Chase v. Cheney’s Empirical Analysis
1871
Citation profile
1 federal appellate · 38 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 40 later decisions (1 by the Supreme Court) — most recently June 2025 · most notably Smith v. Pedigo (1893), 141 Ill. App. 3d 898 - Baumgartner v. First Church of Christ (1986)
1 federal appellate · 38 state decisions — followed in 16 states
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on Ferraria v. Vasconcellos · Gebhart v. Adams · Dieffendorf v. Trustees of Reformed Calvinist Church
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 40 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
““We have no doubt either of the absolute right of every citizen, under our constitution, to teach and preach the gospel, to whomsoever will listen. But in an organized church, with written or printed rules, and established doctrines and mode of worship, the right is qualified. The continuance, power and emoluments of the position, depend upon the will of the church. The right is contingent and restricted, and, as a thing of value, is very much lessened. The sentence of the church judicatory, in a proper case, deprives of the position, and salary and emoluments are gone. “. . . Shall we maintain the boundary between Church and State, and let each revolve in its respective sphere, the one undisturbed by the other? All history warns, not to rouse the passion or wake up.the fanaticism, which may grapple with the State, in a deathly struggle for supremacy.””
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority““Our constitution provides, that ‘the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination, shall forever be guaranteed.’ . . . Religious worship consists in the performance of all the external acts, and the observance of all ordinances and ceremonies, which are engaged in with the sole and avowed object of honoring God. The constitution intended to guarantee, from all interference by the State, not only each man’s religious faith, but his membership in the church, and the rites and discipline which might be adopted. . . . Freedom of religious profession and worship can not be maintained, if the civil courts trench upon the domain of the church, construe its canons and rules, dictate its discipline, and regulate its trials.””
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority““We have no right, and, therefore, will not exercise the power, to dictate ecclesiastical law. We do not aspire to become de facto heads of the church, and, by construction or otherwise, abrogate its laws and canons. We shall not inquire whether the alleged omission is any offense. This is a question of ecclesiastical cognizance. This is no forum for such adjudication. The church should guard its own fold; enact and construe its own laws; enforce its own discipline; and thus will be maintained the boundary between the temporal and spiritual power.””
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.