20Wemaythusclearlyseethattheseportionsofthebookhavebeencompiledfromvarioussources，andareonlyfromthispointofviewcomprehensible。21Thepropheciescontainedintheremainingchapters，whereJeremiahspeaksinthefirstperson，seemtobetakenfromabookwrittenbyBaruch，atJeremiah\'sdictation。22These，however，onlycompriseasappearsfromchap。xxxvi:2thepropheciesrevealedtotheprophetfromthetimeofJosiahtothefourthyearofJehoiakim，atwhichperiodthebookbegins。23Thecontentsofchap。xlv:2，ontochap。
li:59，seemtakenfromthesamevolume。
24ThatthebookofEzekielisonlyafragment，isclearlyindicatedbythefirstverse。25Foranyonemayseethattheconjunctionwithwhichitbegins，referstosomethingalreadysaid，andconnectswhatfollowstherewith。26However，notonlythisconjunction，butthewholetextofthediscourseimpliesotherwritings。27Thefactofthepresentworkbeginningthethirtiethyearshowsthattheprophetiscontinuing，notcommencingadiscourse；andthisisconfirmedbythewriter，whoparentheticallystatesinverse3，\"ThewordoftheLordcameoftenuntoEzekielthepriest，thesonofBuzi，inthelandoftheChaldeans，\"asiftosaythattheprophecieswhichheisabouttorelatearethesequeltorevelationsformerlyreceivedbyEzekielfromGod。28Furthermore，Josephus，11Antiq。\"x:9，saysthatEzekielprophesiedthatZedekiahshouldnotseeBabylon，whereasthebookwenowhavenotonlycontainsnosuchstatement，butcontrariwiseassertsinchap。xvii。thatheshouldbetakentoBabylonasacaptive，[Endnote20]。
29OfHoseaIcannotpositivelystatethathewrotemorethanisnowextantinthebookbearinghisname，butIamastonishedatthesmallnessofthequantity，wepossess，forthesacredwriterassertsthattheprophetprophesiedformorethaneightyyears。
30Wemayassert，speakinggenerally，thatthecompilerofthepropheticbooksneithercollectedalltheprophets，norallthewritingsofthosewehave；foroftheprophetswhoaresaidtohaveprophesiedinthereignofManassehandofwhomgeneralmentionismadein2Chron。xxxiii:10，18，wehave，evidently，nopropheciesextant；neitherhaveweallthepropheciesofthetwelvewhogivetheirnamestobooks。31OfJonahwehaveonly，theprophecyconcerningtheNinevites，thoughhealsoprophesiedtothechildrenofIsrael，aswelearnin2Kingsxiv:25。