Isaac Watts was born in 1674 as a small and sickly child. At this time, his father was in prison for being a nonconformist preacher. At that time in England, a man who did not preach the way the leaders of the Church of England thought about God could go to prison. Christians who were "dissenters" met secretly in fields and barns to hide from people who would report them. Dissenters were fined for preaching anywhere if five or more people were there. Isaac Watts gave much encouragement for people to continue to believe in Christ.