Busied in editing the new constitution of Prussia, the Diet
at Berlin has marked an sera in the history of its country, in striking out of the Royal iityle and title the words "by the grace of God ' : it is no longer ' Frederick William, by the grace of God Bing of Prussia," but "Frederick William, King of Prus- sia "—by the sufferance of his people. Some critics in this country are scandalized at the proceeding, as a proof of irreligious feeling : but no construction could be more strained. The distinction now drawn is political, not theo- logical. The Prussians, who permit Frederick William to resume his throne, very properly refuse to declare that he is placed over them by Divine tenure : recognizing him as simply the first po- litical officer of the state, they need give him no further designa- tion. To assert a different authority would be a falsehood ; and falsehood is not piety. It does not follow that because the Prus- sians do not formally recognize the act of Providence in the political election of King Frederick William, they therefore deny the supernal authority over all, king and people. There is no special act of Divine interposition in that political appointment, more than in any other and Englishmen are not blamed for omitting to designate the Right Honourable Charles Shaw Le- fevre as Speaker by Divine grace, or Mr. Hume as Member for Montrose by virtue of the permission alluded to. Theology does not enter into the distinction between the Parliamentary and Kingly offices, but only politics : the distinction is functional. The obsolete form is retained among us precisely because we are quite satisfied that it is so obsolete as to do no harm ; but in Prussia the form begot a mischievous delusion in the minds of princes, who have hitherto been taught to imagine, like Alex- ander of Macedon' that they really did derive some authority from above, of a kind to render them irresponsible to men for their actions. To our limited-monarchy habits of mind, the abolished form violated pious decencies as well as political common sense.
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