§  500.  How  protected  by  Law.  —  But  however  uncertain  may
be  the  extent  to  which  the  common  law  protects  Christianity,
plainly  it  cherishes  fully  the  public  morals.  And  every  act
which  it  deems  sufficiently  evil  and  direct,®  tending  to  impair
them,  it  punishes  as  crime.     Thus, —

Bawdy-house  —  Open  Obscenity,  &o.  —  The  keeping  of  bawdy-
houses  ;  ^  the  public  exhibiting  or  publishing  of  obscene  pictures

'  People    B.  Ruggles,  8  Johns.  290 ;  day,  peculiar  to  sect ;    yet  the  setting

The  State  v.  Jones,  9  Ire.  38  ;  The  State  apart,  by  the  whole  community,  of  one

V.  Chandler,  2  Barring.  Del.  553 ;  Upde-  day  in  seven,  wherein  the  thoughts  of

graph  V.  Commonwealth,  11  S.  &  R.  394.  men  and  their  physical  activities  shall  be

And  see  The  State  v.  Kirby,  1  Murph.  turned  into   another    than   their   accus-

254;    Commonwealth    v.  Kneeland,    20  tomed  channel,  is  a  thing  as  much  per-

Pick.  206;   The  State  v.  EUar,  1  Dev.  taining  to  the  law  of  nature  as  is  the

267 ;  Vol.  II.  §  74.  alternation  of  night  with  day,  and  the

2  1  East  P.  C.  5 ;  The  State  v,  Broolts-  rest  and   restoring    influence  of    sleep,

bank,  6  Ire.  73 ;   Nabors  v.  The  State,  6  Those  who,  out  of    dislike    to  sect  or

Ala.  200 ;  The  State  v.  Schnierle,  5  Rich,  party  in  religion,  seek  to  abolish  the  Sab-

299.    And  see  The  State  v,  Williams,  4  bath,  are  as  unwise  as  he  who,  to  destroy

Ire.  400.  a  bird  of  prey,  should  aim  his  gun  where

'  The  State  v.  Brooksbank,  6  Ire.  73.  the  ball  would  take  effect  on  his  nearest

*  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose,  that  Sab-  friend,
bath-keeping  is  a  thing  only  of  religious         ^  Ante,  §  212  et  seq.
