(William Wilberforce, Abolition of Slavery.) Thomas Scott: '...

Hammer

£290

(William Wilberforce, Abolition of Slavery.) Thomas Scott: 'Letters and papers of the late Rev. Thomas Scott', London, L.B. Seeley & Son, 1824, 1st edition, signed & inscribed by William Wilberforce on verso fo front free end paper "To the Revd. .. Richards, a Testimony of the cordial Esteem & Regard of his sincere friend W. Wilberforce Bath Octr. 24th 1824", engraved portrait frontispiece of Reverend Thomas Scott, xix, 515pp, contemporary calf gilt, housed in modern cloth slipcase. William Wilberforce (1759-1833), abolitionist and philanthropist, was born to a family of merchants, was first educated at Hull Grammar School under the evangelical Anglican minister Joseph Milner, and after the death of his father aged 9 was reared by an evangelical aunt and uncle in London. Through their influence, he came to faith at the age of 12. In this home he came into contact with such men as George Whitefield, the great evangelist, and John Newton, who had converted from a life of a slave trade, and ultimately penned the hymn Amazing Grace. Wilberforce's mother and other close family friends were alarmed at young William's religious "enthusiasm" and sought to reverse this course. By the time he arrived at St. John's College at Cambridge in 1776, his evangelicalism was well behind him, and he was as worldly as any of his friends, and vastly popular, displaying the charisma of a natural leader. In 1784, while respected as one of Parliament's leading debaters, Wilberforce embarked upon a European tour with Isaac Milner, an Anglican clergyman, who was known as a brilliant Cambridge scientist and mathematician. Unaware of Milner's evangelical convictions, Wilberforce was surprised to find that someone whom he could respect intellectually could also embrace a Christian worldview. Milner influenced Wilberforce greatly, by the end of two European trips, the politician was convicted of his sin. He acknowledged "a sense of my great sinfulness in having so long neglected the unspeakable mercies of my God and Savior." At this time, Wilberforce sought counsel from John Newton, by then the leading Anglican evangelical in London, and by October 1785 the 'great change' became complete. For a time Wilberforce thought about a call to ministry and retiring from public life, but Newton and Pitt urged him to stay in Parliament and serve Christ there. After a long period of self-questioning and prayer, Wilberforce reached his famous conclusion that "God had set before me two objects: the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners" [i.e. morality]. While due in part to the influence of Newton, a former slave trader, Wilberforce's embracing of the anti-slavery cause was from the direct effect of embracing the Christian worldview. But this was not a popular cause. Wilberforce was the target of tirades, assassination threats, slander, the wrath iof Admiral Nelson, and was on one occasion even beaten on the street by an irate sea-captain. Despite threats to his life, he put forward a bill in the House of Commons in 1793 advocating gradual abolition, which failed by 8 votes. Promised the support of some Members of Parliament, he found himself abandoned, and despite Wilberforce reintroducing the Abolition Bill almost every year in the 1790s, little progress was made. However, Wilberforce's resolve to end slavery never abated. He was joined in his efforts by like-minded Christian friends known as the “Clapham Sect”. For twenty years they labored to turn public opinion and political leaders against the evils of slavery and the tide began to turn. On the night of February 23, 1807, excitement grew in the House of Commons as his latest motion was debated. Speech after speech spoke in favor of abolition, and his fellow members began to pay tribute to Wilberforce. The climax came when Solicitor General Sir Samuel Romilly contrasted the reception that Napoleon and Wilberforce would receive at the end of a day’s labors: Napoleon would come home in power and pomp, yet tormented by the bloodshed and oppression of war he had caused. “Wilberforce would come home to ‘the bosom of his happy and delighted family,’ able to lie down in peace because he had ‘preserved so many millions of his fellow creatures." The House of Commons rose to its feet, turned to Wilberforce, and began to cheer. They gave three rousing hurrahs while Wilberforce sat with his head bowed and wept.” (Belmonte, Hero for Humanity, p. 148) Then the Commons voted to abolish the slave trade by a vote of 283 to 16. Wilberforce went on to lobby the governments of other nations, including the US, to adopt similar measures, and to assure that the laws were enforced. After stopping the trading of slaves, he devoted himself for the next 25 years to ending the institution of slavery itself. Three days before his death in 1833, he heard that the House of Commons had passed a law emancipating all slaves in the British Empire.

Wilberforce’s faith in Jesus Christ changed him from a careless, wealthy young politician to a tireless, compassionate public servant. He developed and used his gifts of leadership and persuasion to champion countless efforts to better society. He was a moral leader who voted against his party when principle required it. His partnership with his Christian brothers and sisters in the Clapham Sect serves as a model for Christians working together to bring about meaningful reform in society. He persisted for decades in the tasks God had called him to, despite illness, physical threats, and enormous opposition.