'The Powers that Be Are Ordained of God'

The spirit of violence goeth abroad,
Triumphantly ploughing through rivers of blood;
Oppression is clanking his letters of iron, 
And treachery stalks in the militant zion, 
And the strong arm of law is wielding the scourge 
O'er the nations of earth, to its farthermost verge:
But let them rejoice in the dust to be trod, 
For "the powers that be, are ordained of God." 

The millions of Russia are bending the knee, 
Where nought but the cold blowing breezes are free;
Submissive they bow, as the autocrat becks, 
And are kissing the dust with his heel on their necks;
The hearts of her lordlings are cold as her mountains.
Their sympathies chained, like her winter bound fountains:
But, gladly, her serfs should be crushed to the sod, 
For "the powers that be, are ordained of God." 

The Arab, abroad, o'er the desert is roaming, 
His far-piercing eye views the traveller coming, 
He hides in the reeds, where, like Ocean's green isles, 
To the eye of the pilgrim, the Oasis smiles;
The stranger unwarily stoops down and drinks, 
The foe is upon him, and dying he sinks:
Yet let him thank Heaven that the Arab's abroad, 
For "the powers that be, are ordained of God." 

Columbia, land of the tyrant and slave, 
Where oppression's black banners o'er myriads wave, 
Is crushing the weak and defenceless to dust, 
And, to infamy rushes, through murder and lust.
Proud vaunting. she boasts of the fetters she's riven, 
Though the groans of her bondmen are rising to Heaven.
Yet still give the backs of her slaves to the rod 
For "the powers that be, are ordained of God." 

The sychophant priesthood are striving to bind 
The conscience of mortals—the guide of the mind.
Their fiat is given, and the laity cower, 
Submissive, and own their's a paramount power.
Though the half are but hirelings whose calling is gold,
“Dumb dogs that bark not," though the wolf's in the fold,
Yet let them ride on, o'er the conscience, rough-shod,
For “the powers that be, are ordained of God.”

Then success to destruction—let blood flow like rain;
Let the Furies unfold not their banners in vain;
Let Napoleon's spirit and Wellington's might, 
Provoke all the nations of earth to the fight;
Let stubborn recusants* be bored through the tongue, 
Let witches be drowned, and let Quakers be hung, 
And then set your priesthood to prove, from His Word,
These Satanic delusions ordained of the Lord.

But shame and confusion to those do belong, 
Who torture the Bible to sanctify wrong—
Who say the Creator's approval is given,
Though the blood of the slaughtered is crying to Heaven;
Though man by oppression is wronged and imbruted, 
And earth is, ty violence, deeply polluted;
They yet shall be taught that Jehovah is Lord, 
For vengeance for wrong, "is ordained," too, "of God."