We have seen that one of the chief means of despotism on which James
II relied was the organization of a powerful standing army (S488),
such as was unknown in England until Cromwell was compelled to rule by
military force (S457). Charles II had perpetuated such an army
(S467), but it was so small that it was no longer formidable.
It was now evident that owing to the abolition of the feudal levies
(SS150, 482) a standing army under the King's command must be
maintained, especially as war was impending with Louis XIV, who
threatened by force of arms and with the help of the Jacobites (S495)
to restore James II to the English throne. To prevent the sovereign
from making bad use of such a power, Parliament passed a law called
the "Mutiny Act," 1689, which practically put the army under the
control of the nation,[1] as it has since remained. Thus all danger
from that source was taken away.
[1] The Mutiny Act provides: (1) that the standing army shall be at
the King's command--subject to certain rules--for one year only; (2)
that no pay shall be issued to troops except by special acts of
Parliament; (3) that no act of mutiny can be punished except by the
annual reenactment of the Mutiny Bill.
James's next method for bringing the country under the control of Rome
had been to issue Declarations of Indulgence (S488). It was generally
believed that his object in granting these measures of toleration,
which promised freedom to all religious beliefs, was that he might
place Roman Catholics in power.
As an offset to these Declarations, Parliament now passed the
Toleration Act, 1689, which secured freedom of worship to all
religious believers except "Papists and such as deny the Trinity."
This measure, though one-sided and utterly inconsistent with the
broader and juster ideas of toleration which have since prevailed, was
nevertheless a most important reform. It put an end at once and
forever to the persecution which had disgraced the reigns of the
Stuarts, though unfortunately it still left the Catholics, the
Unitarians, and the Jews subject to the heavy hand of tyrannical
oppression,[1] and they remained so for many years (SS573, 599).
[1] In 1663 Charles granted a charter to Rhode Island which secured
religious liberty to that colony. It was the first royal charter
recognizing the principle of toleration.