The power of mind over matter, or, Thoughts suggested on reading Nichols' confession of the Parramatta River murders / by Andrew Ross.

  • Ross, Andrew, 1829-1910.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The power of mind over matter, or, Thoughts suggested on reading Nichols' confession of the Parramatta River murders / by Andrew Ross. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    need man to supplement them with any of his blundering works of handicraft. The less money that is spent in the way of inculcating Hound principles of religion in early life, the more, I believe, will afterwards be required for the suppression of crime, and the mainte- nance of law and justice, (as it is called), prisons, and prison discipline ; but the more money that goes to assist in the dispensation and teaching of religion, the less, 1 firmly believe, will then be needed to keep up law, justice, courts, gaols, prisons, (fee. The early neglect to receive religious instruction is but the first means of fostering and feeding law ; but reverse matters, and circumstances then become as they were first ordained for man’s rule and guide in life, viz., religion first, law second ; mind, spirit, soul, first; matter, second. Let law, however, once usurp, as I believe it is now fast doing, the real functions of religion, and crime inevitably, then, must also increase. It is the province of religion to keep mind, spirit, or soul pure and upright; but too much law seems to me to make men forget rather the first principle and value of religion, the first attrioute of God, and the only real security against all crime, (fee. Lord Bacon savs Every man should know enough law to know how to keep himself out of it. The functions of the clergyman are of late years made more and more to follow, rather than precede, the Judge or judgment. Were the Church or religion to stand firmly to its own inherent and first professed duty of life, it would not stand to be so often dictated to, and jostled out of, its sacred rights and functions by many of our increasing innovations, authorities, civic or civil rules and mockeries. Keligion has its foundation in the written and inspired Word of God, and'ks ever- lasting ; but law is the often selfish and accursed fruits (I won’t say devils or grasping evil spirits) of capricious, changeable, perishing man deifying and subsidising all manner of judges, courts, and justice, in place of faithfully supporting our Churches and principles of religion honouring man and his frail mortal works, dishonouring God°and his life-giving immortal ones—worshipping civil laws, disobeying moial ones-fallmg into sin, then calling on God, in place of ]LduS first unto God and banishing sin and law, and its labyrinth of falla- mes Before Nichols could actually commit the woful deed of murder and for which he has now suffered death, we see that he had first some if mim]1;1 ggIeS t0 TJtTd a8:imst-a strong internal commotion mind to overcome ere the fatal blow was executed. This commo turn or mental struggle was nothing else, no doubt, but the spirit of evil striving to overcome the good or upright reasoning powers of the “‘“tl , Y U e reaS°n, and moral Justice prevailed, Nichols, we read was wholly unnerved, and unable to carry into effect his nrlZ,l purpose of doing wrong; but when his reasoning or moral strength at 2“rirrof r againat *. approach of ahr and LptaS) ^
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