Newton knew well the darkness at the heart of every person. A fair beginning Newton was born in London, an only child, in 1725. His mother, a pious Dissenter, taught him to read Scripture and memorize Reformed catechisms and hymns. Together they attended an Independent (Congregational) church in London, at a time when barely 1 percent of that city’s population went to churches associated with that Puritan-derived group. At age 7, however, Newton’s mother died, and he fell under the less religious