Williams considered the state's sponsorship of religious beliefs or practice to be "forced worship", declaring "Forced worship stinks in God's nostrils." He also believed Constantine the Great to be a worse enemy to Christianity than Nero because the subsequent state involvement in religious matters corrupted Christianity and led to the death of the first Christian church and the first Christian communities. He described laws concerning an individual's religious beliefs as "rape of the soul" and spoke of the "oceans of blood" shed as a result of trying to command conformity. The moral principles in the Scriptures ought to guide civil magistrates, he believed, but he observed that well-ordered, just, and civil governments existed even where Christianity was not present. Thus, all governments had to maintain civil order and justice, but Williams decided that none had a warrant to promote or repress any religious views. Most of his contemporaries criticized his ideas as a prescription for chaos and anarchy, and the vast majority believed that each nation must have its national church and could require that dissenters conform.
williams considered the state's sponsorship of religious beliefs or practice to be "forced worship" declaring "forced worship stinks in god's nostrils" he also believed constantine the great to be a worse enemy to christianity than nero because the subsequent state involvement in religious matters corrupted christianity and led to the death of the first christian church and the first christian communities he described laws concerning an individual's religious beliefs as "rape of the soul" and spoke of the "oceans of blood" shed as a result of trying to command conformity the moral principles in the scriptures ought to guide civil magistrates he believed but he observed that well-ordered just and civil governments existed even where christianity was not present thus all governments had to maintain civil order and justice but williams decided that none had a warrant to promote or repress any religious views most of his contemporaries criticized his ideas as a prescription for chaos and anarchy and the vast majority believed that each nation must have its national church and could require that dissenters conform