The Magna Carta and Religious Liberty
Today is the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta–considered by many to be the founding document of the concept of the rule of law. But an important aspect of the document’s history is being overlooked: The role the church played in its drafting.
Writing at Breakpoint, Eric Metaxas says,
“With the disagreement threatening to turn into a civil war, the Archbishop of Canterbury, working as an intermediary between the King [of England] and the barons, helped to draft a proposed charter that would settle the dispute. . . .
“Since then, virtually every opponent of despotism and tyranny in the English-speaking world has drawn inspiration from the Magna Carta, which declared, ‘To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay, right or justice.’ When the Founding Fathers complained about ‘taxation without representation,’ they were appealing to the Magna Carta.”
Listen to Metaxas’ full commentary below to learn more about this document and what it has to do with liberty today.
[audio:http://www.breakpoint.org/images/content/breakpoint/audio/2015/061515_BP.mp3]