Law, William, 1686-1761

William Law (1686 – 9 April 1761) was a Church of England priest, spiritual writer, and theologian whose influence extended far beyond the circumstances that curtailed his ministry. He lost his position at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, when his conscience would not allow him to take the required oath of allegiance to the first Hanoverian monarch, King George I. Having previously sworn allegiance to the House of Stuart, Law is sometimes considered a second-generation non-juror. Following his removal, Law continued as a simple priest (curate), but when that too became impossible without the required oath, he supported himself through private teaching while pursuing an extensive literary and devotional career. His personal integrity, together with his mystical and theological writings, made him one of the most influential religious voices of his age, shaping both the evangelistic movement and the thought of Enlightenment figures such as the writer Samuel Johnson and the historian Edward Gibbon. Law's writings continued to inspire readers long after his death. In 1784, William Wilberforce (1759–1833), the politician, philanthropist, and leader of the movement to stop the slave trade, was deeply touched by reading William Law's book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1729). Law's spiritual writings remain in print today.