A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

III. About this time, the written word of God, or the cannon of scripture, was added to by Samuel. I have before observed, how that the canon of scripture was begun, and the first written word of God, the first written rule of faith and manners that ever was, was given to the church about Moses's time: and many, and I know not but most divines, think it was added to by Joshua, and that he wrote the last chapter of Deuteronomy, and most of the book of Joshua. Others think that Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and part of the first book of Samuel, were written by Samuel. However that was, this we have good evidence of, that Samuel made an addition to the canon of scripture; for Samuel is manifestly mentioned in the New Testament, as one of the prophets whose writings we have in the scriptures, in that forementioned Acts iii.24. "Yea and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of those days." By that expression, "as many as have spoken," cannot be meant, as many as have spoken by word of mouth; for never was any prophet but what did that: but the meaning must be, as many as have spoken by writing, so that what they have spoken has come down to us, that we may see what it is.

III. About this time, the written word of God, or the cannon of scripture, was added to by Samuel. I have before observed, how that the canon of scripture was begun, and the first written word of God, the first written rule of faith and manners that ever was, was given to the church about Moses's time: and many, and I know not but most divines, think it was added to by Joshua, and that he wrote the last chapter of Deuteronomy, and most of the book of Joshua. Others think that Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and part of the first book of Samuel, were writen by Samuel. However that was, this we have good evidence of, that Samuel made an addition to the canon of scripture; for Samuel is manifestly mentioned in the New Testament, as one of the prophets whose writings we have in the scriptures, in that forementioned Acts iii.24. "Yea and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of those days." By that expression, "as many as have spoken," cannot be meant, as many as have spoken by word of mouth; for never was any prophet but what did that: but the meaning must be, as many as have spoken by writing, so that what they have spoken has come down to us, that we may see what it is.