He was born in Newport, Rhode Island, the second child of eight, to William Alline and Rebeccah Clark. There, he lived and attended school until the age of twelve. By his own account, he was an advanced student. His religious education began by receiving instruction at school, in the church, and at home. At about the age of eight he appears to have had his first religious experience but was then not fully aware of its nature. The event placed him in a state of terror and drove him to seek out a fuller understanding of Christian theology.