As A.M.C. Waterman describes the developments following the publication of Smith’s Wealth of Nations (WN), “Whether Smith actually intended WN to be read theologically, the next two generations of Christian political economists from Malthus to Whately regarded Smith’s work as fully compatible with Christian belief.”
Also recommended for further reading: Paul Heyne, “Clerical Laissez-Faire: A Case Study in Theological Ethics.”