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Show Ilia IJeirotlon Harcd II tin. The prosecution of u "strict member mem-ber of the cuurch nnd n man of most exemplary deportment" for disturbing the congregation whllo engaged In divine di-vine worship, by his singing, was tho Mibject with which Jho court had to wrestle in tho case of Stuto vs. Link-haw, Link-haw, (19 N. C. 214. Tho report shows that tho effect of the singing "was to mako one part of the congregation laugh and tho othe. ma'; that the Irreligious Ir-religious and frivolous enjoyed It as fun, while the serious und devout were Indignant." It was shown that tho disturbance was to great that the preacher In one instnnco declined to slug the hymn announced, that the presiding elder had refused to preach In tho churcti on account of such disturbance, dis-turbance, nnd that, after a sermon of especial solemnity, a lending member of the church hud on one occasion gone to the defendunt nnd speciully requested re-quested him not to sing at that time, and In this Instance he refrained. But that, although! tho church members nud authorities had on many occasions expostulated with him, he persisted in singing, nnd declared that "ho would worship ills God, nnd that as a part of his worship It was his duty to elng." lie wns found guilty. But tho caso went to tho Supreme Court of tho State, whero It wns held that, as ho had no Intention or purpose to disturb the congregation, but was conscientiously conscien-tiously taking part In the religious services, ser-vices, he was not guilty, notwithstanding notwith-standing the fact that a disturbance resulted. Thus, again, wus religious freedom established. Case and Comment. |