Dissenters and Atheists in the Eighteenth Century

In 1700 England/Britain (the change from England to Britain began in 1707, but it was still a fairly new concept at the time of Pamela), religious conflicts were less between Protestants and Catholics and more between established Protestants--Anglicans--and Dissenters/Non-conformists, i.e. Puritans or Evangelicals.

Pamela is a non-conformist in spirit although she attends/supports the Anglican Church. Her religious feelings are raised in the 13th installment of Mr. B Speaks! and dealt with directly in the 14th installment. In both cases, Pamela's critics entirely fail to understand the nature and reality of her religious attitudes, falling back instead on cliches about "religious people"; this is not, unfortunately, atypical in academe. Academic critics quite often fail to appreciate non-political/non-sociological factors in general, resulting in the rather bizarre black-hole that dogs much literary criticism.

During the 1700s, becoming an Evangelical or Dissenter or Methodist was most common amongst the rising merchant class. Much like today, these religious positions were considered crass and embarrassing by the wealthy intelligentsia of the upper-classes. When Wilberforce converted to evangelicalism, he was already a member of Parliament. He was not only careful of his reputation during his initial exploration of evangelicalism (though far more out-spoken later), he considered his conversion might force him to leave Parliament. He was convinced by friends that he would do more good in Parliament than as a preacher, and he was hugely instrumental in the abolition of the slave-trade by British merchants.

As a member of the wealthy upper-class--though not the intelligentsia--Mr. B has little interest in personal conversion (at least in Book 1). However, he would not have endorsed atheism. Although atheism as a concept had been batted around for years amongst English literary circles, the belief in the supernatural was too strong for it to have any lasting impact. (I am referring specifically to atheism as the deliberate proposal that there is no god or gods rather than as a challenge to orthodoxy/state religion.) The average intellectual was more likely to be a deist than an atheist. It would take another 100 years for atheism to become "cool."

Sir Humphrey laying down the

unwritten rules of society.

In general, Mr. B's attitude can be summed up by a quote from BBC's Yes, Prime Minister. When funds to the arts are challenged, Sir Humphrey is scandalized. When Bernard points out that nobody actually listens to government-funded radio, Sir Humphrey replies, "Well, neither do I! But it's vital to know that it's there!"

This pretty much encapsulates the eighteenth-century, upper-class attitude towards the Church of England: "I may not believe or go or care, but it's vital to know that it's there!"