it than I ever did from all the exhortations which I ever have
read.

Now there are many men who are not so bad in themselves in reality,
but who are so haunted by evil thoughts, impulses, and desires, that
they, being taught by the absurd old heathenish psychology that the
"soul" is all one spiritual entity, believe themselves to be as wicked
as Beelzebub could wish, when, in fact, these sins are nothing but
evil weeds which came into the mind as neglected seeds, and grew apace
from sheer carelessness. Regarding them in the light, as one may say,
of bodily and material nuisances, or a kind of vermin, they can be
extirpated by the strong hand of Will, much more easily than under the
old system, whereby they were treated with respect and awe as MILTON
hath done (and most immorally too), DANTE being no better; and they
would both have exerted their gigantic intellects to better purpose
by showing man how to conquer the devil, instead of exalting and
exaggerating his stupendous power and showing how, as regards Humanity
(for which expressly the Universe, including countless millions of
solar systems, was created), Satan has by far the victory, since he
secures the majority of souls. For saying which thing a holy bishop
once got himself into no end of trouble.

I say that he who uses his will can crush and drive out vile haunting
thoughts, and the more rudely and harshly he does it the better. In
all the old systems, without exception, they are treated with far too
much respect and reverence, and no great wonder either, since they
were regarded as a great innate portion of the soul. Whether to be
cleared out by the allopathic exorcism, or the gentler homoepathic
prayer, the patient never relied on himself. There is a fine Italian
proverb in the collection of GUILLO VARRINO, Venice 1656, which
declares that _Buona volonta supplice a facolta_--"strong will ekes
out ability"--and before the Will (which the Church has ever weakened
or crushed) no evil instincts can hold. The same author tells us that
"The greatest man in the world is he who can govern his own will,"
also, "To him who wills naught is impossible." To which I would add
that "Whoever chooses to have a will may do so by culture," or by ever
so little to begin with. Nay, I have no doubt that in time there will
be societies, schools, churches, or circles, in which the Will shall
be taught and applied to all moral and mental culture.

He who wills it sincerely can g