He was pressed (conscripted) into service in the Royal Navy.
He grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life's path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by others' reactions to what they took as his recalcitrant insubordination. Newton wrote the words from personal experience. It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both religious and secular purposes. ' Amazing Grace' is a Christian hymn published in 1779, with words written in 1772 by the English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton (1725–1807).
