Newton -Guide to Godly disputation

Letters by John Newton.

A Guide to Godly Disputation.

Letters by John Newton.

About John Newton’s influence:

John Newton’s influence extended beyond his role as a priest; he was also a notable writer and hymnist. In 1767, the poet William Cowper moved to Olney and became a worshipper in Newton’s church. The two collaborated on a collection of hymns, which was published as Olney Hymns in 1779. This work had a profound impact on English hymnology and included some of Newton’s most famous hymns, such as “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds!,” and “Faith’s Review and Expectation,” which is commonly known by its opening line, “Amazing Grace.”

Many of Newton’s hymns, as well as Cowper’s, were preserved in the Sacred Harp, a hymnal widely used during the Second Great Awakening in the American South. These hymns were scored according to the tonal scale for shape note singing, a style that facilitated easy learning and encouraged four-part harmony. Shape note music played a significant role in the evangelical movement’s efforts to engage new congregants.

In 1776, Newton provided a preface for an annotated edition of John Bunyan’s famous work, “The Pilgrim’s Progress.”

Additionally, Newton contributed to the Cheap Repository Tracts and penned an autobiography titled “An Authentic Narrative of Some Remarkable And Interesting Particulars in the Life of —— Communicated, in a Series of Letters, to the Reverend T. Haweis, Rector of Aldwinckle, And by him, at the request of friends, now made public.” This autobiography, published anonymously in 1764 with a preface by Haweis, was praised for its easy style, natural shrewdness, and its sanctified nature through prayer and divine guidance.

---

Letters in this book: