We have in the Bible the clear statement that the spiritual gifts—the supernatural gifts—would be superseded by “a more excellent way;” that tongues should cease, prophecies should fail, and knowledge—the supernatural gift of knowledge—should be done away. In accordance with these statements, these gifts have ceased, and thus fulfilled Paul’s statement, and proved that the Spirit of God was in him. The eternal Spirit saw, and, through him, foretold that these gifts should cease, as he did in the Apostle John, at the close of Revelation, the conclusion of the sacred canon, that nothing more was to be added, and nothing taken away. This ended the revelations from God. We have had not one word since, and will not have till the end of time.
We do not know “who was Cain’s wife,” only that she was _Mrs. Cain_. We do not know that it is of any more importance to us who Cain’s wife was than who the wife of any other man was or is. We must not fall out with the Bible because it does not gratify our curiosity in giving us information on many little particulars of no consequence to us. We do not know who President Grant’s wife was. We, no doubt, could easily have found out, but it was of no importance to us to know, and we have never tried to learn. Yet it is of as much importance to us, and as much in reference to our salvation, as to know who Cain’s wife was. We can not give information that is not in the Bible. The Bible does not tell who Cain’s wife was.
We single not out baptism and make it essential, nor conversion—as a whole—and make it essential; but we single out what the _Lord requires_, not only in regard to conversion, or making Disciples, but in regard to the life or the practice required of those in Christ, in which they are to continue after they have turned to the Lord; everything in the law of God, and maintain that it is _all essential_. The will of God is essential, and that which is not in the will of God is not essential. The will of God, or what is required in the law of God, must be done. That which is not in the will of God, or is no part of the law of God, is not to be done at all, or not to be introduced as religion, or any part of it, nor is the peace of the church to be interrupted with it. The only way to avoid the trouble about the _unessentials_ is simply to leave them out—to have nothing to do with them. What regard can a man have for the welfare of the Church, the peace of the people of God, and the triumphs of the faith, who will not only have himself what is not required, not essential, and what he admits is not required, but force it upon others?