43. JOHN: CHARTER TO THE CHURCH (1214)

John, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy 
and of Aquitaine, and count of Anjou, to archbishops, bishops, earls, 
barons, knights, bailiffs, and all who may hear or see these letters, 
greeting. Since, by the grace of God, a full agreement with regard to 
damages and usurpations during the time of the interdict has been 
established, of the pure and free will of each party, between us and our 
venerable fathers — [namely,] Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of 
all England, and cardinal of the Holy Roman Church; and the bishops, William 
of London, Eustace of Ely, Giles of Hereford, Jocelyn of Bath and 
Glastonbury, and Hugh of Lincoln — we wish, not merely to give them 
satisfaction to the best, God willing, of our ability, but also to make 
sound and useful provision for the whole English Church in perpetuity. 
Accordingly, no matter what sort of custom has hitherto been observed in the 
English Church, either in our own time or in that of our predecessors, and 
no matter what right we have hitherto asserted for our self in the election 
of any prelates, we [now], on the petition of those [prelates], for the 
health of our soul and [the souls] of our predecessors and successors, kings 
of England, of our own pure and free will and by the common assent of our 
barons, have granted and established and by this our charter have confirmed 
that in all and singular of the churches, monasteries, cathedrals, and 
convents of our whole realm of England the elections of whatsoever prelates, 
both greater and lesser, shall henceforth and forever be free, saving to us 
and our heirs the custody of vacant churches and monasteries that belong to 
us. We also promise that we will not hinder, nor will we permit or authorize 
our men to hinder, the electors in any or all of the aforesaid churches and 
monasteries, when prelacies become vacant, from freely appointing a pastor 
over themselves whenever they please, providing, however, that permission to 
elect has first been sought from us and our heirs — which [permission] we 
will not deny or delay. And if perchance — which God forbid! — we should 
deny or delay [permission], the electors shall nevertheless proceed to make 
a canonical election. Moreover, after the election has been held, our 
confirmation is to be requested; which likewise we will not deny, unless we 
can bring forward and lawfully prove some reasonable cause for which we 
ought not to give confirmation. Wherefore we will and straitly enjoin that, 
when churches or monasteries are vacant, no one shall act or presume to act 
in any way contrary to this our grant and constitution. If, however, any one 
at any time or in any way shall act contrary to it, may he incur the 
malediction of Almighty God and our own!

These are the witnesses.... November 21, in the sixteenth year of our reign.

                        (Latin) Stubbs, Select Charters, pp. 283 f.