the government of England had been brought into line with continental
monarchy when James ascended the throne.

The House of Commons refused to listen to Seymour s warning speech,
and voted, nemine discrepante, a revenue which, by the growth of
trade, soon rose to near two millions. It was in the king's power to
retain that loyal and submissive parliament as long as he chose, and
he was not obliged to meet it annually. He had the control of the
constituencies. The press was not free, and the proceedings of the
legislature were withdrawn from public knowledge. Judges could be
dismissed at will, until the bench was filled with prerogative
lawyers. There was an army kept in foreign pay that could be recalled
when it was wanted. Passive obedience was taught as a precept by the
universities, and as a religious dogma by the Church.

It was no secret that James was resolved to be master, and to abolish
the restraints and safeguards of the constitution. Penn, reporting his
intentions to William of Orange, declared that he would have all or
nothing. He had repeatedly avowed that he meant to do it by a standing
army and by claiming the right to dispense with laws. Monmouth's
rebellion gave him the standing army. Although it was unsupported
either by the exclusionists or the limitationists, and although it was
contemptibly managed, there had been a moment of serious danger. It
was the general opinion that the night attack at Sedgemoor would have
succeeded, and that the royal army would have been destroyed, if the
rebels, instead of betraying their approach with musketry, had come to
close quarters with axe and scythe. The king took advantage of what
had happened, and he had the means of paying a force which amounted to
14,000 men.