The following comes from Professor Tom Nettle’s 2nd volume of The Baptists.

When the church has wielded the greatest amount of worldly power it has had the greatest tendency to corruption and impurity. When it has sought to pursue its mission apart from any worldly power, and has instead endured persecution, it has manifested fewer errors and exhibited a more powerful and persevering discipleship.

p19, The Baptists: Key People Involved in Forming a Baptist Identity, Volume Two: Beginnings in America