By the way ... continuing on with the Brits:  Unlike the French, the Brits, even though their crown frowned upon denominations other than the Anglican Church, allowed religious dissenters to migrate to their North American colonies.  In other words:  The British North American colonies played the role of social net, thus minimizing the accumulation of domestic discontent.

Would "safety valve" at least approximate what you are getting at about the social consequences for Great Britain of religious dissenters migrating to North American colonies?

Of course if the "Great Awakening" did start in America and then move to the mother country where it lessened the chances of violent revolution then the colonies were a source of active and positive social transformation.

 

There is much to encourage one to see the hand of God in a preservation of political stability in Britain at this point in time. The Brits sent out missionaries to other parts of the world and that would be a definite reason.

 

I have heard about an instance of missionaries being sent to Africa as replacements for others who had gone before and perished in Africe. When the replacement party left for Africa, they took their own coffins with them.