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Today politicians and pundits are lining up to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta and all it stands for—the rule of law, justice for all, human rights. It's even made it to the dizzying heights of being the Google Doodle for today.
But one of the charter’s clauses has received very little airtime.
The most famous phrase from Magna Carta guarantees that:
It’s a clause that establishes a simple principle that is the basis of modern democracy—no-one, not even the king, is above the law. It's a principle that lies at the heart of all true democracies today. The president, prime minister, chancellor or ruler may be a law-maker, but they are always subject to the law of the land themselves.
But surprisingly, this revolutionary statement is only clause 39 of this historic document—what about the 38 clauses that came before it? Many of them concern minor points, only of interest to historians. But, the very first thing that Magna Carta declares is this:
The church’s undiminished rights and unimpaired liberties. The statement is short, strong… and very vague. And in 1215, this was exactly how it was intended to be.
The English church was the focus of a power struggle between the monks and bishops in England, the King and the Pope—especially when it came to appointing leadership.
Let’s pray that our leaders would protect the freedom of Christians to worship, to evangelise and to follow our consciences.
In the years just before Magna Carta, the relationship between king, pope and church officials had been particularly fraught. King John rejecting the Pope’s appointment for the Archbishop of Canterbury—and was promptly excommunicated for it. For a time, no one in England was allowed to receive the sacraments or be buried in church graveyards. John eventually surrendered to papal authority in 1213—much to the annoyance of the barons.
Two years later, he and the Pope were sufficiently pally enough to conspire together against Magna Carta, declaring the agreement null and void just months after it had been signed. So historians suspect that clause 1 of Magna Carta was a quick, ambiguous concession to the bishops involved in negotiating it, rather than anything more serious. Today, however, Clause 1 is one of the few clauses that remain on the British statute book, ensuring as it does freedom of expression and control for the English church.
Still free?
But liberty for the church seems to be a principle that public figures both here and in the US are less and less keen to defend. They will always say on record that they support freedom of religion—but these statements in defence of religious freedom are short, strong… and very vague. And what religious freedom exactly means is especially vague when religious freedom clashes with changing social views about equality. Increasingly, the freedom of Christians to act according to their conscience is regarded as an affront to equality, not an integral part of it.
And this should drive us to prayer.
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2 v 1-4
On a day when politicians are busy celebrating the rule of law, human rights, democracy and the fair administration of justice—let’s pray that they’d hold Clause 1 of Magna Carta just as dearly as they hold Clause 39; that they’d esteem it just as highly; defend it just as fiercely; celebrate it just as patriotically. Let’s pray that our leaders would protect the freedom of Christians to worship, to evangelise and to follow our consciences. That we would be able to live quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
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Rachel Jones is the author of A Brief Theology of Periods (Yes, Really), Is This It? and several books in the award-winning Five Things to Pray series, and serves as Vice President (Editorial) at The Good Book Company. She helps teach kids at her church, King's Church Chessington, in Surrey, UK.
