![]() ![]() ![]() He found himself moving closer towards Christianity and this led him to ask himself 'Can one serve God and one's nation in parliament?' He wondered whether the two goals might be mutually exclusive. The book touched him profoundly and made him doubt his unbelief. ![]() ![]() Wilberforce read William Law's book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. On a trip to Europe he spent time with one of his former school teachers a Christian. Wilberforce becomes a Christianġn 1784 Wilberforce's life changed radically. He was known as the 'Nightingale of the House of Commons' because he had such a distinct and melodious speaking and singing voice! It's said that he often sang all through the night. Wilberforce was popular in Parliament too. He was close friends with the Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger, and the two of them were the political celebrities of the 1780s: their charm, wit and position made them greatly sought after in up-market drawing-rooms and social circles. He confessed to a friend ".my own distinction was my darling object." He went on to become the MP for the whole of Yorkshire. He was the youngest member of the House of Commons. He had a privileged background going to Cambridge University before becoming the MP for Hull at just 21. His family were merchants trading with Russia and the Baltic States. William Wilberforce was born in 1759 in the port town of Hull in North-East England. ![]()
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