William Patton, An Abolitionist And Reverend - 937 Words

William Patton, an abolitionist and reverend, had a two-fold argument against the idea of Christianity supporting slavery which he laid out in his 1846 book â€Å"Slavery, the Bible, Infidelity†. His first argument, was that God could never support because, in simple terms, â€Å"God is just, and that slaveholding is unjust† (Patton, 6). Supporting this idea, Patton quotes Thomas Jefferson in saying in response of proslavery rhetoric, that â€Å"If your interpretation of the Bible be correct,it cannot be the word of God—for it gives him a character the very reverse of that which reason and conscience affirm.†(Patton, 6) Patton’s second argument, is that by holding proslavery views, these subsets of the church create infidelity (people of other faith) among both slaves and freedmen. To prove this, Patton quotes former slave-owner Reverend J.D. Paxton, who said that â€Å"It is often said†¦ that there is a growing indisposition among slaves to w orship with their masters and attend on the preaching of whites. Now that this prejudice in slaves, against worshipping with the whites, may be traced mainly to the system of slavery is to me most certain†(Patton, 10). Patton then quotes a letter written to the popular abolitionist newspaper, The Emancipator, where the writer was discussing religion with an infidel, and he writes that â€Å"The first argument he brought against the Scriptures was the assertion that they sanctioned slavery; and to prove it, quoted Gov. Hammond, and prominent Doctors of Divinity,