Roger Williams

“God requireth not a uniformity of religion to be enacted and enforced in any civil state.”

“It is the will and command of God that... a permission of the most paganish, Jewish, Turkish, or antichristian consciences and worships, be granted to all men in all nations and countries.”

“All civil states with their officers of justice in their respective constitutions and administrations are proved essentially civil, and therefore not judges, governors, or defenders of the spiritual or Christian state and worship.”

“The sovereign, original, and foundation of civil power lies in the people.”

“The civil magistrate may not intermeddle even to stop a church from apostasy and heresy.”

“An enforced uniformity of religion throughout a nation or civil state, confounds the civil and religious, denies the principles of Christianity and civility...”

“A man may be a true and loyal subject and yet a heretic.”

“Boast not, proud English, of thy birth and blood, thy brother Indian is by birth as good.”

“Having bought truth dear, we must not sell it cheap.”

“Peace and liberty of conscience is the greatest happiness that mortals can enjoy.”

“Forced worship stinks in God's nostrils.”

“No man shall be required to worship or maintain a worship against his will.”