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China bust of John Wesley.

‘It would be the involvement of religion that would help tip the scale towards Britons becoming bathers once again.’ Lucy Worsley. During the late 18th century, The Methodist John Wesley was key in spreading the idea that cleanliness is next to godliness. He thought that ‘slovenliness in no part of religion’ and 'cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.’ It is said that he would not even preach in a place where no toilet was provided for his use. Leaders of various radical Protestant religious movements discovered that creating the urge to keep clean among their followers also encouraged them to become self-disciplined, self –motivated and increasingly devout.