In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, 'Evangelicalism' represented the most dynamic spiritual revival both within the Church of England and among the 'Methodists' who broke away from the Established Church. Placing a strong emphasis upon conversion and personal salvation, the Bible as 'the Word of God', and belief in the damnation of the majority of sinful mankind to eternal punishment in hell, Evangelicalism became increasingly influential in public life in early Victorian England, which was dominated by middle-class opinions and attitudes. (See Hilton, The Age of Atonement and Jay, The Religion of the Heart.)
In February 1851 the Revd Dr Steane addressed a meeting of the Evangelical Alliance at Exeter Hall in London, and carefully listed 'those doctrines of our common Protestantism' which in his view the tenets of Roman Catholicism subverted: (1) 'the sufficiency and exclusive authority of the Bible'; (2) 'the perfect Atonement made for sin by the once offered sacrifice of the cross, and the sole mediation and intercession, founded upon it, of the glorified Son of God'; (3) 'justification by faith only, through the blood and righteousness of Christ'; (4) 'the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration and sanctification'; and (5) 'the unity of all true believers of every communion in the One True and Spiritual Church of the living God, evidenced by their agreement in all saving truth, and their conformity to the requirements of the Word of God in all practical holiness' ( Steane, Evangelical Protestantism, pp.5-6.)
(See Ruskin and Evangelicalism and Wheeler, Ruskin's God, pp.3-179.)