LINES, ADDRESD TO THE RHODE ISLAND PEACE SOCIETY,
ON THEIR FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Ye Friends of Man, whom nobler zeal inspires,
Than laurel'd chiefs, or wary statesmen, fires;
Whose gen'rous aim embraces, unconfin'd,
Not friend and country, but entire Mankind;
Views all as brethren, bound by nature's tie,
Whom mutual wants and common ains ally;
Whose spirits glow with one immortal flame ;
Whose passions, joys and mis'ries are the same;
Sprung from one source, whom common laws require
T'obey one Lord, and to one Heav'n aspire-
Though jealous partisans oppose awhile,
Though witlings scoff, and politicians smile,

Yet dauntless zeal its just reward secures,

And virtue's plaudits ever will be yours.

-Oh! where is he, whom Nature's presence warms,
Whose heart has felt the magic of her chrms,
Who loves joy's sparkling smile, and can bestow

A pitying tear on misery and wo

Who e'er has seen, and, unconcern'd, survey'd
The dreadful wrecks which War's rude hand has made ?
Creation's beauties ravag'd and forlorn-

The ties which sweeten life asunder torn-
Towns wrapp'd in flames-in mutual strife expire
The sinful children of one common Sire!

Yet, Friends of Peace! hastes on that glorious hour,
When the wide world shall own Emanuel's power.
Great PRINCE of PEACE!—and man at length behold
That time, by Prophets and by bards foretold,

When Sin, the dreadful source whence War has birth,
Shall with her train be banish'd from the earth.
Oh! if to me were harp prophetic lent,

Like that o'er which the Royal Minstrel bent,
When from on high the bright and hallow'd flame
Of inspiration, like a whirlwind, came-
When Israel's sorrows sigh'd along the string,
Or swell'd the triumps of her promis'd King-
Then might I emulate the mighty strain,
Which swept at midnight o'er Judea's plain-
That hymn celestial, whose soft cadence stole,
In soothing sweetness, on the shepherd's soul-
When joyful Seraphs hail'd the Saviour's birth,
With glorious prophecy of PEACE ON EARTH! AMICUS.

NOTICE TO AGENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE M. P. SOCIETY.

Copies of the Friend of Peace for the Members of the Massachusetts Peace Society will be regularly left at the Book Store of WEST, RICHARDSON, & LORD, in Cornhill, Boston, directed to the Agents in the several towns, or individuals where no agent is appointed.

Those Members who may have omitted the payment of their annual subscriptions are respectfully reminded, that the Executive Committee proceed in the distribution of Tracts on the presumption that FRIENDS OF PEACE will be faithful to their voluntary engagements; and that the importance of the cause demands punctuality and liberal exertions.

THE RIGHTS OF CESAR SUBORDINATE TO THE RIGHTS OF GOD,

In the Republican Advocate for August 5th, printed at NewLondon, an article was inserted containing remarks on "The Excuse" of some persons who had declined what is called "military duty," in which article we find the following paragraph:

Both can exist without The same Saviour who

"That Christians are not to engage in war, as such, no man in his sober senses can doubt. The kingdom of Christ and the kingdoms of this world are distinct. infringing on the rights of either. said "Render unto God the things that are God's,” also said, "Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's."

These are not the sentiments of the individual only, who wrote the article, but the sentiments of a great portion of Christians, perhaps, in every country. They are therefore entitled to a respectful and candid examination.

"That Christians are not to engage in war, as such”—that is, as Christians, is a very important concession; and one which naturally resulted from a view of the glaring contrariety between the spirit of war and the spirit of the Messiah between every thing which usually pertains to war and every thing in the example of the Prince of peace. But having been educated in the belief that war is a necessary and lawful calling, Christ

fans have invented this distinction-that what they cannot do as Christians, they may do as subjects of an earthly ruler.

At first view it would seem a clear case, that if a Christian cannot wage war as a Christian, he must practically renounce his Christian profession whenever he engages in that sanguinary work. Yet this conclusion is supposed to be set aside by the consideration, that he is the subject of an earthly king, as well as the subject of the King of kings, and that what he cannot do as the subject of the latter, he may do as the subject of the former.

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We readily grant that, in certain respects," the kingdom of Christ is distinct from the kingdoms of this world," and that "both may exist without infringing on the rights of either." But they do not and cannot so exist when the requirements of the one interfere with the requirements of the other. If an earthly king requires of any man what the King of kings forbids, one or the other must necessarily be disobeyed. For in such a case "No man can serve two masters."

It is moreover granted, that "the same Saviour who said Render unto God the things that are God's-said also, Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's." But what are "the things that are Cesar's?" Most certainly Cesar has no claim to any homage or service which would imply disrespect to God, or a violation of his commands. We have then to inquire what are the commands of God to every Christian; and having ascertained the things which belong to God, we may the more clearly discern the just claims of Cesar, or of an earthly ruler,

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: This is the first commandment. The second is-Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.". Hence we may safely infer, that no command of an earthly sovereign can annul these commands of the Most High, or suspend either of them for a single moment.

In exact accordance with these commands our Saviour has said to all his disciples, "Love your enemies;" and both by precept and example he has taught them not to render evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good. These commands

should be regarded by every Christian as sacred, permanent and irrevocable by any human authority whatever.

Suppose then that some ferocious Cesar, who has no regard to these commands, should require me to love him with all my heart, and to hate and destroy those of my neighbours whom he is pleased to call enemies. Is it not absolutely impossible for me to obey both this Cesar and the King of kings? And if I cannot obey both, can any one doubt whose command ought to be regarded by me as Supreme, or whose as Subordinate 2. May a guilty worm like myself presume to suspend my duty to God and my neighbour? Or to require os me a disposition to hate and destroy such of my fellow beings as God requires me to love, and for whom the Saviour died?

3.There is another prevalent opinion which is a perfect counterpart to the one which has been considered-namely, That a Christian king cannot make war as a Christian, yet he may as a ruler. Thus by two gross delusions men have contrived to absolve the whole Christian world from their obligations to obey the moral precepts of the gospel and that too in points of the very first importance. Under the fancied protection of these principles, both rulers and subjects, with the name of Christians, have indulged all the hateful passions of ambition, avarice, malignity and revenge, and perpetrated deeds of Patrocity, in view of which infernal spirits might blush and · hang their heads.” an

It is however a solemn truth, that Christianity embraces all the duties of men, and forbids every thing which cannot be done in the exercise of Christian love. The gospel precepts extend to all that a ruler has a right to do either in his private or his official capacity, and clearly enjoins the temper to be exercised in all his acts. In no case has he a right to do any thing but in the exercise of a Christian spiritor supreme, love to God and impartial benevolence towards all mankind. It is also a gospel precept which binds the Christian to render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's. All the subjection which is due to the higher powers, all the obedience to magistrates which-becomes à Christian, is required of him by the precepts of the gospel; and the whole is to be performed by him as a Christian.