lness and trustworthiness, this people will show forth nothing that
can in any way conflict with the world-adorning views of His Majesty.
Every nation must have a high regard for the position of its sovereign,
must be submissive unto him, must carry out his behests, and hold fast his
authority. The sovereigns of the earth have been and are the
manifestations of the power, the grandeur and the majesty of God. This
Wronged One hath at no time dealt deceitfully with anyone. Every one is
well aware of this, and beareth witness unto it. Regard for the rank of
sovereigns is divinely ordained, as is clearly attested by the words of
the Prophets of God and His chosen ones. He Who is the Spirit (Jesus)--may
peace be upon Him--was asked: "O Spirit of God! Is it lawful to give
tribute to Caesar or not?" And He made reply: "Yea, render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." He forbade
it not. These two sayings are, in the estimation of men of insight, one
and the same, for if that which belonged to Caesar had not come from God,
He would have forbidden it. And likewise in the sacred verse: "Obey God
and obey the Apostle, and those among you invested with authority." By
"those invested with authority" is meant primarily and more especially the
Imams--the blessings of God rest upon them! They, verily, are the
manifestations of the power of God, and the sources of His authority, and
the repositories of His knowledge, and the daysprings of His commandments.
Secondarily these words refer unto the kings and rulers--those through the
brightness of whose justice the horizons of the world are resplendent and
luminous. We fain would hope that His Majesty the _Sh_ah will shine forth
with a light of justice whose radiance will envelop all the kindreds of
the earth. It is incumbent upon every one to beseech the one true God on
his behalf for that which is meet and seemly in this day.

O God, my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay, and my Desire, and my
Beloved! I ask Thee by the mysteries which were hid in Thy knowledge, and
by the signs which have diffused the fragrance of Thy loving-kindness, and
by the billows of the ocean of Thy bounty, and by the heaven of Thy grace
and generosity, and by the blood spilt in Thy path, and by the hearts
consumed in their love for Thee, to assist His Majesty the _Sh_ah with Thy
power and Thy sovereignty, that from him may be manifested that which will
everlastingly endure i