---
title: 'Counsel from David Rice Concerning Religious Controversy'
type: post
author: 'R. Andrew Myers'
date: 2022-08-13
url: https://confessional.org/blog/2022-counsel-from-david-rice-concerning-religious-controversy
---

# Counsel from David Rice Concerning Religious Controversy

“Treat all your fellow creatures with kindness and with the respect due to their several characters; but have no religious communion with those nominal Christians, whose principles sap the foundation of the Christian religion, lest you thereby countenance their errors, and partake of their guilt and punishment.

With regard to those points in religion in which humble pious Christians differ from you in principle or practice, make yourselves so far acquainted with them as to be able to give a reason sufficient to justify your choice. However dwell not on these points: delight not, nor pride yourselves, in disputing with your dissenting brethren: it sours the temper and dries up the fountain of benevolence in the heart. Men may differ widely as to the mode of worship, and yet be acceptable worshippers of God through Christ.

Though these points are not the essential doctrines or duties of religion, and the principal thing God requires is the heart, nevertheless endeavour in lesser matters to be fully satisfied in your own minds, and conscientiously act according to your own judgments. Never threat any thing revealed in the word of God, as an indifferent or trifling matter. So doing might lead to a habit of trifling with things sacred, and will be offensive to your brethren, and injurious to the cause of truth.

Though I warn you against religious controversy; yet if you have a talent for it, proper information, and providence can call you to the work, be ready to defend the sacred scriptures, and the great doctrines they contain; but do it not thro’ pride, nor for the honour of a victory; but with humility, meekness and love. At any rate never engage an enemy, until you are acquainted with the ground you occupy, your own force, and the forces of your antagonist.

Let alone the sceptics of the present day, improperly called Deists. They have no digested system: what they chiefly excel in is the art of puzzling. Argument is not what they want, it will have no force upon their minds; and will probably be answered by a quibble, a jest or a sneer: only pity them, pray for them, and set them a good example.

I would not advise you to read much of the sceptical writings of the present and last age: but if any of them should fall into your hands, never imagine that any thing they say is true, because it appears plausible or is new to you: by it never let your minds be warped aside from the truth, or brought into a doubtful state, until you procure the proper antidote to the poison, which upon enquiry you will find some able hand has provided. E.g., Never let \[Thomas\] Paine stagger your faith until you have read \[Thomas\] Watson.” — [David Rice](/authors/david-rice), *David Rice’s Last Advice to His Children* (1819)