ibuted to him in the letter copied by Senator Berrien.
You also deny that the Popes claim and have exercised the right to
interfere with matters of government, and the right to absolve their
followers in other countries, and under other governments, from their
allegiance to such rulers and governments. I will proceed to vindicate
Mr. Wesley, and, by the proof, saddle the lie on you! Whilst John was
King of England, he had the "Magna Charta," the great charter securing,
among other things, the right of trial by jury, wrung from him at the
point of the bayonet. This great charter was annulled by Pope Innocent.
Here is the proof:

"While the king was employed in the siege of Rochester, he
received the pleasing intelligence, that according to his
request the charter had been annulled by the pontiff. Innocent,
enumerating the grounds of his judgment, insists strongly on
the violence employed by the barons. If they really felt
themselves aggrieved, they ought, he observes, to have accepted
the offer of redress by due course of law. They had preferred,
however, to break the oath of fealty, which they had taken, and
had appointed themselves judges to sit upon their lord. They
knew, moreover, that John had enrolled himself among the
crusaders; and yet they had not scrupled to violate the
privileges which all Christian nations had granted to the
champions of the cross. Lastly, England was become the fief of
the holy see; and they could not be ignorant that if the king
had the will, he had not at least the power, to give away the
rights of the crown, without the consent of his feudal
superior. He was therefore bound to annul the concessions which
had been extorted from John, as having been obtained in
contempt of the holy see, to the degradation of royalty, the
disgrace of the nation, and to the impediment of the crusade.
At the same time he wrote to the barons, re-stating his
reasons, exhorting them to submit, requesting them to lay their
claims before him in the council to be held at Rome; and
promising that he would induce the king to consent to whatever
might be deemed just or reasonable, to take care that all
grievances should be abolished, that the crown should be
content with its just rights, and the clergy and people should
enjoy their ancient liberties."--_Lingard's History of