Thatsuggestsanotherinfluence。TheRationalistsoftheeighteenthcenturywerenevertiredofpraisingtheQuakers。TheQuakerswere，bytheiressentialprinciples，infavourofabsolutetoleration，andtheirattitudetowardsdogmawasnotdissimilar。’Rationalisation’and’Spiritualisation，areinsomedirectionssimilar。Thegeneralspreadofphilanthropicsentiment，whichfounditsformulaintheRightsofMan，fellinwiththeQuakerhatredofwarandslavery。VoltaireheartilyadmiresBarclay，theQuakerapologist。
Itis，therefore，notsurprisingtofindthenamesofthedeists，FranklinandPaine，associatedwithQuakersinthismovement。Franklinwasanearlypresidentofthenewassociation，andPainewroteanarticletosupporttheearlyagitation。53*PainehimselfwasaQuakerbybirth，whohaddroppedhisearlycreedwhileretainingarespectforitsadherents。Whentheagitationbeganitwasinfactgenerallyapprovedbyallexcepttheslave-traders。
SoundWhigdivines，WatsonandPaleyandParr；UnitarianssuchasPriestleyandGilbertWakefieldandWilliamSmith；andthegreatmethodist，JohnWesley，wereunitedonthispoint。FoxandBurkeandPittrivalledeachotherincondemningthesystem。Theactualdelaywascausedpartlybythestrengthofthecommercialinterestsinparliament，andpartlybythegrowthoftheanti-Jacobinsentiment。
Theattempttomonopolisethecreditofthemovementbyanyparticularsectisabsurd。Wilberforceandhisfriendsmightfairlyclaimthegloryofhavingbeenworthyrepresentativesofanewspiritofphilanthropy。butmostcertainlytheydidnotcreateororiginateit。Thegeneralgrowthofthatspiritthroughoutthecenturymustbeexplained，sofaras’explanation’
ispossible，bywidercauses。Itwas，asImustventuretoassume，aproductofcomplexsocialchangeswhichwerebringingclassesandnationsintoclosercontact，bindingthemtogetherbynewties，andbreakinguptheoldinstitutionswhichhadbeenformedunderobsoleteconditions。Thetruemovingforceswerethesamewhethertheserepresentativesannouncedthenewgospelofthe’rightsofman’；orappealedtothetraditionalrightsofEnglishmen；orralliedsupportersoftheoldordersofarasitstillprovidedthemostefficientmachineryforthepurpose。TherevivalofreligionunderWesleyandtheEvangelicalsmeantthedirectionofthestreamintoonechannel。TheparalyticconditionoftheChurchofEnglanddisqualifieditforappropriatingthenewenergy。