Excerpt from David Rice’s Epistle to the Citizen’s of Kentucky (1805)

My dear Christian Brethren, the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, if not the 5th grade of error mentioned above, some of us formerly called Presbyterians, I fear have unhappily trodden; it evidently appears that the other steps are natural and easy, after these are gone over, it requires but little exertion to accomplish the rest. Shall I address you on this subject, or shall I, shall I, forbear? Shall I vent the anxious, mournful feelings of my heart? or shall I restrain them, & pour out my sorrows in the silent shades of retirement? Shall I retreat to some lonely cell, and hide myself from the Church and the world, where I shall see, and hear of their errors, their vices, and their miseries no more? and spend the small remnant of my days, in endeavouring to converse only with God, and my own heart! Have I so far lost the confidence of my Christian friends, as to be esteemed their enemy, because I tell them the truth? an enemy to the Church of Christ, because I labour to guard it against mistakes, and point out those things which threaten its destruction? Shall I be despised, because I mourn over the cause of Christ, when I see it bleeding at a thousand veins? Am I an opposer of a revival of religion, when I say the jirks, dancing &c. are not God’s instituted means of Grace, nor Scriptural evidences of true religion? and that when they are voluntary, they are a corruption of God’s worship? Should I say, that enthusiasm and spiritual pride, a vain conceit, self-sufficiency, and self-confidence have evidently made their appearance among us, and are undoubtedly tarnishing the beauty of the religion of Jesus, which is modest, humble, teachable, meek and lovely. Shall I be counted an enemy to that Jesus, whose cause has been long dear to me, and which I have endeavoured to exert my small abilities to support? Believe me to be your friend, believe me, though very unworthy, and insufficient to be a friend to, and advocate for the cause of Christianity. I now consider myself as standing on the verge of the grave, my proper position, and am soon about to step into the presence of my God, my Judge; and in this solemn posture, I humbly and earnestly beseech you, yea, I solemnly charge you in the presence of my Judge, seriously to pause, reflect and think. Examine your opinions and religious practices, by the written word of God; call in all the help you can, to understand and rightly apply the Scriptures; view and consider the steps that lead to Atheism, that bottomless gulph of mysteries; consider the steps others have taken, and where they have landed; avoid all Semipelagian, Arian and Socinian notions; see how directly they lead to infidelity. I beseech you by all the regard you have to the honor of God, to the virtue and happiness of your fellow citizens, to the interests of the Redeemer’s Kingdom, to the happiness and comfort of many of your fellow Christians, and especially to the reformation and salvation of a rising generation, and even generations yet unborn. By these regards I say, I humbly and earnestly beseech you, seriously pause and think. Pause, and think again. Have you not been led on nearly in the steps I have pointed out, and which I imperfectly pointed out to some leaders, near a year and a half ago? Are you not now standing on ground, which you would at that time have shuddered at the thought of approaching? and can you tell me where you, or your leaders will stop? Have you not been led from Calvinism to Arminianism? From Arminianism to Semipelagianism? from that to Arianism? from Arianism to Socinianism?—Thus  you have arriven to the 5th grade in the road of error; which is five eighths of the way to Atheism. Had the whole been discovered to you at first, you never could have been brought to the precipice, on which you now stand. But you have been artfully prepared for each step, before you were informed of what lay before you; your minds have been illuminated, (if I may use such a contradiction,) by the mists of darkness, artfully cast before you. I again beseech you, seriously pause and think. Pause and think again. I earnestly beseech you, for my heart is in it—Pause and think! pause and think again!!!—Be not led by your feelings, they are a fallacious guide; suffer not your judgments to be biassed, by your love or dislike to any description of men. I speak as unto wise men, judge ye what I say. Now my Christian friends, I do with a hea­rt bleeding for Zion’s wounds, with love and esteem for you, bid you an affectionate farewell.