I never took part in religious debates because I did not possess any surplus intellect.

With delightful wit and self-deprecating irony, the poet takes a sharp jab at futile sectarian arguments. By claiming he avoided religious debates simply because he lacked 'surplus intellect,' he slyly hints that such squabbles are merely an idle luxury for those with too much pride and time on their hands. In just two lines, it gently reminds us that true peace and faith lie in humble simplicity, not in noisy intellectual sparring.