Divine condescension to the dawning belief of this Jewish proselyte in those transition times established no precedent which should induce us to linger in the border land of Judaism. We hear some wonder why many apostles and believers adhered so tenaciously to circumcision, abstinence from certain meats, etc. Future generations may still more wonder why many believers in our day hold so persistently to water baptism, etc. The day is surely dawning, the ranks are filling with those who realize that these shadows are all foreign to the Christian dispensation. There is less excuse for now baptizing with water than there was for those Jewish believers continuing to observe the law of Moses generally. The law was given to Moses amid the thunders of Sinai. When Israel obeyed that law they triumphed over their enemies. When they disobeyed they fell before them.[194] How could they abandon that time-honored law of Moses and their fathers and at once embrace Christianity in its fulness? John the Baptist foretold that this transition would be gradual when he said, "He must increase, but I must decrease."[195] Our Saviour was very tender of his disciples in their transition state and is yet equally mindful of his sincere children who are still in the same condition.[196] He said, I have many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now. Some things which he did say few can bear even yet; still, we long to know what were those suppressed and holy things which he did not say because his disciples could not bear them. By the teaching of the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, we have access ever-more to this sacred knowledge.[197] But only as we are able to bear it will he teach us all things.[198] Not to the wise and prudent of this world, but to babes in Christ.[199] FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 178: "Christian Institutions" P. 208] [Footnote 179: Jon 4.2] [Footnote 180: Acts 22.16] [Footnote 181: Acts 22.12; Acts 21.18, 26] [Footnote 182: Acts 1.6] [Footnote 183: Acts 15.28, 29; Acts 21.25] [Footnote 184: Acts 22.21; Gal. 2.7, 9; Acts 13.47] [Footnote 185: 1 Cor. 10.25, 29] [Footnote 186: Col. 2.16, 18] [Footnote 187: 1 Cor. 1.17; Rom. 1.16] [Footnote 188: Acts 2.38, 41; Acts 4.33, 37; Acts 2.44, 46] [Footnote 189: Acts 10.44; Acts 11.15; Acts 10.47] [Footnote 190: Acts 10.42, 44; Acts 11.15, 16; Acts 10.47] [Footnote 191: Acts 15.28, 29] [Footnote 192: Acts 8.27, 39 R.v.] [Footnote 193: 2 Cor. 3.15] [Footnote 194: Exodus 20.18] [Footnote 195: Jon. 3.30] [Footnote 196: Jon. 16.12] [Footnote 197: Jon. 14.23, 26] [Footnote 198: Jon. 16.12] [Footnote 199: Mat. 11.25] WATER BAPTISM AFTER THE APOSTLES' TIME By collateral evidence we are led to suppose that several of the apostles were martyred under the Roman Emperor, Nero, about A.D. 64.