“I’D RATHER BE A BAPTIST?”

By Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.

The following article came to me and I contended that I should pass it on. It was printed in a Baptist newsletter and then another wrote a reply to it. I have slightly edited the article.

I’d rather be a Baptist, In love and light and hope,
Then be a Roman Catholic, And subject to the pope.

I’d rather be a Baptist, With my Savior go,
Than be an Episcopalian, With all his pomp and show.

I’d rather be a Baptist, With Jesus every hour,
Than to be a Presbyterian who never felt the Power.

I’d rather be a Baptist, And wear a shining face,
Than to be a Methodist, and ever fall from grace.

I’d rather be a Baptist, And know that I am right,
Than depend upon the water, And be a Campbellite.

The reply to the above poem:

I’d rather be a Christian, And with a Christian stand,
Than join the Baptist party and wear their party brand.

For sure the blessed Savior, Not Peter, James nor Paul,
By such outlandish title, Did not God’s people call.

You don’t trust in the water, And say you are right,
And better than the sincere ones you nickname “Campbellite”.

You make a high pretention, and higher than you oughter,
For folks who get their ONLY NAME, directly from the water!

You pass the Holy Master, Who is the church’s Head,
And name for John the dipper, Who is still among the dead.

For John was only human, Despite your Baptist views,
And said he wasn’t worthy, to wear his Master’s shoes.


(Continued)
Indeed he wasn’t worthy, With all your Baptist pride,
To place his name or label upon the Master’s Bride.

Christ said at Caesarea, “I’ll build my church upon this rock....,
And called His people Christians, first there at Antioch.

But never called them “Baptists”, and by hook or crook,
Can you find such a people, throughout God’s Holy Book.

You go against the Bible, you call upon the lost to pray,
and tell them with a sinner’s prayer, their sins all fall away.

Of all denominations, you surely are most odd,
You judge and vote on people, already approved by God.

You set a different table, and by yourselves you keep,
Dividing God’s dear children, and separate the sheep.

For these and other reasons, I’d never consent to be,
A deluted, dogmatic Baptist, but a Christian true and free.

And especially, for this reason, God left you in the lurch,
He founded no such people, He established no such church!

May we not be busying ourselves by fighting over little differences. However, our Lord is concerned with unity among His disciples (See John 17:20-23; I Cor. 1:10-17). There are certain things that we can agree upon because the Scriptures teach that we should.

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