---
title: 'John H. Rice: “Love is Power”'
type: post
author: 'R. Andrew Myers'
date: 2023-09-16
url: https://confessional.org/blog/2023-john-h-rice-love-is-power
---

# John H. Rice: “Love is Power”

“Dr. \[John Holt\] Rice was himself a Calvinist, thoroughly conservative. Yet he wrote: ‘I am more and more convinced that in building up the church, more is to accomplished by the gentleness of Christ, than by all other methods. If you beat even a Christian in argument, unless at the same time you win him by love, he will be more apt to go further from you, than to come over to your side.’ Again: ‘I do wish that, in the present state of the country...ministers...might manifest the meekness and gentleness of Christ. And when bitter things are said, let them return *blessings* for *railing*.’ A year before his death he noted sadly that the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches were farther apart than ever before, and then added that these two Churches, Presbyterians and Congregationalists, faced a great obligation and have a great opportunity — but meanwhile, ‘we are dividing and disputing, and strengthening local feelings, and cherishing sectarian jealousies and letting sinners go to perdition!...The Church is not to be purified by controversy, but by holy love.’

Naturally, Dr. Rice was criticized for being too pacific in his attitude. Dr. James W. Alexander wrote in 1846: ‘Some of his warmest admirers did not hesitate to avow their belief that his dread of controversy was excessive.’ He himself seemed to agree in this estimate, but felt compelled to add: ‘Remarkable success, however, attended his pacific measures, especially in his native State.’ Dr. Alexander continued:

As a theological professor, he was a thorough Calvinist, opposed to all the innovations in Divinity which were then beginning to show themselves; yet ready to go to all lengths in forbearance towards the persons of dissentients. This was not mere gentleness of temper, but deliberate Christian policy. His language was — ‘Our learned Doctors may wear out their pens, and put out their eyes, and they and their partisans will be of the same opinion still. The Church is not purified by controversy, but by holy love.’ His favorite adage was ‘Love is Power.’

Such were the ideals of the man who firmly established the first theological Seminary for the training of ministers in the South.” — [**Ernest T. Thompson**](/authors/ernest-trice-thompson), “The First Years” in *The Days of Our Years* (1962) \[a celebration of the Sesquicentennial of Union Theological Seminary in Virginia\], pp. 17-18