefrequent。
*Ezekiel，14。14andJames，5。11
ThePsalmswerewrittenthemostpartbyDavid，fortheuseofthechoir。TotheseareaddedsomesongsofMosesandotherholymen；
andsomeofthemafterthereturnfromtheCaptivity，asthe137thandthe126th，wherebyitismanifestthatthePsalterwascompiled，andputintotheformitnowhath，afterthereturnoftheJewsfromBabylon。
TheProverbs，beingacollectionofwiseandgodlysayings，partlyofSolomon，partlyofAgurthesonofJakeh，andpartlyofthemotherofKingLemuel，cannotprobablybethoughttohavebeencollectedbySolomon，ratherthanbyAgur，orthemotherofLemuel；
andthat，thoughthesentencesbetheirs，yetthecollectionorcompilingthemintothisonebookwastheworkofsomeothergodlymanthatlivedafterthemall。
TheBooksofEcclesiastesandtheCanticleshavenothingthatwasnotSolomon’s，exceptitbethetitlesorinscriptions。ForTheWordsofthePreacher，theSonofDavid，KinginJerusalem，andTheSongofSongs，whichisSolomon’s，seemtohavebeenmadefordistinction’ssake，then，whenthebooksofScriptureweregatheredintoonebodyofthelaw；totheendthatnotthedoctrineonly，buttheauthorsalsomightbeextant。
OftheProphets，themostancientareZephaniah，Jonas，Amos，Hosea，Isaiah，andMicaiah，wholivedinthetimeofAmaziahandAzariah，otherwiseOzias，KingsofJudah。ButtheBookofJonahisnotproperlyaregisterofhisprophecy；forthatiscontainedinthesefewwords，“FortydaysandNinevehshallbedestroyed“；butahistoryornarrationofhisfrowardnessanddisputingGod’scommandments；sothatthereissmallprobabilityheshouldbetheauthor，seeingheisthesubjectofit。ButtheBookofAmosishisprophecy。
Jeremiah，Obadiah，Nahum，andHabakkukprophesiedinthetimeofJosiah。
Ezekiel，Daniel，Haggai，andZechariah，intheCaptivity。
WhenJoelandMalachiprophesiedisnotevidentbytheirwritings。
Butconsideringtheinscriptionsortitlesoftheirbooks，itismanifestenoughthatthewholeScriptureoftheOldTestamentwassetforth，intheformwehaveit，afterthereturnoftheJewsfromtheirCaptivityinBabylon，andbeforethetimeofPtolemaeusPhiladelphus，thatcausedittobetranslatedintoGreekbyseventymen，whichweresenthimoutofJudeaforthatpurpose。AndifthebooksofApocryphawhicharerecommendedtousbytheChurch，thoughnotforcanonical，yetforprofitablebooksforourinstructionmayinthispointbecredited，theScripturewassetforthintheformwehaveitinbyEsdras，asmayappearbythatwhichhehimselfsaith，inthesecondbook，chapter14，verses21，22，etc。，where，speakingtoGod，hesaiththus，“Thylawisburnt；thereforenomanknoweththethingswhichthouhastdone，ortheworksthataretobegin。ButifIhavefoundgracebeforethee，senddowntheholyspiritintome，andIshallwriteallthathathbeendoneintheworld，sincethebeginning，whichwerewritteninthylaw，thatmenmayfindthypath，andthattheywhichwillliveinthelatterdays，maylive。“Andverse45：“Anditcametopass，whenthefortydayswerefulfilled，thattheHighestspake，saying，Thefirstthatthouhastwritten，publishopenly，thattheworthyandunworthymayreadit；butkeeptheseventylast，thatthoumaystdeliverthemonlytosuchasbewiseamongthepeople。“AndthusmuchconcerningthetimeofthewritingofthebooksoftheOldTestament。
ThewritersoftheNewTestamentlivedallinlessthananageafterChrist’sascension，andhadallofthemseenourSaviour，orbeenhisDisciples，exceptSt。PaulandSt。Luke；andconsequentlywhatsoeverwaswrittenbythemisasancientasthetimeoftheApostles。ButthetimewhereinthebooksoftheNewTestamentwerereceivedandacknowledgedbytheChurchtobeoftheirwritingisnotaltogethersoancient。For，asthebooksoftheOldTestamentarederivedtousfromnohighertimethanthatofEsdras，whobythedirectionofGod’sspiritretrievedthemwhentheywerelost：
thoseoftheNewTestament，ofwhichthecopieswerenotmany，norcouldeasilybeallinanyoneprivateman’shand，cannotbederivedfromahighertimethanthatwhereinthegovernorsoftheChurchcollected，approved，andrecommendedthemtousasthewritingsofthoseApostlesanddisciplesunderwhosenamestheygo。Thefirstenumerationofallthebooks，bothoftheOldandNewTestament，isintheCanonsoftheApostles，supposedtobecollectedbyClementtheFirstafterSt。Peter，BishopofRome。Butbecausethatisbutsupposed，andbymanyquestioned，theCouncilofLaodiceaisthefirstweknowthatrecommendedtheBibletothethenChristianchurchesforthewritingsoftheprophetsandApostles：andthisCouncilwasheldinthe364thyearafterChrist。Atwhichtime，thoughambitionhadsofarprevailedonthegreatdoctorsoftheChurchasnomoretoesteememperors，thoughChristian，fortheshepherdsofthepeople，butforsheep；andemperorsnotChristian，forwolves；andendeavouredtopasstheirdoctrine，notforcounselandinformation，aspreachers；
butforlaws，asabsolutegovernors；andthoughtsuchfraudsastendedtomakethepeoplethemoreobedienttoChristiandoctrinetobepious；yetIampersuadedtheydidnotthereforefalsifytheScriptures，thoughthecopiesofthebooksoftheNewTestamentwereinthehandsonlyoftheecclesiastics；becauseiftheyhadhadanintentionsotodo，theywouldsurelyhavemadethemmorefavorabletotheirpoweroverChristianprincesandcivilsovereigntythantheyare。IseenotthereforeanyreasontodoubtbutthattheOldandNewTestament，aswehavethemnow，arethetrueregistersofthosethingswhichweredoneandsaidbytheprophetsandApostles。AndsoperhapsaresomeofthosebookswhicharecalledApocrypha，ifleftoutoftheCanon，notforinconformityofdoctrinewiththerest，butonlybecausetheyarenotfoundintheHebrew。ForaftertheconquestofAsiabyAlexandertheGreat，therewerefewlearnedJewsthatwerenotperfectintheGreektongue。FortheseventyinterpretersthatconvertedtheBibleintoGreekwereallofthemHebrews；andwehaveextanttheworksofPhiloandJosephus，bothJews，writtenbythemeloquentlyinGreek。ButitisnotthewriterbuttheauthorityoftheChurchthatmakethabookcanonical。Andalthoughthesebookswerewrittenbydiversemen，yetitismanifestthewriterswereallenduedwithoneandthesamespirit，inthattheyconspiretooneandthesameend，whichisthesettingforthoftherightsofthekingdomofGod，theFather，Son，andHolyGhost。ForthebookofGenesisderiveththegenealogyofGod’speoplefromthecreationoftheworldtothegoingintoEgypt：theotherfourBooksofMosescontaintheelectionofGodfortheirKing，andthelawswhichheprescribedfortheirgovernment：theBooksofJoshua，Judges，Ruth，andSamuel，tothetimeofSaul，describetheactsofGod’speopletillthetimetheycastoffGod’syoke，andcalledforaking，afterthemanneroftheirneighbournations：therestofthehistoryoftheOldTestamentderivesthesuccessionofthelineofDavidtotheCaptivity，ofwhichlinewastospringtherestorerofthekingdomofGod，evenourblessedSaviour，GodtheSon，whosecomingwasforetoldinthebooksoftheprophets，afterwhomtheEvangelistswrotehislifeandactions，andhisclaimtothekingdom，whilsthelivedonearth：andlastly，theActsandEpistlesoftheApostlesdeclarethecomingofGod，theHolyGhost，andtheauthorityHeleftwiththemandtheirsuccessors，forthedirectionoftheJewsandfortheinvitationoftheGentiles。Insum，thehistoriesandthepropheciesoftheOldTestamentandthegospelsandepistlesoftheNewTestamenthavehadoneandthesamescope，toconvertmentotheobedienceofGod：1。inMosesandthepriests；2。inthemanChrist；